Dental Implants in Austin
A dental implant is a titanium post placed in the jaw to replace a missing tooth root. Dr. Verrett plans each implant with 3D imaging, uses a surgical guide where the case calls for one, and your own dentist makes the crown. Most cases take three to six months from placement to finished tooth.
When an Implant Is the Right Choice
An implant replaces the root of a missing tooth, not just the visible crown. It helps maintain the surrounding bone, it does not lean on the neighboring teeth the way a bridge does, and it is cleaned like a natural tooth. The long-term record is good: a meta-analysis by Howe and colleagues in the Journal of Dentistry put ten-year implant survival at 96.4 percent, or 93.2 percent once patients lost to follow-up are accounted for, and an earlier review by Moraschini and colleagues, restricted to studies following patients at least a decade, found mean survival of 94.6 percent.
It is usually the best option for a single missing tooth, several missing teeth in a row, or a denture that no longer stays put. It is not right for everyone. If bone is missing and cannot be rebuilt, if gum disease is active, or if a medical condition makes healing unpredictable, Dr. Verrett will say so and explain the alternatives.
Who Should Place Your Implant
Periodontists and oral surgeons are the specialists whose residencies center on the bone and gum an implant depends on, and board certification in periodontics tests exactly that. Many general dentists also place implants; if yours referred you here, it is because they judged your case would go better with a specialist. Dr. Verrett offers every option, including saving a tooth that can be saved, and he treats the tissue around your implant for years afterward. Either way, your own dentist makes the crown and stays involved. Some implant centers offer a single product; we do not. Questions to ask any implant provider.
What Happens, Step by Step
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Consult and 3D scan. A cone-beam CT (a 3D X-ray) scan shows the bone in three dimensions. Dr. Verrett reviews it with you on screen and gives you a written plan and estimate the same day.
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Planning. The implant position is planned digitally against the scan and, when your dentist has designed the final tooth, against that design. Where the case calls for it, a surgical guide is printed from that plan.
A guide is not automatic here, and it is worth saying why, because it is often sold as though it were. It earns its place when the margin for error is small: several implants in a row, a site close to the nerve in the lower jaw or the sinus above, a thin ridge, an immediate placement, or a full arch. For a single implant in good bone with teeth on either side to reference, the plan on the scan is usually enough, and adding a guide adds a step and a cost without changing where the implant ends up. Guided implant surgery, and when it actually helps goes through the evidence.
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Placement. Usually about an hour with local anesthetic, with sedation if you choose it. In many cases a tooth that needs to come out is removed and the implant placed at the same visit.
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Healing. Three to four months while bone integrates with the implant; sooner in dense bone, longer after grafting. You can eat normally, avoiding that spot at first. We see you for a check during this period.
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Restoration. Your dentist makes the crown, bridge, or denture attachment. We send your dentist the implant details and confirm the implant is ready.
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Maintenance. Implants need cleaning and checking like teeth. You alternate visits between your dentist and our office. In a five-year follow-up by Costa and colleagues of patients who already had inflammation around an implant, peri-implantitis developed in 18 percent of those who kept preventive maintenance and 43.9 percent of those who did not.
Recovery
Most patients work the next day and are back to normal within a week. Expect swelling and soreness for two or three days, managed with cold packs, over-the-counter medication, and soft food. Sutures dissolve or come out at the two-week visit. The implant then integrates for three to four months while you eat normally. Grafting adds a few days to the sore stretch, not months to your recovery.
If You Already Have an Implant That’s Giving You Trouble
Bleeding around an implant, looseness, or a bad taste can be signs of peri-implantitis, which is treatable when caught early. It is not unusual: a meta-analysis by Derks and Tomasi found peri-implantitis in roughly 22 percent of patients with implants, and gum-level inflammation without bone loss in roughly 43 percent. We also see patients for second opinions on implants placed elsewhere. Problems with an existing implant.
Cost, Insurance, and Payment
The cost of an implant depends on the number of implants, whether bone or sinus grafting is needed, the type of final restoration, and sedation. We give you a written estimate at the consult, file with your dental insurance, and offer monthly payment plans through a third-party financing partner. More about cost and insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why have a periodontist place the implant instead of my dentist?
Periodontists are dental specialists whose residency training centers on the bone and gum tissue that hold an implant. Dr. Verrett completed a three-year surgical residency and is board certified in periodontics, which includes implant surgery. Your dentist still makes the crown, and many dentists prefer this division because it lets each doctor do the part they do every day.
Does getting an implant hurt?
Placement is done with local anesthetic, and sedation is available if you want it. Most patients describe the first two or three days afterward as sore rather than painful and manage with over-the-counter medication. We give you written instructions and the number to call, day or night, if something worries you.
How long does the whole process take?
Typically three to six months. Placement takes about an hour. The implant then integrates with bone for three to four months before your dentist makes the crown. If bone grafting or a sinus lift is needed first, add three to six months.
Am I a candidate?
Most adults in reasonable health are. The main questions are whether there is enough bone, whether your gums are healthy, and whether anything in your medical history affects healing, such as uncontrolled diabetes, smoking, or certain medications. A consult with a 3D scan answers all three.
What does an implant cost?
It depends on how many implants you need, whether grafting is required, the type of restoration, and sedation. We don't quote prices online because the same tooth can be a simple case or a complex one. Every consult ends with a written estimate, and we file with your insurance and offer monthly payment plans.
How long do implants last?
With healthy gums and regular maintenance, decades. The crown may need replacement over time like any dental work. The main reason implants fail later is untreated gum inflammation around them, which is why we schedule maintenance and check every implant we place.