DENTAL IMPLANT QUESTIONS, ANSWERED HONESTLY

How much does a dental implant cost?

A complete single-tooth implant at Viva Smile is $4,000: $1,500 for surgical placement, $850 for the custom abutment, and $1,650 for the implant crown. An implant bridge replacing three to four teeth runs roughly $9,500 to $11,000, and full-arch reconstruction is $40,000 to $50,000 per arch. Your treatment plan replaces these ranges with an exact figure for your case.

Does insurance cover dental implants?

Some plans cover implants and others do not. Viva Smile is in-network with Delta Dental PPO, which mostly covers implants. For all other PPO plans we are an out-of-network provider - reimbursement is still possible on covered procedures, and we verify your specific benefits before treatment begins so you know exactly where you stand. We do not accept HMO plans, Medi-Cal, or Medicare.

Are there financing options?

Yes - in-house payment plans with no third party involved, plus CareCredit and Cherry for longer terms. HSA and FSA funds can also be applied. We go through the options at your treatment planning visit with real numbers, not advertised ones.

Why do implant quotes vary so much between practices?

Usually because the quotes do not contain the same things. A low headline number often covers placement only, with the abutment, crown, sedation, planning, and any grafting added later. When you compare quotes, ask what is inside each one - at Viva Smile, the components are itemized so you can check the math yourself.

Does getting a dental implant hurt?

The placement itself, no. The area is fully numbed; you feel pressure and movement, not pain. For the numbing injection itself, we use The Wand - a computer-controlled delivery system that administers anesthetic at a slow, consistent rate. Patients who have dreaded shots their whole lives consistently report not feeling it.

What if I am too anxious to go through with it awake?

IV sedation is available. Dr. Baghdasaryan trained in IV sedation at USC's Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry and administers it in-house with full monitoring. You stay breathing on your own, but most patients remember very little of the appointment - one described an implant surgery as feeling "like 5 minutes." Many of our implant patients had avoided dentistry for ten or fifteen years before coming in.

What is recovery like after placement?

Mild to moderate soreness for two to three days, managed with over-the-counter pain relief. Most patients return to work the next day. Soft foods for two to three days, no smoking for at least two weeks, and gentle salt-water rinses as directed.

How long does the whole process take?

Four to six months from placement to final crown, across three to four visits. Most of that is healing time - the bone fusing with the implant - not time in the chair. The placement visit takes 60 to 90 minutes; the crown visit, once healing is confirmed, takes about the same.

Will I have a gap in my smile while I heal?

No. If the space is visible, a temporary option covers it during the healing period - we plan that at your first visit. In full-arch cases, a temporary bridge is part of the case fee, so you have a functional smile from day one.

Why does healing take four to six months? Other places say less.

Because osseointegration - bone fusing with the implant - takes the time it takes. Loading an implant before the bone has matured around it is one of the main reasons implants fail. We confirm healing before placing the final crown rather than working to a calendar.

Can the crown really be done the same day?

Once healing is confirmed, often yes. The practice has in-house CAD/CAM technology, so the final crown can frequently be designed, milled, and fitted in a single visit rather than waiting weeks on an outside lab.

Am I a candidate for dental implants?

Most adults with missing teeth are - including many who have been told elsewhere their case is too complicated. The real variables are bone volume, gum health, smoking, and certain medical factors, all of which are assessed in your 3D scan and history before anything is planned.

What if I do not have enough bone?

Bone can be rebuilt. Socket preservation grafting ($850 per site) maintains bone at the time of an extraction, and sinus augmentation ($2,500) creates room for implants in the upper back jaw. Grafting adds three to six months of healing before implant placement, but it turns "not enough bone" from a disqualifier into a stage of treatment. Significant bone deficiency cases are this practice's regular work.

I smoke. Can I still get implants?

Possibly - but you should know the honest math first. Smoking significantly raises the risk of implant failure because it interferes with the bone healing the implant depends on. It does not automatically rule you out, and we will have that conversation directly before you commit rather than after something goes wrong.

Does diabetes affect implants?

Uncontrolled diabetes can slow healing and raise failure risk; well-controlled diabetes is far less of a concern. Certain medications matter too. We review your medical history individually - this is a conversation, not a checklist rejection.

Am I too old for implants?

No. There is no upper age limit - bone quality and overall health matter, age itself does not. Many of our implant patients are in their sixties and seventies.

What is the success rate?

Around 95% over ten years. The factors that move your individual odds - smoking, bone quality, gum health, medical conditions - are assessed and discussed before treatment, not discovered after.

What happens if an implant fails?

If the bone does not fuse with the post, we remove the implant, let the area heal fully, and in most cases can place it again. It is uncommon, and the planning process - 3D scans, guided placement, honest candidacy assessment - exists to keep it that way.

How long do implants last?

The implant itself can last decades, often a lifetime, with good care. The crown behaves like a natural tooth - it can chip or wear over time and typically lasts longer than any other dental restoration.

How do I care for an implant?

Largely like a natural tooth: brush, floss, and keep regular cleaning visits. The implant cannot get a cavity, but the gum and bone around it still need maintenance - that is what keeps it healthy for decades.

I had an implant placed somewhere else and something is wrong. Can you fix it?

This is one of the most common reasons new patients come to us. Failed or failing implants from other providers - loose components, crowns that never fit, peri-implant bone loss - are regular cases here, not exceptions. Bring your records if you have them; a dental exam will tell us exactly what is going on.

Why does Viva Smile do the surgery and the crown in one place?

Because splitting them is where implant cases go wrong. When an oral surgeon places the implant and a separate dentist makes the crown, the crown gets built to accommodate wherever the implant ended up - and when something fails between the two offices, no one owns the result. Dr. Baghdasaryan holds credentials in both implant surgery (Associate Fellow, American Academy of Implant Dentistry) and cosmetic restoration (Accredited Member, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry - fewer than 350 worldwide), so the entire case is planned and executed by one clinician against one plan.

What is the first step?

A dental exam - $150, covered at 100% by all PPO dental insurance plans, so for most patients it costs nothing out of pocket. It includes the X-rays and 3D scans needed to assess your bone and candidacy. You leave with your situation explained in plain language and a treatment plan with exact costs. No decision is required on the day.

Can I just ask some questions before coming in?

Yes - a free Zoom consultation with Dr. Baghdasaryan is available. It is a genuine first step for early-stage questions, with one honest limitation: whether you specifically are a candidate, and what your treatment would involve, are questions your X-rays answer. Most Zoom consultations that get into specifics end with a recommendation to come in for the exam.