Periodontist vs. Dentist: Who Should Place Your Dental Implants?

If you are preparing to replace a missing tooth, you’ve likely noticed that almost every general dentist offers implant services nowadays. However, because a dental implant requires surgical placement directly into your living jawbone, a critical question arises: Should you trust your smile to a general practitioner, or do you need a specialized surgeon? Making the right choice from the start can mean the difference between a lifetime of stability and an expensive implant failure.

 What is a Periodontist? A periodontist is a dedicated dental specialist who completes three additional years of rigorous, post-doctoral surgical residency focusing exclusively on the soft tissues, gums, and bone structures supporting your teeth.

 Why Advanced Specialization Matters: General dentists handle a wide array of routine care, but periodontists are masters of the surgical environment, bringing distinct advantages to your care:

 High-Risk Management: Expertly navigating complex cases involving bone loss or active gum disease.

 Advanced Bone Grafting: Building up receded jawbone structures so they can safely support an implant.

 Micro-Surgical Precision: Utilizing specialized, minimally invasive techniques for faster healing.

 The Implants Today Difference: Dr. Abril combines this specialized periodontal expertise with state-of-the-art computer-guided technology to serve patients throughout Falls Church, McLean, and Tysons with exceptionally high success rates.