Types of Dental Implants in Nashville TN
Dental Design Studios provides a number of dental implant options in Nashville TN to help you achieve the smile you desire. Contact our team today to schedule an appointment.
Implant Options in Nashville TN
Single Tooth Implants
Losing even one tooth can affect how you chew and how your smile looks. A single tooth implant is a permanent replacement that acts like a natural tooth. It does not change nearby teeth, and it helps keep your jawbone from shrinking where the tooth is missing.
Loss Of Teeth Results In Irreversible Alveolar Bone Resorption
When a tooth leaves your jaw, the bone underneath no longer gets the pressure that kept it strong. Without that daily signal, the bone begins to break down, and the change is permanent.
The Risk of Not Replacing a Tooth
When a tooth is missing, the jawbone underneath slowly shrinks. Placing an implant is a routine office procedure done with local anesthesia, and most patients return to normal activities the next day. Dr. Kim plans every implant with CBCT and 3D imaging before any work begins, which helps avoid surprises during the procedure.
“Loss of teeth results in irreversible alveolar bone resorption”
Joint Bone Spine, via PubMed (NIH National Library of Medicine)
All-on-Four Implants
Missing most or all of the teeth in an arch does not have to mean removable dentures that slip. All-on-Four uses four to six implants placed at angles that take advantage of your existing bone. The approach often avoids the need for bone grafting and can support a fixed set of teeth the same day as surgery.
Tooth Loss Can Lead To Poor Diet
Without enough teeth to chew, meals often shift toward softer foods that leave out important nutrients. CDC research links that pattern to both weight loss and obesity over time.
Your Nutrition Depends On A Stable Bite
Going without a full arch of teeth makes it hard to eat the crunchy produce, proteins, and fiber your body needs. The procedure uses local anesthesia with sedation options, and the fixed teeth help protect jawbone health long-term by transferring chewing pressure back to the bone. Dr. Kim plans every case with CBCT imaging so the implants go where bone is strongest.
“Extensive tooth loss can lead to poor diet resulting in weight loss or obesity.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Full Mouth Dental Implants
Extensive tooth loss or damaged teeth affect how you eat, speak, and feel every day. Full mouth dental implants restore a complete set of teeth that look and work like natural ones. The treatment combines several steps, all done in one office by Dr. Kim, from planning through the final result.
Severe Tooth Loss Is Higher Among Adults With Poor Health
CDC data shows severe tooth loss is far more common in adults living with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Caring for your mouth is part of caring for your whole body.
Health Risks Of Neglecting Your Teeth
Extensive tooth loss is tied to a higher rate of chronic health issues, partly because eating well becomes harder without a full set of teeth. The procedure uses anesthesia, and sedation options are available for patients who need them. Dr. Kim plans each case with 3D imaging and CBCT, which means every step is mapped before any surgery begins.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Implant-Supported Dentures
Traditional dentures often slip, rub, and make eating harder than it should be. Implant-supported dentures snap onto two to four implants, so they stay put without pastes or adhesives. Patients chew more comfortably, speak more clearly, and stop worrying about their teeth shifting during meals or conversations.
Implant Dentures Prevent Jawbone Loss
Research on patients without teeth shows that anchoring a denture to implants reduces bone shrinkage, and in some cases encourages new bone growth. Regular dentures cannot do this because they rest on top of the gum instead of transferring pressure to the bone below.
Regular Dentures Let The Bone Shrink
Regular dentures sit on the gums and do not transfer pressure to the bone below, so the jawbone keeps shrinking over time. Placing the two to four implants is an outpatient visit, and most patients return to light activity the following day. Before any surgery, Dr. Kim maps the jaw with CBCT imaging to find the implant positions that fit your bone.
Gerodontology, via PubMed (NIH National Library of Medicine)
Immediate Load Implants
Waiting months without teeth while implants heal is hard, both for daily life and for confidence. Immediate load implants let you leave the surgical visit with temporary teeth the same day. You can speak clearly, smile, and eat soft foods while the implants bond with your jawbone.
Implant Survival is 97.4%
A review of more than five thousand immediately loaded implants found survival rates near 97%. Same-day teeth are not a shortcut, they are a well-studied option with years of data behind them.
Waiting Adds Up
Waiting in between steps to finish traditional implants can be inconvenient, and some people drop off before treatment is done. Patients often worry same-day loading is less safe than the older protocol, but research shows survival rates close to conventional implants when bone quality is good. Dr. Kim evaluates bone density and overall oral health before offering this option, so it is only used for patients who are a strong match.
“The mean weighted implant survival was 97.4%”
Journal of Clinical Medicine, via NIH National Library of Medicine
Mini Dental Implants
Standard implants are not always an option for patients with thinner bone or narrow gaps. Mini dental implants have a smaller diameter, which means they can stabilize dentures or replace small teeth with less surgery. Recovery is often quicker, and the procedure typically requires less anesthesia than standard implants.
Implant Survival Rate Holds Up Over Decades
A systematic review tracking patients for more than thirteen years found implant survival rates close to 95%. Mini implants follow the same core design, just at a smaller diameter for patients with limited bone.
Untreated Gaps Risk Nearby Teeth Shifting
Thin bone left alone can continue shrinking, and untreated gaps can cause nearby teeth to shift. Patients often wonder whether a smaller implant is strong enough, but long-term research shows implants remain a reliable tooth-replacement option over many years. The practice uses precision-guided placement, and Dr. Kim evaluates each case to confirm mini implants fit before moving forward.
“the mean survival rate was 94.6 % with a 13.4-year mean follow-up period”
Saudi Dental Journal, via NIH National Library of Medicine
Bone Grafting for Implants
Bone loss in the jaw does not have to rule out dental implants. Bone grafting rebuilds and strengthens the jawbone, creating a solid base for placement later. The procedure stimulates new bone growth and can make implant treatment possible even years after tooth loss.
Resorption Occurs In The First Three Months After Extraction
Most of the tissue change at an extraction site happens within the first ninety days. Research shows about two-thirds of the nearby bone and gum tissue starts to shrink during that window, as the body pulls back bone that no longer has a tooth root to support it. That narrow window is when planning for bone support matters most.
Bone Loss Happens Fast
Bone loss happens fastest in the first few months after a tooth is removed, and the longer it continues, the harder later treatment becomes. Grafting is an outpatient procedure done with local anesthesia, and patients typically return to regular activity quickly. Dr. Kim checks bone density with CBCT imaging before any graft, so the plan matches your anatomy.
Materials (MDPI), via NIH National Library of Medicine
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Dental Design Studios
145 Thompson Ln
Nashville, TN 37211