Dental implants from a periodontist in Lafayette

What is a dental implant, and what are its parts?

A dental implant is a small post, usually titanium, placed in the jawbone where a tooth root used to be. Bone grows against it over a few months, anchoring it in place. Once healed, it works like a root for the replacement tooth on top.

Three parts make up the finished implant. The implant itself sits in the bone. An abutment, a small connector, attaches to the top of the implant. A crown, bridge or denture is then fixed onto the abutment, and that visible piece is usually made by your general dentist.

Because the post stands on its own in the bone, it does not rely on the teeth next to it for support. That is different from a dental implant vs bridge approach for a single gap.

Who is a good candidate, and why see a periodontist?

Good candidates usually have healthy gums, or gum disease that has been treated, and enough bone to support a post. General health matters more than age; many people in their seventies and eighties do well with implants.

Uncontrolled diabetes, smoking and some medicines that affect bone can make healing less predictable, though they do not automatically rule someone out. Past radiation to the jaw is also part of the review.

An exam and imaging, often including a cone beam CT scan, show your bone and gum health directly. That picture, not your age or a general assumption, decides candidacy.

A periodontist trains for years beyond dental school specifically in the gums and bone that support implants. Care is usually shared: at Perio One, we place the implant and manage the surrounding gum and bone, while your dentist typically designs and fits the final crown, bridge or denture.

How does the dental implant process work?

The process runs in stages, from an exam through healing to the final teeth. Timing depends on your bone and how many teeth are involved, so the steps below are typical rather than fixed.

After the exam and imaging, the implant is placed in the bone during a minor surgery with local anesthetic. Over the following months, bone forms around the post in a process called osseointegration. Once healed, an abutment and the final crown, bridge or denture are attached, often by your general dentist.

If bone is too thin or short, a dental bone graft may be needed first, which adds time before the implant can be placed.

Can implants replace one tooth, several, or a whole arch?

Implants scale to how much you are missing. One implant can support a single crown. Two or more can anchor a fixed bridge across several gaps. A full arch can rest on a set of implants, either as a fixed bridge or a removable denture that snaps into place.

The right combination depends on how many teeth are missing, where they sit and how much bone remains. The dental implant options page compares these side by side, and implants vs dentures weighs implants against conventional dentures for someone missing most or all of their teeth.

What is recovery like, and how long do implants last?

Expect some swelling and tenderness for a few days after placement, with most people back to normal activity within a day or two. You will eat soft foods and chew on the other side while the bone heals over the following months.

Implants can last many years with healthy gums, daily cleaning around implants and regular checkups. How long any implant lasts depends on your health, bone, whether you smoke, and how consistently you keep up with maintenance visits.

What are the risks of dental implants?

Implant surgery is a well-established, low-risk procedure, though every surgery carries some risk. Infection and an implant that fails to bond with the bone are possible. In the lower jaw, a nerve injury can cause lip or chin numbness that is usually temporary but occasionally permanent. In the upper jaw, an implant can affect the sinus.

The main long-term risk is peri-implant disease, an infection in the gum and bone around an implant that can loosen it over time if left unchecked. Smoking, uncontrolled diabetes and skipped maintenance visits raise that risk, which is why regular checkups matter after the implant heals.

What affects the cost of dental implants?

Cost depends on how many implants you need, whether grafting comes first, and the type of replacement tooth or teeth on top. An exam is the only way to know your specific plan.

• How many implants and which areas of the mouth are involved
• Whether a bone graft or sinus lift is needed before the implant
• The type of imaging used to plan treatment
• Whether the final crown, bridge or denture is simple or more involved
• Any temporary tooth worn while you heal
• How your specific dental benefits handle implant treatment

Care at Perio One

At Perio One in Lafayette, every implant plan starts with an examination before any treatment is scheduled. Dr. Randal Comeaux, DDS, Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, reviews your gums, bone and health history and explains the findings in plain language.

Planning often uses 3D cone beam CT imaging, so the implant can be placed with the surrounding nerves, sinuses and bone in view. We coordinate with your general dentist, who typically makes the final crown, bridge or denture, so both offices work from one plan.

Referrals from Lafayette-area dentists are welcome. Once your implant has healed, our periodontal maintenance program helps keep the gum and bone around it healthy for years to come.

What to expect

1. Get in touch

   Reach out directly, or have your dentist send a referral our way. It helps to have your current medicines and any recent X-rays on hand.

2. Examination and imaging

   We review your health history, check your gums and bone, and often take a 3D scan if implants are being considered.

3. Your plan, explained

   Dr. Comeaux explains what the exam found, whether grafting is needed, and what to expect at each stage.

4. Implant placement

   The implant is placed in the bone during a minor surgery with local anesthetic.

5. Healing

   Bone forms around the implant over the following months, while you wear any temporary tooth needed.

6. Final teeth

   An abutment and the final crown, bridge or denture are attached, often by your general dentist.

7. Maintenance

   Regular maintenance visits check the gum and bone around your implant for years afterward.

Sources

• Cleveland Clinic: Dental implants
• American Academy of Periodontology: Dental implant procedures
• MouthHealthy (American Dental Association): Implants
• American Academy of Periodontology: What is a periodontist?

This page is general education, not a diagnosis. Your periodontist will recommend care after an examination.