A missing tooth is never just a missing tooth. Leave the gap alone and the teeth around it start to drift, the bone underneath starts to shrink, and your bite quietly changes shape. The challenge isn’t just “replace the tooth” – it’s replace it in a way that stops that chain reaction before it starts.
Why We Start With 3D CBCT Imaging
Planning an implant means seeing more than the surface of your teeth – we need to see the bone underneath. That’s what 3D CBCT radiography is for: a more detailed 3D X-ray we bring in for implant cases, showing exactly how much bone is there to work with, where the nerves and sinuses sit, and the safest, most precise spot to place the implant before we ever pick up a handpiece.
How Implants Work
A titanium post is placed into the jawbone, where it fuses with the bone over a few months to create a stable root. Once it’s healed, a custom crown is attached on top – built to match the size, shape, and color of the tooth next to it. The result functions and feels like a real tooth, because structurally, it’s built the same way one is.
One patient lost all the teeth and bone on one side of his jaw in a car accident as a young man. After years searching for a surgeon who could rebuild that much lost bone, the right referral finally made it possible – then implants gave him a smile and a working bite for good, and his old removable partial denture went in the trash.
See how we solved G.B.’s bone loss →
Not every implant case is that complex. Another patient had a single tooth fail and darken at the gumline after an old injury – it was extracted and replaced the same day with an implant, with the gum tissue restored right alongside it.
See that same-day implant case →
Sometimes the real problem isn’t visible at all. One patient came to us unhappy with how crowns and bridges done abroad looked – but a comprehensive exam found none of them actually fit properly, which had already caused gum disease and cost him several back teeth. Treating the gum disease and placing implants gave him a bite that finally worked, not just a better-looking one.
See how we solved S.V.’s case →
Implants vs. a Bridge or Denture
An implant is usually the strongest, longest-lasting option because it replaces the root, not just the crown – but it isn’t always the right fit for every mouth or every budget. If you’re missing more than one tooth, or a full arch, we’ll walk you through how implants compare to a bridge or denture for your specific situation.