A replacement tooth thatstays put.
Placed and restored under one roof — no driving to a second office for the crown. A titanium post replaces the root, and the tooth on top is milled to match the ones beside it.
- Placed and restored here
- 3D-planned
- Bone preserved
How it works.
3D scan and plan
We measure bone and map the nerve before we ever place.
Place the implant
A short appointment under local anesthetic, sedation optional.
Let it integrate
Bone fuses to the post over a few months.
Place the final crown
Milled here and shade-matched to your smile.
A gap you can hide is still a gap that changes things
You stopped chewing on that side a while ago. You cover your mouth in photos. Maybe the tooth came out years ago and you told yourself you would deal with it later, and later kept moving.
Here is what makes waiting expensive. The bone that used to hold the root has no job once the root is gone, and over time it thins. The teeth on either side start to lean toward the open space, and the tooth above or below it can drift down into the gap. Give that enough years and a single missing tooth turns into a bite problem involving three or four teeth.
A dental implant is the only tooth replacement that puts a root back. That is the whole point of it. Everything else sits on top of the gum or borrows support from neighboring teeth.
We plan your implant in 3D before we pick up a single instrument
Most implant placement is done freehand. The dentist works from a scan, measures carefully, and drills based on judgment and experience. It works, and it takes time, usually somewhere around 50 minutes of surgical time for a single implant.
We use Image Guided Implantology instead. Before your surgery date, we take a CBCT 3D scan of your jaw. That scan shows the exact height and width of your bone, where the sinus sits, and where the nerve runs. We plan the implant on a computer first, choosing the depth, the angle, and the position down to the millimeter, and then we have a surgical guide made that fits over your teeth and holds the drill on that exact path.
On surgery day, the planning is already done. Placement typically takes 10 to 15 minutes instead of roughly 50.
What that actually means when you are the one in the chair
Less time with your mouth open. That is the first thing patients notice, and if you have a sensitive gag reflex, a bad jaw, or a nervous stomach about dental work, it is not a small thing.
Better positioning. Because the guide is planned around where the final crown needs to sit, the implant goes in at the angle that gives you a tooth you can actually chew with, not just an implant that fits the bone. Restoration first, then the hardware.
More predictable results. When the path is set in advance, there is far less guesswork about clearance from the nerve and the sinus. That is the part that keeps people up the night before, and it is the part guided placement is built to solve.
Shorter surgery generally means a smaller opening in the gum tissue, and many patients tell us recovery felt easier than they expected. Individual results vary, and your specific plan depends on what the scan shows.
No other practice in the Fort Smith market is offering guided implantology this way right now.
What the whole thing looks like, start to finish
Visit one, the consultation. We take the 3D scan, look at your bone, and talk about what you want the end result to be. You leave knowing whether you are a candidate, what the plan is, and what it costs in writing. If a tooth still needs to come out, or you need a bone graft first, we tell you that here rather than three visits in.
Visit two, placement. Numbing, then the guided placement itself, usually 10 to 15 minutes per implant. Most people drive themselves home. If you would rather not remember any of it, we offer sedation dentistry, and we will talk that through beforehand.
Healing. The implant needs to fuse to the bone, which for most people takes roughly three to six months depending on where it is and how dense the bone is. You are not walking around with a hole in your smile during that time. For front teeth we plan a temporary so you have something to smile with.
Final visit. We attach the abutment and seat your crown. Then you go eat something you have been avoiding.
Who this works well for, and who needs a step first
Implants work for most healthy adults who have lost a tooth, whether that happened last month or in 2009. You need enough bone to hold the implant and gums healthy enough to heal well.
If gum disease is active, we treat that first, because implants can be lost to the same process that takes natural teeth. If the bone has thinned too much, a graft can rebuild the site, which adds months but makes the result stable. Smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, and some medications affect healing, and we would rather have that conversation openly at the consult than discover it later.
Candidacy is determined by an exam and a 3D scan, not by a website. If implants are not right for you, we will say so and walk you through the alternatives.
What it costs, and how people here actually pay for it
An implant is not one item. You are paying for the implant post, the abutment that connects it, and the crown on top, and sometimes for an extraction or a graft before any of that. A single-tooth implant at our Fort Smith office typically runs $5,000 to $6,000, and you get your exact number in writing at the consult, before you commit to anything.
Dental insurance covers implants inconsistently. Some plans pay a portion, many pay toward the crown but not the implant, and most have an annual maximum in the range that a single implant will exhaust. We are in network with Delta Dental Premier, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, MetLife, United Concordia, Guardian, Principal, Sun Life, Healthchoice, America's, and Assurant, and we will run your benefits and tell you the real number.
For implant cases specifically, Proceed Finance matters most. Terms run up to 96 months with rates starting at 3.99%, and payments start around $157 a month. That is what turns a full treatment plan from impossible into a line item. CareCredit offers 6, 12, 18, and 24-month no-interest options on treatment over $200, with longer 24 to 60-month plans at 14.90% to 17.90% APR, and Cherry gives you an approval decision in about 30 seconds. HSA and FSA dollars work here too.
One honest note about our Smile Savers membership. It saves members 20% on comprehensive treatment, but implants and CT scans are specifically excluded from the plan. If you are joining Smile Savers mainly for implant savings, it will not do that. It is still worth having for your exams, X-rays, cleanings, and the rest of your dental care.
What it costs.
A single implant, abutment, and crown is a three-part fee — beware quotes that only cover one part. We give you the full number in writing after the 3D scan.
- Three parts: post, abutment, crown
- Most PPO plans cover a percentage up to your annual max
- Staging across two benefit years can save real money
What patients say.
4.9 out of 5 across 1,139 Google reviews at our two offices.
Common questions.
Does getting a dental implant hurt?
The placement itself is done with local anesthetic, and most patients say it was easier than the extraction that came before it. Guided placement usually takes 10 to 15 minutes, so you are not holding your mouth open for an hour. Afterward, expect soreness for two to three days, the kind most people manage with over-the-counter pain relief and an ice pack. If dental anxiety is the real obstacle, ask about sedation when you call. That is a normal request and we hear it often.
How long does the whole process take from start to finish?
For a straightforward case, plan on three to six months from placement to final crown. Most of that is healing time while the implant fuses to your bone, not appointments. You will be in our chair maybe three or four times total. If you need an extraction, a graft, or a sinus lift first, add a few months. We will map your specific timeline at the consultation so you are not guessing.
Will my insurance pay for a dental implant?
Sometimes partially, rarely in full. Many plans cover the crown portion but classify the implant itself as excluded, and annual maximums are usually low enough that one implant uses the whole year's benefit. We are in network with most major carriers, we verify your benefits before treatment, and we give you your actual out-of-pocket number in writing. No surprise balance later.
What happens if I just leave the gap alone?
The bone in that spot gradually shrinks because nothing is stimulating it anymore, and neighboring teeth tend to drift or tip toward the space. Over several years that can change your bite, make cleaning harder, and increase strain on the teeth doing the extra chewing work. Waiting also means that if you decide on an implant later, you may need a bone graft first, which adds cost and months. That is not a scare tactic. It is why we would rather see you sooner.
Am I too old for a dental implant?
Age is not the deciding factor. Bone quality, gum health, and how well you heal are. We have placed implants for patients in their seventies and eighties who chew better now than they had in a decade. What matters is what the 3D scan shows and how your overall health is doing, which is exactly what the consultation is for.
How long will an implant last?
Implants are designed to be permanent, and with good hygiene and regular checkups many last decades. The crown on top is the part that may eventually need replacing, the same way any crown does. Uncontrolled gum disease and smoking are the two biggest threats to long-term success, so we build a maintenance plan into your care. Individual results vary.
Request your appointment.
Four questions. Our care team calls you back within one business day. If you are in pain right now, call the office directly and we will get you seen.