Brunswick County · Since 1987
All-on-4 Dental Implants in Southport, NC
A full arch of fixed teeth, anchored on four implants and placed in a single day. It is for people who have lost most of an arch, or are being told they are about to, and who do not want a denture that comes out at night.
- Three doctors, one location
- Sedation available
- Most major plans accepted
- Written estimates before treatment
All-on-4, explained
The technique angles the two back implants to catch the dense bone at the front of the jaw. That angle is what makes it work for people who were told years ago they did not have enough bone for implants.
Why Southport patients come to us for this
Southport is the oldest town in our service area, almost 45 percent of residents are 65 or older, and St. James adds thousands more active-adult households next door.
Most of the restorative work we do for this community is second-generation: replacing crowns and bridges placed twenty or thirty years ago that have finally given out. The question is rarely whether to treat it, it is whether to keep patching or rebuild properly.
The drive is long enough that we consolidate consults, records and treatment planning rather than spreading them across separate trips.
Almost 45 percent of Southport is 65 or older, and St. James Plantation next door adds thousands more active-adult households.
Patients come up from Southport specifically for implant and full-arch work, which is a deliberate choice over closer options.
We see patients from across Southport and the surrounding area, including the Southport Historic District, Fort Johnston, Franklin Square Park and the 28461 ZIP code.
Brunswick County is the fastest-growing county in North Carolina and the sixth fastest in the country, up about a quarter since 2020, and 35 percent of residents are 65 or older. That combination, rapid in-migration and an older population, is why so much of our Brunswick caseload is restorative.
For treatment at this level we do the planning properly before anything starts: records, a scan, and a written phased plan you take home and think about. Nobody signs anything at the first appointment.
Patients drive up from Southport for full-arch and implant work specifically. We build the treatment plan around the drive, not around our schedule.
You may be a candidate if
- You are missing most or all of the teeth in an arch
- Your current denture moves, rubs, or needs adhesive to stay put
- You have been told there is not enough bone for conventional implants
- You want teeth that stay in your mouth overnight
- You would rather solve this once than keep relining a denture
The sequence of appointments
- Records and 3D planningCone beam scan, photos and impressions. We map implant positions digitally before surgery day.
- Surgery dayRemaining teeth come out, four implants go in, and a fixed temporary bridge is attached. Sedation is standard for this appointment.
- Soft diet and healingRoughly three months while the implants integrate. We see you along the way.
- Final bridgeNew records, then a definitive bridge built for your bite and your face.
Afterwards
Expect swelling for several days and a soft diet for a few weeks. You will clean under the bridge daily with a water flosser and a threader, and we will show you how before you leave. Twice-yearly maintenance visits keep the tissue underneath healthy.
If getting to follow-up visits is difficult, tell us. We can often combine checks into fewer, longer appointments.
What it costs
Full arch treatment is a single large investment rather than a series of small ones, and the quote covers surgery, the temporary and the final bridge. We put the whole number in writing at the consultation and walk through third-party financing so you can see the monthly figure before deciding.
If you are on Medicare, note that it does not cover routine dental treatment. Many supplement plans include a limited dental benefit with an annual cap, and we will check yours before quoting anything.
In their own words
Hear from Dr. Carter Lee
Dr. Lee on fixing only what needs fixing, and what it is like to hand a patient the mirror after a smile transformation.
Questions we get asked
Do I leave with teeth the same day?
Yes. A fixed provisional bridge goes on at the surgery appointment. It is not the final restoration, and it looks and functions like teeth while you heal.
Is All-on-4 the same as a snap-in denture?
No. A snap-in overdenture clips onto implants and you remove it to clean. An All-on-4 bridge is screwed down and stays in your mouth.
How far is your office from Southport?
About 30 miles, or roughly 48 minutes via NC-211 to US-17 North, then US-74/76 over the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. We are at 1301 Physicians Dr in Wilmington, with parking at the door.
Do you see patients from Southport?
Regularly. Southport is part of our core service area in Brunswick County, and patients drive up from Southport for full-arch and implant work specifically. We build the treatment plan around the drive, not around our schedule.
What are your hours?
Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm. Outside those hours, leave a message or use the appointment request form and we will come back to you with the first available time.
All-on-4 Dental Implants · Southport, NC
You have probably been told several different things about this.
Bring the opinions you have already been given. We will look at your scan with you and say which parts we agree with.
- Three doctors, 50+ years of combined experience
- Implant surgery and restoration in one building
- Sedation available for longer appointments
- Written, phased treatment plans with costs attached
Worried it is too much work at your age? Health matters far more than the number, and we will tell you if we think a smaller plan serves you better.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.
