Replace a tooth so you can forget about it.

If you lose a tooth and do nothing, three things happen over the years. The teeth on either side of the gap drift toward it. The opposing tooth (above or below) drifts down or up because nothing is biting against it. And the bone in the empty area shrinks, because the bone that supported the tooth no longer has a tooth to support and gradually resorbs.

Replacing the tooth — with an implant, a bridge, or a partial denture — prevents that cascade. Of the three options, implants are the only ones that preserve the bone the same way a natural tooth root does. They also do not require modifying the neighboring teeth (a bridge does) and do not move (a partial denture does).

The most common case. A tooth has been lost — to decay, fracture, gum disease, or trauma — and the patient wants it replaced without modifying the neighboring teeth. We evaluate the bone (with a 3D scan when needed), place the implant in a short surgical visit under local anesthesia, and let it heal for three to four months while the bone integrates with the titanium surface.

Once integration is confirmed, we attach an abutment and place a custom crown. The total time from extraction to final crown is usually four to six months. For some patients with adequate bone and a tooth that has just been extracted, we can place an immediate implant at the time of extraction, shortening the timeline.

When two or more adjacent teeth are missing, we often place two implants and connect them with an implant-supported bridge — three or four teeth total, supported by two roots. This is more conservative than placing an individual implant for every missing tooth and provides excellent function.

For patients who have lost most or all of the teeth in an arch, full-arch implant restorations (often called All-on-4 or All-on-6) replace a full upper or lower set of teeth on as few as four to six implants. This is a transformative procedure for patients who have struggled with loose dentures for years.

Full-arch implant restoration is the modern answer to dentures that move when you chew, that you have to take out at night, that change the shape of your face. Four to six implants are placed in a single arch, a fixed bridge of teeth is attached, and you leave with teeth that stay in your mouth.

These are bigger cases. They require careful planning, a 3D scan, and sometimes coordination with a specialist for the surgical placement. The final restoration is done in our office. Patients who have completed full-arch implant restorations almost universally describe it as the single best dental decision they have ever made.

If a tooth has been missing for years, the bone in that area has often shrunk to the point that a standard implant placement is not straightforward. In those cases we sometimes do a bone graft — adding processed bone material that integrates over a few months and creates the foundation for an implant.

Not every implant case needs a graft. We will tell you, from the 3D scan, whether your case needs grafting and what that adds to the timeline and cost. We do not graft on speculation.

Most adults with reasonable general health and adequate bone are candidates for dental implants. Diabetes (well-controlled), smoking, certain medications (especially bisphosphonates for osteoporosis), and active gum disease are all factors we evaluate carefully — they do not automatically disqualify, but they affect planning and prognosis.

Active gum disease needs to be treated before an implant is placed. The same bacteria that destroy bone around natural teeth can destroy bone around an implant — a condition called peri-implantitis. We will not place an implant into an unhealthy mouth.

Most patients are surprised by how comfortable implant placement is. The procedure itself is done with local anesthesia, sometimes with mild oral sedation if the patient prefers. After the placement, mild swelling and soreness for two to four days is normal, well-managed with over-the-counter pain relievers. Most patients are back to normal activities within a day or two.

Once integrated, implants are not maintenance-free — they need the same brushing, flossing, and six-month cleanings as natural teeth, with attention to the gum tissue around the implant. Done right, implants regularly serve patients for twenty, thirty, or more years.

Implants are a significant investment — usually a few thousand dollars per single tooth, depending on whether bone grafting is needed and which crown material is used. Insurance coverage varies widely; some plans cover the crown but not the implant itself, others cover a portion of both, many cover none of it. We verify benefits and give you a written quote before any work begins.

CareCredit financing is available for cases that are too large to pay out of pocket. For complex full-arch cases, we often phase the work over months or years to spread the cost.