Dental implants are the most advanced, durable solution for replacing missing teeth. At Lifetime Smiles Bellevue, Dr. Michael Beke provides comprehensive implant dentistry from single tooth replacement to full-arch All-on-X restoration. Unlike dentures or bridges that sit on top of your gums, dental implants are surgically placed into your jawbone where they fuse with the bone tissue, creating a stable foundation that functions just like natural tooth roots. The result is a permanent tooth replacement that looks natural, feels comfortable, and allows you to eat, speak, and smile with complete confidence.
Dental implants are designed to look, feel, and function like your natural teeth. The implant crown is custom-crafted by skilled laboratory technicians to match your surrounding teeth in color, shape, and size. Because implants are anchored in your jawbone, they provide the stability and biting force of natural teeth, allowing you to enjoy all your favorite foods without worry or discomfort.
Dr. Beke uses advanced diagnostic imaging to carefully plan your implant placement, ensuring optimal positioning for both function and aesthetics. He’ll explain every step of the process, discuss your treatment timeline, and answer all your questions so you understand exactly what to expect. With nearly 20 years of experience placing dental implants, Dr. Beke delivers predictable, successful outcomes.
A dental implant is a titanium post that’s surgically placed into your jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth. Over several months, the implant fuses with your bone through a process called osseointegration, creating a strong, permanent foundation. Once healing is complete, a custom crown, bridge, or denture is attached to the implant, restoring the visible portion of your tooth. This two-part system provides unmatched stability and longevity compared to traditional tooth replacement options.
Dental implants can replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, or even an entire arch of missing teeth. For patients missing all their teeth, All-on-X (also called All-on-4 or All-on-6) full-arch restoration uses just four to six strategically placed implants to support a complete arch of prosthetic teeth. This advanced technique allows Dr. Beke to restore your entire smile with fewer implants, reducing treatment time and cost while delivering exceptional stability and natural appearance. At Lifetime Smiles Bellevue, we routinely perform complex implant cases, making full smile restoration accessible to patients who thought they’d have to wear traditional dentures forever.
Your implant journey begins with a comprehensive consultation where Dr. Beke evaluates your oral health, reviews diagnostic imaging, and discusses your goals and concerns. He’ll explain whether you’re a candidate for immediate implant placement or if preliminary procedures like bone grafting are needed to ensure success. Once your treatment plan is finalized, the implant surgery is performed using precise techniques and local anesthesia to keep you comfortable. Most patients report that implant placement is less uncomfortable than they expected, with manageable post-operative soreness that resolves within a few days.
After implant placement, a healing period of three to six months allows the implant to integrate with your jawbone through osseointegration. During this time, you may wear a temporary restoration to maintain aesthetics and function. Once healing is complete, Dr. Beke takes impressions and works with skilled laboratory technicians to create your custom crown, bridge, or denture. The final restoration is then securely attached to your implant, completing your treatment and giving you back the confidence to eat, speak, and smile without hesitation. Throughout the entire process, our team provides clear communication and attentive follow-up care to ensure your implant success.
Dental implant treatment is a significant investment in your oral health, appearance, and quality of life. Choosing an experienced implant dentist is crucial to achieving successful, long-lasting results. At Lifetime Smiles Bellevue, Dr. Beke’s nearly 20 years of implant experience, commitment to quality, and comprehensive approach ensure you receive exceptional care from consultation through final restoration.
Dr. Beke uses diagnostic imaging to carefully evaluate your bone structure, nerve locations, and sinus positions before placing implants. This thorough planning ensures optimal implant positioning for both function and aesthetics while minimizing surgical risks. His evidence-based approach means every implant is placed according to proven protocols that maximize success rates.
Dr. Beke’s nearly two decades of experience placing dental implants, combined with his Academy of General Dentistry Fellowship training and ongoing continuing education, ensures your implant surgery is performed with precision and expertise. He handles complex cases routinely, including full-arch All-on-X restoration, bone grafting, and implant placement in patients with challenging anatomy.
The final restoration is just as important as the implant itself. Dr. Beke works exclusively with skilled dental laboratory technicians who create custom crowns, bridges, and dentures that look incredibly natural and fit precisely. These long-term partnerships ensure every restoration meets the highest standards of aesthetics and craftsmanship, delivering results that exceed your expectations.
Schedule your appointment today and experience personalized dental care that puts your comfort first. Healthy teeth. Confident you.
Dental implant treatment involves multiple steps and a significant time investment, so it’s natural to have questions about the process, recovery, and long-term outcomes. Here are answers to the most common questions our Bellevue patients ask about replacing missing teeth with dental implants. If you have additional concerns, Dr. Beke will provide detailed answers during your consultation.
Dental implants have an excellent success rate of over 95% when placed by an experienced dentist like Dr. Beke. Most implants integrate successfully with the jawbone and function for decades or a lifetime. The few failures that do occur typically happen during the initial healing period and are usually due to infection at the implant site, insufficient bone quality or quantity to support the implant, smoking (which impairs healing), uncontrolled diabetes, or poor oral hygiene after placement. Dr. Beke minimizes failure risk through careful patient screening, meticulous surgical technique, proper implant positioning, and detailed post-operative care instructions. If an implant does fail to integrate, it can usually be removed and replaced after the site heals, with a high likelihood of success on the second attempt.
Active gum disease must be treated and controlled before implant placement, as infection increases the risk of implant failure. However, once your gum disease is managed through deep cleanings and improved home care, you can typically proceed with implants. For bone loss, Dr. Beke often performs bone grafting procedures to rebuild the necessary bone structure for successful implant placement. Bone grafting involves placing bone material (from your own body, a donor source, or synthetic material) at the implant site to regenerate bone tissue over several months. Many patients who were initially told they “don’t have enough bone” for implants can successfully receive them after bone grafting. Dr. Beke will evaluate your specific situation and recommend the appropriate preparatory treatments during your consultation.
Caring for dental implants is remarkably similar to caring for natural teeth. Brush twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush, floss daily around the implant crown using regular floss or a water flosser, attend regular dental checkups and cleanings every six months, and avoid chewing extremely hard items like ice or hard candy that could damage the crown. Unlike natural teeth, implants can’t get cavities, but the gum tissue around them can still develop infection (called peri-implantitis) if not kept clean. During your regular visits, our hygienists will clean around your implants using specialized instruments that won’t scratch the implant surface. With proper care and maintenance, your implants should function beautifully for many years. Dr. Beke will provide specific care instructions tailored to your restoration type, whether it’s a single implant crown or full-arch prosthesis.
Lifetime Smiles offers dental services including general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, family dentistry, sedation dentistry and emergency dentistry. Contact our office in Bellevue, WA to schedule your appointment today!
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