Elizabethtown is about an hour's drive to our Oleander Drive office, southeast on US-701 and NC-87.
Elizabethtown is inland Bladen County, an hour from the coast and considerably further from any prosthodontist. We are straightforward about this: routine dentistry should be done locally, and driving an hour for a cleaning makes no sense.
What does justify the trip is the work a general dentist refers out. Full-arch implant restorations, full mouth reconstruction, complex cases where the bite itself has to be rebuilt. Those need three additional years of training to plan properly, and Bladen County patients travel for it because the alternative is having complex work done by someone who does it occasionally.
We regularly see patients from Elizabethtown, White Lake, Clarkton, and the Cape Fear River corridor, and from across the area around Jones Lake State Park, White Lake.
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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.
Because it is a long drive, we consolidate aggressively. The first appointment is a full 1.5 hours with a 3D scan and a complete written plan, and subsequent visits are scheduled to accomplish as much per trip as the healing sequence permits.
Elizabethtown is about an hour's drive to our Oleander Drive office, southeast on US-701 and NC-87.
