Single Implant
One post, one crown. Usually the right answer for a tooth lost to impact or fracture, where the teeth on either side are healthy and should be left alone.
HomeDental Implants
A tooth that is attached to you again.
An implant is not a better denture. It is a titanium root fused into your jaw, an abutment on top of it, and a tooth built to your bite, planned and placed by the same board-certified prosthodontist, in McLean and Alexandria.
The Anatomy
Three parts. One of them is yours within four months.
A dental implant has three components. A titanium post is placed into the jawbone, where bone grows onto it and locks it in place. An abutment sits on that post above the gum. The restoration, the tooth you actually see, is made to your shade, your shape and your bite, and screws or cements onto the abutment.
That middle step is the one nobody talks about. Integration takes roughly four months, and it is the reason implants do not slip, rub or need adhesive. The post stops being hardware and starts being anchorage.
It is also why planning matters more than placing. A post put in the wrong position integrates just as firmly as one put in the right position, and then the tooth on top of it can never be right. Designing the final teeth first, then placing implants to serve them, is the whole argument for having a prosthodontist do both halves.
The specialist behind the planYour Options
One tooth, several teeth, or all of them.
What you need depends on how many teeth are gone, how long they have been gone, and what the bone underneath is doing. These four cover almost every case that walks in.
Implant-Supported Bridge
Two implants carry a span of teeth between them. Replaces several missing teeth in a row without putting the load on natural teeth beside the gap.
Implant-Supported Dentures
A denture that clips onto implants instead of resting on gums. It stops moving, and the pressure moves off the tissue and onto the bone where it belongs.
Full-Arch Implants
A fixed arch of teeth on four or more implants: zirconia, screwed down, not removed at night. The gold standard when a whole arch has failed. See All-on-4 →
The Process
What actually happens, and when.
Treatment runs from a few months to over a year, depending on whether bone has to be rebuilt first. Here is the shape of it.
Consultation & 3D scan
A cone-beam scan shows the bone you actually have. You leave knowing whether you are a candidate, what it costs, and how long it takes.
Surgery, in one visit
Often a few hours, through a surgical guide built from your scan, under sedation. Most patients have no memory of the appointment.
Integration: about four months
Bone grows onto the posts. Rest for a few days, back to normal within a week, soft foods while it fuses. A temporary restoration is usually worn throughout.
Final teeth
A checkup, then the definitive restoration, using state-of-the-art zirconia for full-arch work, shaped, shaded and bite-balanced by the specialist who planned it.
95%+Published success rate
4 moTypical integration
1 wkBack to normal activity
6 moHygiene visits, as before
Fixed vs. Removable
Dentures rest on you. Implants are part of you.
Dentures sit on the gum and move. That movement is what causes the rubbing, the adhesive, the food restrictions and, over years, the bone loss that changes the shape of a face. An implant loads the bone instead of the tissue, which is what slows that recession down.
- Permanently anchored: no slipping, no adhesive, no removal at night
- Brushed and flossed like natural teeth; no separate care routine
- Loads the jawbone, which limits recession and supports facial structure
- Higher up front, lower over time: less repair, relining and replacement
- Restorations resist decay, but still need six-month hygiene visits
Real Cases
Drag the line. These are patients of this practice.
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfter
Questions
The ones people actually ask.
Will the surgery hurt?
Implant surgery is done under sedation. You feel nothing during it, and most patients have no memory of the appointment at all. Afterwards, patients generally report minor discomfort managed with over-the-counter medication.
What is recovery like?
Rest for a few days. Most people are back to normal activity within a week. A soft-food diet is needed for the next several months while the implants integrate with the jawbone.
Am I a candidate?
Many patients already are. Others qualify after preparatory treatment such as bone grafting or extractions. It is not something to guess at. Candidacy is determined properly from a comprehensive consultation and a 3D scan.
How long do implants last?
They are designed to last decades, and can last the rest of your life. Surgical precision, materials and your own habits are what decide it. Implants have held a published success rate above 95% since they were introduced.
Do I still need check-ups?
Yes. Implant restorations resist decay, but the gum around an implant can still develop peri-implantitis from plaque and tartar. Brush twice daily, floss once, and keep the six-month hygiene appointments.
What does it cost?
It depends on how many teeth are missing, how long they have been missing, the materials used and whether anything has to be rebuilt first. We file insurance claims on your behalf and can help you apply for financing. What drives the cost →
Where to go next.
Find out if you’re a candidate.
A consultation includes the 3D scan and a straight answer about what your case actually needs, before you commit to anything.
McLean · (571) 619-9442Alexandria · (571) 410-3430