A clinician shows a smiling patient in the dental chair a model of the teeth
HomeImplantsImplant Dentures · Arlington

Dental Implants near Arlington, VA, for Denture Wearers

Swap a sliding plate for teeth that hold.

Arlington patients who are done with adhesive have two routes: a denture that clicks onto implants and still comes out to clean, or a zirconia arch screwed to them for good. Dr. Esam Nahlah, a board-certified prosthodontist, plans both at 2855 Duke Street in Alexandria.

Book on Duke StreetSnap-in or fixed?
2+Implants under a snap-in denture
4–8Implants under a fixed arch
16 minFrom Arlington, without traffic
The frosted glass entrance to the treatment area at Dr. Nahlah's Alexandria office
From Arlington

6.4 miles to 2855 Duke Street.

  • About 16 minutes without traffic, via Washington Boulevard and North Quaker Lane (VA 402)
  • First visit? Call (703) 940-5410
  • Existing patients: (703) 940-5410
  • Weekdays from 8 am: until 5 pm Monday to Thursday, 2 pm on Friday
  • The practice's own laboratory works in the same building

Directions from Arlington

Side by Side

Three ways to wear teeth, compared.

The percentages are the practice's own comparison of how much natural function each one restores.

01

A conventional denture

Roughly 20% of natural function. Acrylic teeth set in a plate that sits on the gums: the least costly choice, and the weakest.

  • Moves, and can loosen or drop
  • Needs relining and repair over time
  • Leaves the jawbone to keep shrinking
  • Taken out to be cleaned
02

A snap-in denture on implants

Roughly 60% of natural function. Still removable, but two or more implants hold it in place, so it no longer shifts.

  • Anchored by at least two implants
  • Steadier for chewing; it will not slip
  • Better for the bone beneath it
  • Moderate cost; relines may still be needed
03

A fixed arch on implants

Above 98% of natural function. A zirconia bridge fixed for good on four to eight implants, then brushed and flossed like your own teeth.

  • Never taken out at night
  • Resists chips, fractures and decay
  • Supports a healthier jawbone
  • Costs the most of the three
How a fixed arch is placed
The Path

From your current denture to implants, in four stages.

A room at the Alexandria office with a 3D printer and a photography setup for recording smiles01

Scan and plan

A cone-beam scan shows how much bone is left under your denture, and the plan is shaped around your goals and your budget.

A clinician showing a patient their X-ray beside an implant model02

Groundwork

Teeth that cannot be saved are removed first, and bone or gum is treated where the scan calls for it, so the implants have something solid to hold.

About oral surgery
A treatment room at the Alexandria office with a gold and cream dental chair beside the window03

Placement

Placement happens on Duke Street with sedation, following the scan, and generally takes a few hours; most patients leave in temporary teeth.

A restored full arch04

The finished teeth

After healing, the final denture or arch is made to your measurements and attached, and that is the set you keep.

Real Patients

Both arches, rebuilt on implants.

Case 28, double-arch All-on-4: smile before treatment by prosthodontist Dr. Esam Nahlah, Northern VirginiaCase 28, double-arch All-on-4: smile after treatment by prosthodontist Dr. Esam Nahlah, Northern VirginiaBeforeAfter
Double-arch All-on-4 · gallery case 28
Case 29, double-arch All-on-4: smile before treatment by prosthodontist Dr. Esam Nahlah, Northern VirginiaCase 29, double-arch All-on-4: smile after treatment by prosthodontist Dr. Esam Nahlah, Northern VirginiaBeforeAfter
Double-arch All-on-4 · gallery case 29

Browse the smile gallery

Questions

Implant dentures for Arlington: questions.

How many implants would hold my denture?
Two or more for a snap-in denture you can still take out. A fixed arch that stays in needs four to eight.
Snap-in or fixed: how do I choose?
First decide whether you are happy taking teeth out. A snap-in denture lifts out for cleaning, gives back about 60% of natural function and sits mid-range on price; a fixed zirconia arch stays put, gives back over 98% and is the priciest. Your scan then shows what your bone permits.Fixed arches explained →
Is the Alexandria office or the McLean office closer to Arlington?
Usually Duke Street: about 6.4 miles and 16 minutes from central Arlington without traffic, against roughly 10 miles and 20 minutes to Tysons Corner.Get directions from Arlington →
Do I leave the implant surgery with teeth?
In most cases, yes: temporary teeth go in the same day, so you can eat and speak while the implants heal. The permanent set follows once healing is done.
Will implants keep my jaw from shrinking further?
They help. Implants carry chewing forces into the bone and keep it in use; a plate resting on the gums gives the bone nothing to do, so it goes on receding.
Can I spread the cost of implant dentures?
Yes. The practice's financial coordinator can take you through a monthly plan, and approval is often instant, sometimes with no credit check. Most PPO dental plans are taken, and the office files the claim.Financing options →
Keep Reading

Where Arlington patients go next.

Ask what your denture could clip onto.

From Arlington, new patients call (571) 617-7245 to book a scan and a plain comparison of snap-in and fixed.