Surgical
A titanium post, then whatever it needs to hold
A single implant, an implant-supported denture, or a bridge anchored to implants instead of teeth. Dr. Matthew Tuft and Dr. Hunter Brittain place them at Copperstone Dental in Meridian, and the first consultation is free.
Chapter 01
A titanium post is a root, not a tooth
An implant is a titanium post placed into the jawbone where a tooth root used to be. It isn't the visible tooth itself, it's the anchor underneath, and it's placed first, before anything is attached on top. That order matters because the post needs to be secure in the bone before it can carry a crown, a denture or a bridge.
It's also why an implant is different from the crowns and bridges on /services/crowns-bridges-veneers, which attach to a tooth that's already there. An implant replaces the root itself, for a tooth that's already gone or has to come out.
Copperstone Dental's treatment room in Meridian, where implant surgery is performed
One tooth, or a whole arch
A single implant replaces one missing tooth without touching the teeth next to it, unlike a bridge, which has to anchor onto them. For more than one missing tooth, an implant-supported denture or an implant-supported bridge uses a small number of posts to anchor a larger appliance, giving it a stability that a denture resting on the gum alone can't match.
Which one makes sense depends on how many teeth are missing and where, which is exactly what the free consultation is for.
Chapter 03
Dentures and partials, told straight
Copperstone also fits full, immediate, conventional and partial dentures, each answering a different situation. A full denture replaces every tooth in an arch. A partial denture fills the gaps around teeth that are staying. An immediate denture is placed the same day teeth are removed, so there's no gap in between, with a conventional denture following later once the gums have healed and settled into their final shape.
None of these are automatically the right call over an implant-supported option. It comes down to bone, budget and how many teeth are involved, which is why this is a conversation rather than a menu.
Who places them here
Dr. Matthew Tuft completed the White Cap Institute Implant Residency Program, and Dr. Hunter Brittain's AEGD residency covered implantology and dental surgery directly. Both doctors treat implant work as its own specialty inside the practice rather than a side skill.
Justin Madsen, a Copperstone patient who had implant work done, wrote that Dr. Tuft and his entire staff were amazing, from the first step through the door to the time they left. Free implant and cosmetic consultations are available, call (208) 218-0329 or use /contact to set one up, and /financing covers the payment plans available for implant work.
Copperstone Dental: Most major dental insurance billed directly. In-office discount plan for patients without insurance. Call (208) 218-0329.