Single-tooth implants
An implant is a small post placed in the jaw where a tooth was, with a crown fitted on top once the bone has healed around it. This page is for an adult replacing one tooth.
What happens
Usually four to six visits over about three to nine months. Healing sets the pace.
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Step 1: Scan and plan
A 3D scan and an exam. Dr. Clemons goes through the scan with you, plans the implant's position and gives you a written estimate.
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Step 2: Prepare the site
If the tooth is still there it comes out first. Some sites need a small graft, and then a few months to heal.
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Step 3: Place the implant
The post is placed in this office, with the area numbed. Dr. Clemons tells you beforehand how long the visit will take.
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Step 4: Heal
Over the next few months the bone grows around the post. We check it, and take an X-ray when we need one.
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Step 5: Fit the crown
When the site has healed, the crown is fitted. See the implant crowns page for that step.
Comfort, choices and care
Comfort
The area is numbed with a local anesthetic, and we check that it is numb before we begin. Most people feel pressure, not pain. Tell us if you want a break and we stop. We don't offer sedation in this office.
If you wait or choose differently
Leaving the gap is a choice some people make. Over time the neighboring teeth can lean into the space and the bone there can shrink. A bridge or a partial denture are other ways to fill it, and the options page compares them.
Risks and after-care
Soreness and swelling for a few days are expected. Risks include infection, irritation of a nerve, trouble with the sinus above an upper tooth, and an implant that doesn't join the bone and has to be redone. Smoking, untreated gum disease and some health conditions raise those risks, so tell Dr. Clemons about them. We give you written after-care and a number to call.
How it's billed
The estimate lists each step and its fee before we begin. Some plans pay for part of the crown or the surgery and some pay for none of it; we tell you what we know and your plan decides.
How fees work
Questions about single-tooth implants
Who places the implant?
Dr. Clemons, a general dentist. A case that needs a surgeon, such as a large graft, is referred, and you come back here for the crown.
Is every tooth a candidate?
No. The scan and your gum health decide. If an implant isn't a good fit she says so and goes through the other options.
Can I get a temporary tooth meanwhile?
Often, yes. We talk through the choices for the gap while it heals when we plan your visits.
What do I do about work and time off?
Most people go back to ordinary activity the next day. We tell you what to avoid, and for how long, in the written after-care.
Provided by a general dentist
Dr. Henrietta Clemons, DDS, general dentist, licensed in Illinois.