01Measure it first
The cone-beam scan shows the volume of bone you have, in three dimensions, and where the nerves run, so the plan works from what is actually present.
Dental Implants near Centreville, VA
Short of bone? That is often a starting point, not a no.
For Centreville patients told their jaw is too thin for implants: how a cone-beam scan measures what is really there, when a graft has to come first, and how tilted posts can make one unnecessary. Planned at the Tysons Corner office.
Bone Loss
Why a jaw thins, and what can be done about it.
Bone keeps its volume by carrying the load of a tooth. Once a tooth is gone, or a denture has pressed on the gum for years, the jaw underneath slowly recedes, which is why an earlier dentist may have said there was too little to hold an implant.
- Teeth lost years ago, so the bone under the gap has thinned
- A denture worn a long time, pressing on gum instead of bone
- Teeth that have to be removed before anything else happens
- Gum disease, which is treated before any implant goes in
- Sinus work, priced and timed as a step of its own
Each of these is measured on the scan and written into your plan with its own healing time, before a date is set for the implant.
From Centreville
I-66 for most of the way to Tysons Corner.
The drive. About 17.3 miles from Centreville, roughly 25 minutes without traffic: I-66 for nearly all of it, then a short run on the Capital Beltway (I-495) to Suite 220, 7901 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22102.
Parking. Beneath the building. Suite 220 sits on floor two; doors open at 8 on weekdays and close at 5 Monday to Thursday, 2 on Friday.
Graft and implant days. Sedation is available for either. Oral sedation means a driver for both legs of the trip; with nitrous oxide most people drive themselves.
Directions from CentrevilleThe Options
Four ways a plan deals with thin bone.
Which of them applies is read from your cone-beam scan, not guessed from a flat X-ray or a web page.
01
02Graft, then wait
Where a post needs more bone, grafting is done first as its own procedure, and the implant waits several months while it heals.
03Tilt the posts
For a full arch, All-on-4 angles its two back implants forward into thicker bone, which often removes the need for grafting.
04Place on extraction day
Where the case allows, an implant goes in as the tooth comes out, saving a separate surgery and one round of healing.
The Timeline
How long it takes when bone is rebuilt first.
Anything from a few months to beyond a year; the graft is usually what decides which end of that you are at.
01Scan and plan
The consultation measures your bone and sets out the order of work, what each step costs and how long each one heals.
02Graft and heal
Bone is added where the implant will need it, then given several months to heal. Any failing teeth are removed at this stage too.
03Place the implant
Placed through a guide made from your scan, usually in one sitting of a few hours, and with sedation if you would like it. Soft food follows while the bone takes hold of the post.
04Fit the tooth
About four months after placement, the crown, bridge or arch made in the lab down the hall is attached and tuned to your bite.
3DBone measured before surgery
MonthsHealing after a graft
~4 moFor a post to fuse
95%+Published implant success rate
Real Cases
Arches this practice has rebuilt on implants.
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfterQuestions
Bone and implants: Centreville patients ask.
Another dentist said my jaw is too thin. Is a second opinion free?
On implant surgery, yes. Bring the plan you were given and any imaging; the cone-beam scan here shows how much bone you have and what, if anything, needs adding.What a prosthodontist does →
How long does healing take after a bone graft?
Several months, before any implant is placed. Because a graft is a procedure of its own, that wait is set out in your plan at the first consultation, so the timeline is known before you commit.
Can All-on-4 avoid a graft?
Often. Its back implants are angled toward denser bone toward the front of the mouth, so bone loss tends to lead patients to All-on-4 rather than away from it. Some mouths still need grafting, and the scan settles which.All-on-4 →
Does a graft add to the cost of implants?
It adds a step, so yes: extractions, grafting and sinus work are separate procedures, which is usually why two quotes for one mouth differ. Each is priced in writing at the consultation, and the practice accepts most PPO plans and files the claims.What sets the price →
How many trips from Centreville will I need?
More than for an implant without a graft: the consultation, the graft, the placement once it has healed and the fitting of the tooth, with short reviews in between. Where an implant can go in on the day a tooth comes out, one surgery drops away.
Where to go next.
Have your bone measured, not guessed.
Ring (571) 702-9832 for a cone-beam scan and consultation in Tysons Corner.
Tysons Corner · McLean
Dr. Nahlah Implants and Prosthodontics Specialists7901 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 220
McLean, VA 22102
New patients(703) 448-3312
Current patients(571) 702-9832
DirectionsBook now