Three things decide whether someone goes ahead with a dental implant: what the surgery involves, how long it takes, and what it costs. The short answer is a single placement appointment under local anesthesia, three to six months from surgery to final crown, and a price shaped by your jawbone and the number of teeth being replaced. The rest of this page fills in the details behind each one.
At Westpark Village Dental Care, a best-rated dental clinic in Plano, TX, Dr. Jordan Hardin plans and places implants in-house, from the first 3D scan through the final crown, so the surgical stage is never handed off to an outside office for standard cases. What follows is the same ground we cover at an implant consultation.
Why Replacing the Root Matters
A dental implant is a titanium post placed surgically into the jawbone where a tooth root used to be. Once the bone heals and fuses with the post, a natural process called osseointegration, a connector piece called an abutment goes on top, and a custom crown is attached above that. The result is a replacement tooth anchored the same way a natural one is.
The root is the part that matters most. Jawbone keeps its density because tooth roots stimulate it every time you chew. Take the root away, and the bone in that spot starts to break down, which over time affects the neighboring teeth and the underlying shape of the face. Bridges and dentures fill the visible gap but leave the root socket empty, so the bone loss continues underneath them. An implant is the one replacement option that gives the bone its stimulation back.
From First Scan to Final Crown
The process runs in stages over several months, not because treatment is disruptive but because bone integration cannot be rushed. Each stage is predictable.
It starts with a consultation and imaging. Implant treatment here is planned with a CT/Cone Beam Scanner, which builds a 3D model of your jaw showing bone depth, bone density, and the exact position of nerves and the sinus cavity; details a flat X-ray cannot capture. This same scan also guides how your future dental crowns will be shaped and positioned once the implant has fully healed. At that first visit, you can expect:
- A candidacy check. Gum disease, low bone volume, or certain health conditions may need attention first, and bone grafting is sometimes required before placement.
- A written treatment plan. Built from your scan, laying out each stage and what it includes.
- A cost estimate specific to your case. Quoted before anything is scheduled, never after treatment has started.
- A financing review. Insurance, the membership plan, and payment plan options are walked through at the same appointment.
On surgery day, the post is placed under local anesthesia. You feel pressure rather than pain, and the area stays numb throughout. Swelling and tenderness in the days after are normal and usually settle within a week.
Then the jaw does the slow work. Over three to six months, the bone fuses with the post, a phase that involves no active treatment and little interference with daily life. Once integration is confirmed, we capture a digital impression with the Medit i700 scanner, no putty trays involved, and the crown is fabricated to match your surrounding teeth in color, size, and shape. After it is attached, you care for the implant like any natural tooth.
What Determines the Price
Implant pricing varies more than almost any other dental treatment because the cases vary. A single post and crown replacing one back tooth is a different treatment from a full-arch restoration supported by four to eight posts, and it is priced accordingly.
Four factors move the number: how many implants you need, the volume and condition of bone at each site, whether preparatory work such as a bone graft or an extraction comes first, and the type of restoration going on top, whether a crown, a bridge, or an implant-supported denture. These same factors also play into understanding the lifespan of dental implants, since the number of posts and the restoration type affect how long the results tend to hold up.
Any figure quoted before imaging has been reviewed is a guess. The scan is what turns a range into a real number.
That number arrives in writing at the consultation, with each component of the plan itemized. Ready to find out what your case involves? Call (972) 964-8989 and ask for an implant consultation with Dr. Hardin.
Four Ways to Pay for Treatment
Cost uncertainty is one of the main reasons people put off implant treatment, so the practice keeps several routes open. Around 35% of our patients have no dental insurance, and treatment is structured to be workable either way.
| Option | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Dental insurance | We file to most PPO and DPO plans and verify your benefits before you arrive | Patients whose plan covers restorative work |
| In-house membership plan | $40 per month per person, with 15% off services beyond the included preventive care | Uninsured patients who want predictable costs |
| Third-party financing | Monthly payment plans through CareCredit, Cherry, or Sunbit | Larger treatment plans spread over time |
| In-house financing | No-interest payment plans in several term lengths, arranged directly with us | Patients who prefer to skip outside lenders |
Every option is reviewed at the consultation, so the financial side of the plan is settled before treatment begins rather than after.
Who Places Your Implant, and What Comes After
Implant placement is a surgical procedure, and not every dentist who offers it has surgical training behind it. Some refer the placement to an oral surgeon and restore the tooth afterward. Others place implants with general dentistry training alone.
Dr. Hardin earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry and is a Fellow in Implant Dentistry through Implant Pathway's Dental Implant Continuum, a program built specifically around the clinical and surgical side of implant placement. That training, combined with CT/Cone Beam planning, is why standard cases are handled start to finish in one office: the imaging, the surgery, and the crown, with no referral partway through.
After the crown goes on, keeping an implant healthy takes the same routine as a natural tooth: brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and a checkup every six months. Habits are a bigger threat than hardware. Smoking raises the failure rate considerably, and chewing ice or other hard objects can damage the post, so a custom nightguard is worth discussing if you grind your teeth.
Dental implants carry a success rate above 95%, and the two most common causes of failure, infection around the post and bone that never fully integrated, are exactly what routine checkups are designed to catch early, along with unusual signs like feeling sensitivity in a dental implant, which is worth mentioning at a checkup rather than waiting it out. A well-placed implant that is looked after has a realistic lifespan measured in decades, which is the fairest way to weigh its cost against shorter-lived replacement options.
Questions Patients Ask Before Committing
How long does the whole implant process take?
Plan on three to six months from placement to final crown for a straightforward case. Most of that is passive healing while the bone fuses with the post, with no active treatment and little disruption to daily life. Preparatory work such as bone grafting adds time on the front end.
Will I need time off work?
Usually a little. How much depends on how many implants were placed and how physical your job is. Some patients schedule surgery late in the week and recover over the weekend. Swelling and tenderness typically settle within several days to a week, and we provide written post-operative instructions.
What if dental surgery makes me anxious?
Tell us at the consultation. The office offers nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation alongside local anesthesia, so nervous patients can stay relaxed through placement. Side effects are minimal, and a dental assistant stays with you for the whole appointment and tells you what is coming next.
Does insurance cover dental implants?
It varies by plan, which is why benefits are verified before your visit. We file to most PPO and DPO plans and put what insurance is expected to cover in writing alongside your estimate, so the out-of-pocket portion is clear before you commit to anything.
Ready to see if a dental implant is right for you? Call West Park Village Dental Care at (972) 964-8989 to schedule your consultation in Plano today.
