Our Services

Dental Implants

In many cases, dental implants are now the best way to replace missing teeth. We will work with a specialist such as an oral surgeon or periodontist to coordinate the placement of the dental implant fixture (root) into the jaw bone where needed. During the healing process, bone will grow around the implant and secure it in place. Once the implant is stable, it will act as the anchor for your replacement teeth or dentures. Dr. V or Dr. Megan will restore your implants with final tooth replacements once the healing process is complete.

Implants can be used to support many different types of tooth replacements, including single teeth, bridges, or dentures. A single tooth implant is a stand-alone replacement for a missing tooth, and when compared to a conventional bridge, offers the advantage of tooth replacement without compromising the neighboring teeth to restore your space. Implant supported bridges can be used to replace multiple teeth at one time. Finally, if you are missing all of your teeth, implant supported dentures may be an option that allows for replacement of all of the teeth and some of the roots with one single prosthesis. Compared to conventional dentures, this type of restoration will allow you to bite and chew more comfortably and naturally.

For more information about dental implants from the ADA, click the PatientSmart box below.

ADA Patient Smart

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Dear Patients,

We sincerely hope you and your families are doing well and staying healthy. As you may know, our practice has been limited to treating only emergent and urgent dental needs during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Your patience and flexibility through this has been greatly appreciated, and we are happy to inform you that we are now able to resume routine dental care.

We have always prioritized the health and safety of our patients and team by adhering to the universal precaution and infection control standards set by the CDC, OSHA, and the American Dental Association (ADA) and have recently completed a full-staff training seminar in COVID-19 specific infection control standards. Because we are now closely following and implementing their enhanced recommendations for safe care during the COVID-19 pandemic, please expect the following changes to your dental visit:

Our office will communicate with you via call or text before your appointment to ask some screening questions. You will be asked similar questions again when you are in the office for your appointment.
We ask for you to come in to your appointment alone and for your companion to stay in the car in order to minimize the amount of people in the office. Exceptions are made for one parent/guardian of a child or one caregiver for a patient needing special assistance.
We ask that you sanitize your hands and put on a mask prior to entering our suite (both provided).
Upon entry, we will check your temperature and have you fill out the required screening form.

You will also notice that our office and our team will look different:

To allow for proper social distancing, we have reduced the number of chairs in our waiting room.
We have removed magazines and toys.
We have installed plexiglass barriers at the front desk.
All team members will be wearing masks at all times and clinical staff may also wear face shields and gowns during the appointment.

Finally, we have implemented changes that you will not see but are happening in the background:

We have installed a Novaerus plasma-based air filtration unit between our operatories, designed to kill all airborne microorganisms on contact.
We have also installed UV-C bulbs in our HVAC system, designed to provide medical grade treatment of bioaerosols and treat every cubic inch of air in our office every 12-15 minutes.
Upon arrival to work and at the end of the day, each team member will have their temperature taken and complete a COVID-19 screening questionnaire.
We will frequently disinfect commonly touched surfaces such as door handles, bathroom fixtures, countertops, and chairs.
We will stay up to date on all CDC, OSHA, and ADA recommendations

While we realize the minor inconvenience these changes may cause, we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we strive to keep our community and ourselves healthy. We value the trust you place in us as your dental care provider, and look forward to seeing you again very soon. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us about any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Vassilis K Panagopoulos, D.D.S
Megan J. Panagopoulos, D.D.S.
Vista Family Dentistry