Single Tooth Dental Implants
in Marlton, NJ
 A single tooth dental implant in Marlton, NJ replaces one missing tooth with a titanium post, abutment, and custom crown that look and function like a natural tooth.
Periodontal Health Professionals places single-tooth implants at our Marlton office on South Maple Avenue, with planning, surgery, and follow-up handled by a board-certified periodontist with 30 years of implant experience across South Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia area.
Of all the implant cases we see, single-tooth implants are the most common. They're also typically the most straightforward: one site, one implant, one crown, three-to-six-month timeline from consultation to final restoration. For patients missing one tooth in a row of otherwise healthy teeth, a single implant is usually a better long-term choice than a traditional three-unit bridge.
This page covers what's involved when you choose a single implant. Our dental implants overview covers the practice-wide approach to implant treatment, including All-on-4, full-arch, and other multi-tooth options. The Marlton office sees implant patients Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and our Turnersville office covers Tuesday and Thursday with the same doctor and the same records.
On This Page
What Is a Single Tooth Dental Implant?
A single tooth implant has three parts: a titanium screw (the post) placed into the jawbone where the missing tooth used to be, an abutment that connects the post to the crown above the gumline, and a custom crown that looks and functions like a natural tooth. The whole assembly is independent of the teeth on either side.
The titanium post integrates with your jawbone over three to six months in a process called osseointegration. That integration gives the finished tooth the stability to chew on like any other tooth, and it's what distinguishes an implant from a bridge or a partial denture.
 Single Implant vs. a Three-Unit Bridge
A traditional three-unit bridge replaces one missing tooth by capping the two healthy teeth on either side of the gap and suspending a fake tooth (called a pontic) between them. That works mechanically, but it has trade-offs that a single implant avoids.
- No reshaping of healthy neighboring teeth – a bridge requires grinding down the enamel of two healthy teeth to anchor the bridge crowns. An implant leaves the neighbors untouched.
- Less load on adjacent teeth – chewing forces on a bridge transfer through the two anchor teeth, accelerating wear and increasing the risk of those teeth needing future work. An implant absorbs its own load directly into the jawbone.
- Bone preservation under the missing tooth – without a tooth root in place, the bone underneath naturally resorbs over time. A bridge does nothing to slow that. An implant acts as an artificial root and keeps the bone stimulated.
- Longer expected lifespan – bridges typically need replacement every 10 to 15 years on average. The implant post itself can last a lifetime when surrounding bone and gum stay healthy.
A bridge can still be the right choice in some cases, like patients who aren't candidates for surgery, very short-term solutions, or situations where the up-front cost difference matters more than the long-term considerations. We walk through the pros and cons honestly at consultation.
Am I a Candidate for a Single Tooth Implant?
Most patients missing one tooth in an otherwise healthy mouth are candidates. At consultation, implant candidacy for a single-tooth case comes down to three things.
First, what the bone looks like at the implant site. If the missing tooth has been gone for a while, some bone has likely resorbed, and a small bone graft may be needed before placement. Second, the health of the surrounding gum and the neighboring teeth. Active gum disease has to be treated first. Third, your general health and habits: certain medications, conditions, and smoking lower implant success rates and need to be addressed before placement.
If the tooth is still in your mouth but failing (cracked, abscessed, or beyond repair), immediate dental implants after extraction is sometimes an option, where we remove the tooth and place the implant at the same visit. That option depends heavily on bone quality at the site.
Your Single Tooth Implant Periodontist in Marlton
Dr. Gail Childers, DMD, plans and places single tooth implants at our Marlton office. He's a dual board-certified periodontist and dental implant specialist with 30 years of experience in Southern New Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia area, a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, a Fellow of the International Team of Implantology (ITI), and the founder of the Southern New Jersey ITI Study Club.
Single-tooth implant work is the highest-volume category in implant dentistry, which means it's also where pattern recognition matters most. Three decades of single-tooth cases means knowing when to graft and when not to, when to place immediately after extraction and when to wait, and which bone-quality presentations call for additional planning steps. A board-certified periodontist limited to gum, bone, and implant work sees these cases every clinical day.
Dr. Childers also teaches at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Periodontology and Periodontal Prosthesis and at his alma mater, Temple University, where younger restorative dentists learn the planning steps that make single-tooth implants predictable. More on his bio.
The Single Tooth Implant Process in Marlton
 A straightforward single-tooth implant case runs three to six months from consultation to final crown. Most of that time is healing.
1. Consultation and CBCT imaging
At your first visit, we examine the area, review your medical and dental history, and take a CBCT 3D scan that maps the bone available at the implant site. The CBCT shows bone height, width, and density in three dimensions, which is what lets us plan the implant placement precisely. The scan also tells us whether the site needs grafting before placement or whether we can go directly to surgery.
2. Treatment plan walk-through
We share the scan with you, explain what the case looks like, and lay out the expected timeline. For straightforward single-tooth cases with adequate bone, the plan is consultation, placement, healing, and final crown. For cases that need a graft first, we add the graft and its healing period to the front end of the timeline.
3. Implant placement with X-Guide navigation
The placement itself is a single surgical visit at our Marlton office. We use X-Guide computer-guided implant navigation, which takes the CBCT-based treatment plan and overlays it on the live surgical field, so we can see in real time exactly where the implant should go relative to the plan. The site is fully numb with local anesthesia, and patients who prefer to be relaxed beyond local can choose oral sedation. Most single-tooth placements take 45 to 90 minutes.
4. Osseointegration (healing)
Over the next three to six months, your jawbone grows into the surface of the titanium post. There's no scheduled appointment in the middle of this period unless something feels off. For visible front teeth, we work with you on a temporary tooth option during healing, like a flipper, a temporary bridge, or in some cases an immediate temporary crown attached to the implant on placement day.
5. Abutment and digital impression
Once the implant has integrated, we attach the abutment (the connector piece) and take a digital impression with the TRIOS intraoral scanner. The TRIOS scan replaces the traditional putty impression and is more accurate, which means less adjustment when the crown gets bonded.
6. Final crown placement
We bond the custom crown onto the abutment at your final visit. The tooth is now functional. Most patients leave the appointment chewing on their new tooth within a few hours.
For cases where the natural tooth is still present but failing, immediate placement at the time of extraction is sometimes possible, which compresses the timeline by avoiding the post-extraction healing period. That decision depends on bone quality at the site and is made during the consultation.
Benefits of Choosing a Single Tooth Implant
The case for a single tooth implant over the alternatives is mostly about long-term oral health, not just the look of the replacement tooth. Many of the long-term benefits of dental implants apply to all implant cases, but single-tooth cases get a few advantages of their own.
- Healthy neighboring teeth stay intact – the implant anchors independently in bone, with no reshaping of adjacent teeth. CBCT-based planning at our office confirms the angle and spacing that keep the neighbors fully untouched.
- Bone underneath stays stimulated – the titanium post acts as an artificial root, slowing the natural bone resorption that follows tooth loss. For sites where bone has already receded, we add a bone graft up front so the implant has a stable base.
- Precise placement from X-Guide navigation – computer-guided placement based on the CBCT scan is designed for the angle accuracy that makes a front-tooth implant look natural and a back-tooth implant chew like its neighbors.
- One specialist from planning through follow-up – the periodontist who reviews your scan is the one who places the implant and oversees the integration period. You aren't handed off mid-process.
- A crown that looks like the tooth you lost – we fabricate the final crown from a TRIOS digital scan rather than a putty impression, which produces a more precise fit and a more natural shape against the surrounding teeth.
- An expected lifespan measured in decades – the implant post itself can last a lifetime with healthy surrounding tissue. Routine periodontal maintenance visits at our office catch problems early, which is part of what makes that lifespan realistic.
The benefit patients seem to appreciate most isn't on this list: it's not having to think about the missing tooth anymore once the crown is on.
Why Choose Our Marlton Office for Single Tooth Implants
Periodontal Health Professionals is a two-location specialty practice focused entirely on periodontics and dental implants. We don't do general restorative dentistry, we don't do cosmetic veneers, we don't do orthodontics. Single-tooth implant cases sit squarely in the work this practice does every clinical day.
Our periodontist holds board certification in periodontology (Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology) and is a Fellow of the International Team of Implantology. The combination matters for single-tooth cases because the result has to look natural in addition to integrating properly, which is where the planning and surgical experience of a periodontist limited to this work pays off.
For surgical planning, we use CBCT 3D imaging and X-Guide computer-guided implant navigation across both office locations, with the rest of our advanced technology stack supporting the rest of the workflow. For cases that need a bone graft first, the in-office PRGF-Endoret system can produce PRP and PRF from your own blood to support faster, more reliable graft healing.
Single Tooth Implant Cost and Insurance
The cost of a single tooth implant case depends on a handful of factors: whether the site needs a bone graft before placement, whether immediate placement at extraction is part of the plan, the type of implant and crown material chosen, and whether you opt for sedation beyond local anesthesia.
Compared to a traditional three-unit bridge, a single implant typically costs more up front but less over the long term, because bridges generally need replacement every 10 to 15 years while the implant post lasts indefinitely. The total cost picture also depends on what insurance covers.
Most dental insurance plans cover a portion of single tooth implant treatment, often the diagnostic exam and imaging, sometimes the implant itself or the crown, rarely both at full coverage. We verify your benefits before treatment begins so you know your estimated out-of-pocket portion. More on our insurance and financing options.
Schedule Your Single Tooth Implant Consultation
Call us at (856) 702-4340 to set up a single tooth implant consultation. We're at 48 South Maple Ave in Marlton, NJ 08053. Marlton office hours are Monday 8am to 5pm, Wednesday 9am to 5pm, and Friday 9am to 1pm. If those days don't work, our Turnersville office covers Tuesday and Thursday with the same doctor and the same records. You can also request an appointment online or reach us through our Contact page for questions before scheduling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a single implant really better than a bridge for one missing tooth?
For most cases, yes. The main reason isn't the implant itself; it's what the bridge does to the neighboring teeth. A bridge requires reshaping the two healthy teeth on either side of the gap to anchor the bridge crowns. Once those teeth are reshaped, they're never going back to their original state, and they take on the chewing load for three teeth instead of one. An implant leaves them alone. The one case where a bridge can be the more efficient choice is when the adjacent teeth would benefit from crowns anyway (large existing fillings, cracks, or worn restorations), in which case the bridge does two jobs at once.
How long does a single tooth implant take from start to finish?
Three to six months for a straightforward case with adequate bone. The longest portion isn't the procedure itself (an hour or two of chair time across several visits), it's the healing period during which the implant integrates with the bone. Cases that need a bone graft before placement add three to six months on the front end of the timeline.
Will I need a bone graft before getting an implant?
It depends on what the CBCT scan shows. If the missing tooth has been gone for a while, some bone has likely resorbed at the site, and a small graft is often needed. For teeth that came out recently and where the surrounding bone is still in good shape, no graft is needed and we can place directly. The CBCT at your consultation answers this question definitively, so you'll know which path your case takes before any surgical decisions are made.
Can the implant be placed the same day my tooth is extracted?
Sometimes. It depends on the condition of the bone at the time of extraction. When the bone is sound, the gum is healthy, and there's no active infection, immediate placement is possible and saves several months of total treatment time. When the bone needs to heal or rebuild first, we extract, do socket preservation grafting, and place the implant after healing. See our immediate dental implants after extraction overview for the candidacy criteria.
Will the implant tooth look like my other teeth?
Yes, when planned and placed well. The crown is custom-fabricated from a digital scan of your other teeth, matched in color, shape, and translucency. Front-tooth implants get extra attention to the soft-tissue contour around the gumline because that's what makes the transition from gum to crown look natural. We send you the proposed crown design for review before final fabrication.
Is the placement painful?
We numb the area thoroughly with local anesthesia before placement, and most patients describe the procedure itself as pressure rather than pain. The needle for the anesthesia is the most intense moment for most people, and even that's described as a brief sting. Post-surgical discomfort over the next two to four days is manageable with over-the-counter pain medication. Patients who prefer to be sedated can choose oral sedation for the appointment.
How much does a single tooth implant cost compared to a bridge?
Up front, a single tooth implant typically costs more than a three-unit bridge. Over a 20- to 30-year horizon, the math often reverses because bridges generally need replacement every 10 to 15 years while the implant post itself lasts indefinitely. The implant crown does need eventual replacement (10 to 20 years on average), but only the crown, not the whole implant. We can lay out the long-term picture for your specific case at consultation.
What happens if a single tooth implant fails?
Failure is uncommon but does happen, usually from peri-implantitis or inadequate bone support. We evaluate the cause (the same workup described on our failing implants page), remove the failing implant if necessary, treat any underlying infection, and discuss whether a replacement implant is feasible after a healing period. |
