Southport is about a 45 minute drive to our Oleander Drive office via NC-133 and the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.
Southport draws retirees, and St. James alone accounts for a steady share of our Brunswick County patients. That population arrives with dental histories built in other states over forty or fifty years, which produces the kind of mixed, aging restorative work that needs a specialist to untangle rather than patch.
The common Southport case looks like this: a couple of old crowns, a bridge that has started to fail, one or two teeth already lost, and a bite that has drifted as a result. Treating any one piece in isolation tends not to hold. Dr. Pan plans the whole mouth first, then sequences the work.
We regularly see patients from the historic district, St. James Plantation, Indigo Plantation, and Smithville Woods, and from across the area around the Southport waterfront, Fort Johnston.
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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.
Southport is a real drive, so the first appointment is built to be worth the trip: a full 1.5 hours, a 3D scan, and a written plan with costs before you leave.
Southport is about a 45 minute drive to our Oleander Drive office via NC-133 and the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge.
