IMPLANTS


People are living longer than ever, and while regular brushing, flossing, and checkups allow many of us to maintain our natural smiles for a lifetime, sometimes our teeth just can't keep up. If you've lost a tooth (or a few teeth) due to injury or disease, dental implants can rejuvenate both your smile and your oral health.

An implant is a synthetic tooth root in the shape of a post that is surgically placed into the jawbone. The “root” is usually made of titanium: the same material used in many replacement hips and knees, and a metal that is well-suited to pairing with human bone. A replacement tooth is then fixed to the post. The tooth can be either permanently attached or removable. Permanent teeth are more stable and feel more like natural teeth.

The ideal candidate for implants is a non-smoker who has good oral health, including a sufficient amount of bone in the jaw, and healthy gums with no sign of gum disease.


Single or Multiple Implants

Implants are versatile. If you are only missing one tooth, one implant plus one replacement tooth will do the trick. If you are missing several teeth in a row, a few strategically placed implants can support a permanent bridge (a set of replacement teeth). Similarly, if you have lost all of your teeth, a full bridge or full denture can be permanently fixed in your mouth with a strategic number of implants.


Advantages Over Dentures or Bridges

Conventional bridges and dentures are not fixed to the bone, and can therefore be unstable. This can make it difficult to eat or smile with confidence. Implants not only look more natural, but feel and act more like normal teeth, with a stronger biting force. And because they don't directly rely on neighboring teeth for support, implants don't compromise the health of your natural teeth. In fact, bridges are only expected to last seven to ten years, even less with root canals, whereas implants will typically last a lifetime.


Post-Treatment Care

Consider your replacement teeth to be the same as natural teeth. They require the same daily brushing and flossing, and the same amount of regular checkups. Just like your natural teeth, the better you take care of your replacements, the longer they will last.


Implant Services

Our implant services include:

  • Sinus Lift Augmentation: Often the sinuses will enlarge following loss of the upper back teeth. This can preclude placement of dental implants in the upper back areas of the mouth, since the sinus is an air-filled space and dental implants need to be surrounded by solid bone. A sinus lift augmentation/graft is a surgical procedure that restores the sinus cavity to its original size, and replaces the bone that has been lost as a result of the enlarged sinus. This new bone graft typically takes nine to 12 months to heal before the dental implants can be placed into the grafted bone.
  • Autogenous Bone Grafting: Occasionally, the ideal areas for dental implants do not have sufficient bone quantity to support the implants. In these cases, it is often necessary to “borrow” bone from another area of your mouth and graft it into the deficient area. Often, the area of choice is from the chin or in the back of the jaw where your wisdom teeth used to be.
  • Implant Site Development: When a tooth needs to be removed due to infection, it is not uncommon to have lost bone around the infected tooth. In these cases, various types of bone grafting can be done at the same time the tooth is removed to facilitate the placement of a dental implant at a later date.
  • Computer-Enhanced Treatment Planning: We have special software on our computer that allows us to evaluate your dental CT scan in three dimensions for bone quality, bone quantity, and bone location, enabling the best possible placement of your dental implants. This also allows us to work closely and smoothly with your restorative dentist to ensure an ideal result where your dental implants are concerned.
  • Implant Maintenance: Once your dental implant restoration is completed, it is important to keep the area clean and infection-free. Dental implants can accumulate plaque and tartar just as teeth can. Whether you have just one tooth replaced by an implant or several, a professional cleaning schedule will be necessary to keep your implants healthy. The time interval for these professional cleanings will be determined by your individual needs.



The place looks nice and neat. The front desk ladies are so sweet and never fail to welcome me with a smile. Mollie took care of my deep cleaning. She was very gentle and always explaining what's she's doing beforehand. I really appreciate her and the staff. Thank you for taking good care of me ❤

I've been to a lot of dentists in my lifetime and this is the best experience I have ever had!! My dental work is perfect! Never any pain! Kind, caring and gentle staff! I drive all the way from Spokane for my appointments and am always excited to come here and see everyone!!

Excellent service! Super impressed by the professionalism and thorough work ethic of the staff members. I would recommend this outstanding experience to anyone truly seeking a family-like environment! Thanks for taking care of me and my family. Wink, wink.

This is the best Dental office in the whole of Washington state, no doubt. Dr. Mark Walker is a field Marshall in Dental technology in the USA. Thank you Mark for restoring all my teeth so that I can smile again. God send you to help me. God bless you and your family and all your workers.

Schedule Your Dental Appointment in Kent, WA


Contact our office today to schedule an appointment. Call 253-802-7498 or click here to establish your appointment with our 5-star dentists today!


As one of the legacy dental practices in Kent, WA, with over 30 years of experience, Meridian Dental Clinic provides 5-star-rated dental care to patients in Renton, Tukwila, SeaTac, Cascade-Fairwood, East Hill-Meridian, Maple Heights-Lake Desire, Shadow Lake, Covington, Lakeland North, & Auburn.

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