DFW Oral Surgeons brings smiles with dental implants – Cross Timbers Gazette | Denton County South | mound of flowers

When it comes to replacing missing teeth, Dr John Shillingburg at DFW oral surgeons believes that dental implants are the best answer.

“The nice thing about them is that they don’t decay like teeth do,” said Dr. Shillingburg, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial specialist whose specialist surgical practice is located across FM 2499 from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound since 2015.

“Once integrated, these implants only last a short time. We have the option for people who need all of their teeth removed in one or more jaws to come in and have the bad teeth removed and implants placed on the same day.

This technique, called All-on-4 dental implants, is truly life-changing because in the past, implants had to be replaced individually – one implant for one tooth. Individual teeth requiring implant replacement usually require temporary teeth and take longer.

“We used to have to put in 6 to 8 dental implants for people with dentures who didn’t want to have to put them in and take them out,” Shillingburg said. “Now there are only 4-6 dental implants and patients can have a full set of well-functioning teeth. They feel like their natural teeth.

DFW oral surgeons can still help patients with bridges and dentures, but Shillingburg said they don’t last as long as implants. In addition, dentures can reduce the chewing efficiency of patients to less than 25%, which can lead to additional health problems.

While implants have been around for decades, research and resulting advancements in materials, surface and connections have made Shillingburg’s work easier.

“We place a type of implant that is 20% stronger than titanium,” he said. “They are very strong. The surface of the implant has been perfected to integrate extremely well into the bone. The success rate due to technology and improvements in surface characteristics and all of that has skyrocketed. »

Helping Shillingburg and his staff of 12 is the X-Nav machine, a guided surgery technology used to help place dental implants making surgeries easier and faster. It also uses a digital scanner eliminating the need for traditional bulky printouts.

To meet the growing demand for implants, DFW Oral Surgeons will welcome Dr. Lico Castillo in August. He will play a key role in maintaining the status quo this year after the restrictions at the start of the pandemic, although staff members will still be required to wear masks.

“Our goal is not just to help people feel good about their smile and their aesthetics, but also to be able to eat,” said Dr Shillingburg, who lives in Bartonville with his wife Carrie and 13-year-old daughter. years, Karis. Their twin sons Caleb and Jacob, 22, and son Joseph, 21, reside elsewhere.

“We have people who come here all the time and I don’t know how they function because they can’t chew. It’s a tough ordeal for them. »

Dr. Shillingburg began helping these patients in 2009 when he joined DFW Oral Surgeons founder Lee Oneacre. He took over the firm in 2016 when Oneacre retired.

Prior to that, Dr. Shillingburg served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1995 to 1999 and active duty from 1999 to 2009. He completed his general dentistry residency in 2001 at Fort Carson, Colorado and studied oral surgery and maxillofacial at Brooke Army Medical Center from 2001 to 2005.

DFW Oral Surgeons is most proud to be named Best in Denton County for the fifth consecutive year in 2021 in the categories of Dental Implant Dentist, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, and Best Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Center.

Additionally, DFW Oral Surgeons has been designated as a true outpatient surgery center with a generator, so power is never lost during an outage. Dr. Shillingburg also handles dental and oral surgery emergencies at the hospital.

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