Dental Implant FAQs for Atlanta Patients
Straightforward answers to the questions patients ask before choosing dental implants in Buckhead, Cumming and Dawsonville.
What are my options for replacing missing teeth?
There are three routes at ANEWU, and the right one depends on how many teeth are gone. One gap is usually closed with a single dental implant. Several teeth in a row can be carried by an implant bridge. An entire jaw is restored with a fixed full arch on four or more implants.
If you have ever wondered how to replace missing teeth, the starting point is the count. How many teeth are gone, and how much bone sits under them, decides which dental implant options are open.
Am I a candidate for dental implants?
Most patients missing one or more teeth are candidates for dental implants. Bone loss does not automatically rule it out either. Depending on your anatomy, bone grafting, zygomatic implants or pterygoid implants can open a path forward. Candidacy is confirmed at a free ANEWU consultation with 3D imaging.
- You are missing one tooth or a full arch
- You wear a denture that moves or slips
- You have a failing tooth due to come out
- You were told elsewhere you lack the bone
- You want fixed teeth, not something removable
What if I've been told I don't have enough bone?
If another office told you that you lack the bone for implants, routes usually remain. Bone grafting rebuilds the foundation so standard implants can be placed later. Zygomatic implants anchor in the cheekbone instead, and pterygoid implants use a different anchor point. Dr. Abtin Shahriari will confirm which applies to your anatomy.
Where the bone is missing matters more than how much is gone, which is what bone grafting fixes.
Anchoring above the sinus is what zygomatic implants do instead.
What the dental implant process actually looks like.
The order rarely changes, even when the timing does.
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1
The free consultation
You talk through what is bothering you and what you want back.
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2
3D imaging and planning
A scan maps your jaw, which is what 3D imaging and guided surgery is for.
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3
Surgery, scheduled around your case
Implant surgery is typically outpatient, so you go home the same day.
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4
The restoration
Full arch restorations are made in the ANEWU on site lab.
How long does the process take, from consultation to a finished smile?
Four stages run in the same order for nearly every case: a free consultation with 3D imaging, then planning, then surgery scheduled around your case, then the final restoration once the implant sites have healed. Same day treatment and same day smile options fit some full arch cases at ANEWU, not all of them.
What to expect at your first visit walks the consultation through minute by minute.
Paperwork is completed at the desk, and the new patient forms page covers it.
Will dental implant surgery hurt?
Implant placement is performed with local anesthesia and, when appropriate, sedation, so you should not feel the procedure itself. Soreness and swelling in the days afterward are normal, and ANEWU sends you home with written aftercare instructions covering pain relief, medication, diet and when to call the office.
Which anesthesia or sedation route suits you depends on your medical history and the procedure planned, and it is settled before surgery day.
Does insurance cover dental implants?
Dental implants and cosmetic work are typically not covered by dental insurance, which treats them differently from routine restorative care. ANEWU staff review your specific insurance and billing with you before treatment is scheduled, so the out of pocket picture is clear rather than estimated after the fact.
What financing options are available?
CareCredit and Proceed Finance are available for major dental work completed in our office, and a monthly payment plan can be arranged before your procedure rather than after it. Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted at all three Georgia offices in Buckhead, Cumming and Dawsonville.
Cost depends on the number of implants and the restoration used, so a figure quoted before a scan is a guess. The implant financing page sets out the routes.
Where the answers on this page come from.
These are the answers the surgical team gives in the consultation room.
Dr. Abtin Shahriari, DMD, MPH
Dr. Abtin has performed thousands of surgeries, with 8 years of specialty training at the University of Pennsylvania and Emory University.
Last updated September 2026. Meet the ANEWU teamMore questions, answered.
The shorter ones, grouped by where you are.
Before and after your visit
We offer same-day treatment, including for urgent needs, and same-day smile options for suitable full-arch cases. Call our office and tell us what's going on so we can point you to the right visit.
Dr. Abtin spends most of a consultation listening, and every option is explained before you're ever in the chair. Our team and offices are built around keeping nervous patients calm.
Implant surgery is typically an outpatient procedure. Afterward you'll receive clear instructions on pain relief, medication, oral hygiene, diet and activity, and our team is available to guide you through healing. See our post-op instructions page for general guidance.
Where to go next.
Paperwork, aftercare, payment routes and the procedures themselves.
Ask us the one we didn't answer.
Book a free consultation, or call the team. Monday to Saturday, 7am to 5pm.
Reviewed by Dr. Abtin Shahriari, oral surgeon specializing in implant dentistry. Last updated September 2026.