Dental implants, explained

Not at In Line Dentistry in Diamond Bar. Dr. James Chon is a general dentist who places and restores implants in-house, so the post, the abutment and the crown are handled in one office with no referral out, after a free consultation and 3D scan. Full-arch cases start with a consultation, where he tells you plainly whether the case is treated here or by a specialist he refers you to.

A dental implant is a small titanium post placed in the jawbone to replace a missing tooth root. Once healed, it holds an abutment and a porcelain crown — so the finished tooth looks, feels, and works like a natural one.

A dental implant at In Line Dentistry is $1,990 per implant — the implant, abutment and crown — when Dr. Chon's exam and 3D scan confirm you're a candidate. If your case needs anything more, you get an itemized written price at your free consultation before anything begins.

Most adults with a missing or failing tooth are candidates. What matters is healthy gums and enough jawbone to hold the implant — both are checked at a free consultation with a 3D scan, so you know before committing to anything. Time without a tooth, or gum trouble, can mean some bone has been lost; the scan shows how much, and grafting is how it is rebuilt when a case needs it. A consultation is required to confirm candidacy and your treatment plan.

Typically three to six months start to finish: placement is a single visit, the implant then integrates with the bone over a few months, and the final crown is placed once it's solid. Dr. Chon maps your own timeline at the consultation, and you're never left without a plan for the gap in between.

Yes. We stand behind our implant work with a four-year care policy, kept active with routine six-month maintenance visits.

The placement itself is done under local anesthetic to numb the area. If dental work makes you anxious, In Line offers nitrous oxide sedation — tell Dr. Chon at the consultation and it is arranged before the day. Most patients describe the recovery as easier than a tooth extraction, and manage it with over-the-counter pain relief.

A bridge replaces the missing tooth by capping the two healthy teeth either side of the gap, which means reshaping teeth that are currently fine. An implant sits in the gap on its own and leaves the neighboring teeth untouched. An implant also replaces the tooth root, which is what keeps the jawbone in that spot stimulated. Dr. Chon walks through both options against your own 3D scan at the free consultation — there are cases where a bridge is the better answer, and he will say so.

Two things start. The jawbone where the root used to be is no longer stimulated and loses volume, and the teeth either side begin to drift toward the gap while the opposing tooth over-erupts into it. Most of the bone change comes in the first six months after the tooth is out, not evenly over years: an implant placed while that bone is still there is the straightforward $1,990 case, while the same tooth a year later often needs a graft as well. Over the longer run, lost bone can let the face lose some of its fullness. None of it is an emergency, but it is worth getting a scan and knowing your options even if you are not ready to start.

Yes, and in Vietnamese or English too. The consultation, the 3D scan review and your written plan can all happen in the language you are most comfortable in; ask for it when you book. The site also has Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese pages.