Carolina Beach is roughly a 20 to 25 minute drive up Carolina Beach Road (US-421) to our Oleander Drive office.
There is no prosthodontist on Pleasure Island, so Carolina Beach patients who need implants, a full-arch restoration, or a complex crown and bridge case drive up US-421 for it. It is a straight run with no bridges to wait on, which makes the multi-visit appointments this work requires far more practical than the distance suggests.
Island life is also harder on teeth than most people expect. Between an outdoor, on-the-water lifestyle and a fair amount of sugar and acid from a beach-town diet, we see a steady stream of Carolina Beach patients with chipped, cracked, and worn teeth that started as one bad bite on something hard.
We regularly see patients from Wilmington Beach, Hanby Beach, the north end, and the Boardwalk district, and from across the area around the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, Carolina Beach State Park.
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A dental implant is a small titanium post that takes the place of a missing tooth root. It is placed in the jawbone, where the bone gradually fuses to its surface — a process called osseointegration — creating a foundation strong enough to carry a crown, a bridge, or a full arch of teeth.
That foundation is what separates implants from every other tooth replacement. A denture rests on the gums. A traditional bridge leans on the teeth beside the gap. An implant stands on its own, anchored in bone, which is why it feels less like an appliance and more like a tooth.
It helps to think of an implant as three parts: the implant itself in the bone, an abutment that connects through the gum, and the restoration — the visible crown or bridge. Dr. Pan is a prosthodontist, which means she designs and places that restoration: the part you see, bite with, and live with every day.
We start with a 3D scan and a conversation about what you want the result to do. Dr. Pan plans the restoration, coordinates placement with a trusted surgeon, keeps you in a temporary while the implant integrates, then designs and fits the final tooth.
A full 1.5 hours. We image your jaw, assess bone volume, review your bite and medical history, and tell you honestly whether implants are the right answer for you.
Dr. Pan designs the final tooth, then maps the implant position to suit it. You get a written sequence, timeline, and itemised cost before anything is booked.
A trusted oral surgeon or periodontist places the implant to Dr. Pan’s plan. You wear a temporary while the bone integrates over three to four months.
Dr. Pan fits, adjusts, and refines the custom crown or bridge until the bite is right and it disappears among your natural teeth.
Dr. Pan plans the finished tooth first, then works backwards to the implant position — coordinating with your surgeon so the hardware ends up where the restoration needs it. She designs every restoration herself and completes much of the lab work in-office, which is why implant crowns from this practice match the teeth beside them.
Year-round residents and seasonal owners both plan treatment around the summer crush. Tell us at the consultation which you are, and Dr. Pan sequences appointments so the stages that need close monitoring do not land in the middle of your busiest weeks.
Carolina Beach is roughly a 20 to 25 minute drive up Carolina Beach Road (US-421) to our Oleander Drive office.
