Services › Dental implants
Dental implants, placed and restored in one office
The surgery and the crown are usually two practices, two sets of records and two people blaming each other when the bite is off. Here they are one building, two doctors who plan the case together, and one quote in writing before anything starts.
What an implant actually is
A titanium post placed into the jawbone, left to fuse with the bone, then topped with a custom crown. Three parts, one tooth: the post, the connector, the crown.
What makes it different from a bridge is what it does not do. A bridge is anchored by grinding down the healthy teeth either side of the gap. An implant stands on its own and leaves those teeth alone.
It also keeps the jaw busy. Bone that no longer carries a tooth starts to resorb, which is why a face changes shape years after a loss and why dentures that fit in 2019 rattle in 2026. An implant transmits chewing force into the bone and slows that down.
One post, one crown. Nothing done to the neighbouring teeth.
Two implants can carry a bridge across a longer gap, so you are not placing one for every missing tooth.
A fixed set of teeth carried on four to six implants. It stays in — it is not something you take out at night.
Implants can anchor a denture you already have so it clips in place instead of moving while you eat.
How it goes
Timelines vary with your bone and your healing. These are the honest ranges, not the brochure ones.
Consultation and 3D scan
A cone-beam scan shows the bone, the nerve and the sinus in three dimensions. We plan the position before anyone picks up an instrument, which is why our quotes tend to hold — there are fewer surprises when you have looked first. You leave with a written plan and the price with your insurance already applied.
Extraction or grafting, if needed
If the tooth is still there it comes out first. If the bone is thin, a graft rebuilds it — sometimes at the same appointment, sometimes as its own step with a few months of healing. We will tell you which at the consultation, not halfway through.
Placing the implant
Dr. Petroche, a board-certified periodontist, places the post. She is in for consultations and surgery one to two days a week, so placement is booked onto one of those days — everything before and after it runs on the ordinary schedule with Dr. Lima. Most patients are surprised how straightforward the appointment is; the soreness afterwards is usually less than an extraction. IV sedation is available if the idea of it is the hard part.
Healing
The bone grows onto the implant surface. This typically takes three to six months and it cannot be rushed. You are not toothless in the meantime — a temporary goes in where it shows.
The crown
Dr. Lima designs and fits the final crown: shade, shape and, most importantly, the bite. A crown that looks right and chews wrong is a crown that fails. This is the part that general practices most often get handed back to them, and it is the part we would rather do ourselves.
Why one office matters here
The crown decides where the implant goes, not the other way round. When the surgeon and the restoring dentist plan the case together, the post lands where the tooth needs to be — not merely where the bone was easiest.
You are not handed a referral slip and an address across town. Same records, same scan, same front desk, same people who already know your history — the surgeon comes to you.
The surgical and restorative sides are priced together up front, so you are not blindsided by a second bill from a second office six months later.
A high bite or a sore spot is a phone call to one office, not a negotiation between two practices about whose problem it is.
Dr. Petroche is trained in IV conscious sedation. Fear of the surgery is a reason to talk to us, not a reason to live without the tooth.
Consent, risks and aftercare explained in English, Spanish or Portuguese — whichever one you actually think in.
What it costs
We will not quote you an implant price over the phone, and you should be wary of anyone who does. The number depends on whether a tooth needs removing, whether the bone needs grafting, and what goes on top. That is what the 3D scan is for.
What we will do is give you the whole figure in writing at the consultation — surgical and restorative together, with your insurance benefit already applied — before you decide anything.
We are in network with most major PPO plans and we accept Colorado Medicaid. Many plans contribute something toward implants even when they do not cover the whole thing, and we will find out exactly what yours does before you commit. Financing is available, and our membership plan takes 20% off treatment if you have no insurance at all.
Coverage varies by plan tier, so we verify your specific benefits rather than quoting from the carrier name.
Common questions
Does getting an implant hurt?
The placement itself is done under local anaesthetic and most patients describe it as easier than the extraction that preceded it. Afterwards expect a few days of soreness manageable with ordinary pain relief. If anxiety is the obstacle rather than pain, IV sedation is available.
How long does the whole process take?
Usually three to six months from placement to final crown, because the bone needs that long to fuse to the implant. If grafting is needed first, add a few months. You will not be walking around with a visible gap during that time.
How long do dental implants last?
The implant itself is designed to be permanent and commonly lasts decades. The crown on top is the part that wears, much like any other crown, and may need replacing at some point. What shortens an implant's life more than anything is gum disease around it — which is one more reason to have the periodontist in the building.
Am I too old, or is my bone too thin?
Age on its own rules nobody out; we have treated patients well into their eighties. Thin bone is common after a tooth has been missing a while and is usually solvable with a graft. Uncontrolled diabetes, active gum disease and smoking all affect healing and we will talk about them honestly rather than pretend they do not matter.
Can I have the tooth out and the implant placed the same day?
Sometimes — it depends on how much healthy bone surrounds the socket and whether there is active infection. The scan tells us. When it is possible it saves you months; when it is not, forcing it risks the implant.
When can the implant actually be placed?
Dr. Petroche is in for consultations and surgery one to two days a week, so placement is scheduled onto one of her days rather than squeezed into any morning. We book it at the consultation so you have the date in hand. The consultation, the scan, the temporary and the final crown all happen on the regular schedule.
What is the alternative if I do not want an implant?
A bridge or a partial denture. Both are legitimate and both are cheaper up front. A bridge means reshaping the healthy teeth either side; a denture means something removable. We will lay out all three with their real trade-offs rather than steering you.
Let's get you a time this week.
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6565 W Jewell Ave, Suite 9, Lakewood CO 80232 · info@synergydentistryco.com
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