A missing tooth has a sneaky way of changing your day. It shows up when you bite into an apple, laugh in a photo, or realize you have been chewing on one side for months. A dental implant replaces both the visible tooth and the root beneath it, so your bite and your smile get support from the ground up.
At Newport Beach Dental Center, Dr. Laura Sharbash, DDS, FAGD, D.ABDSM, and our team welcome patients looking for a dentist serving Laguna Niguel who can handle implant care from start to finish. Our in-house periodontist and implant specialist places the implant, we restore it, and the 73 toll road runs from Laguna Niguel toward Newport Beach, which keeps the drive to our office simple.
Achieve your dream smile with cosmetic dentistry and flexible financing that makes transformation affordable.
A dental implant is a small titanium post placed in the jawbone to act as a new tooth root. Over the following months, the bone fuses with the post in a process called osseointegration, creating a base that holds a crown, bridge, or denture in place. Because the base is anchored in bone, nothing slides, clicks, or needs adhesive.
Implants also protect the jaw itself. When a tooth is lost, the bone supporting it can slowly shrink from lack of use, and a post in that spot gives the bone a job to do again. That stimulation also helps maintain the shape of your jaw and the structure of your face. Most adults with missing teeth can be considered for implants, and we check your gum health, bone density, and general health at your consultation before recommending anything.
Every implant case starts with a conversation, and ours move through four stages you can see coming.
Each stage builds on the one before it, and our team coordinates all of them, so you are not carrying records between a surgeon’s office and a restorative dentist’s chair. For single-tooth cases, we often use CEREC technology to design and mill a same-day crown in our office, and if you are missing several teeth, implant-supported dentures can hold a full arch securely in place.
A traditional dental bridge fills a gap by placing crowns on the teeth beside it, which means shaving down healthy enamel. An implant stands on its own, so the neighboring teeth stay untouched. That fits our biomimetic approach, which aims to preserve as much natural tooth structure as possible. Removable dentures rest on the gums rather than anchoring in bone, so they cannot stimulate the jaw the way an implant does.
| Dental implant | Traditional bridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Held in place by | A titanium post anchored in the jawbone | Crowns placed on the teeth beside the gap |
| Neighboring teeth | Stay untouched | Healthy enamel is shaved down for the crowns |
Longevity matters too. A 2024 meta-analysis of 20-year implant data found about four out of five implants survived two decades, and the authors stressed follow-up care well beyond the first ten years. Our guide to dental implant longevity explains the daily habits that help protect your investment.
Candidacy comes down to four things, which are healthy gums, enough bone to anchor the post, good general health, and a willingness to keep up with daily brushing, flossing, and professional cleanings. Age alone rarely rules anyone out, and a history of bone loss does not always close the door either, because grafting can often rebuild what the implant needs.
Smoking slows healing and raises the risk of implant failure, though it does not automatically disqualify you, and we plan around it honestly. We would rather give you a clear picture at your consultation than promise a result we cannot support.
Coverage varies by plan, and many PPO plans offer partial coverage for implant-related work such as extractions or the final crown. We work with Delta Dental and verify your benefits before treatment begins, so the numbers are clear upfront. When insurance does not cover everything, financing is available through CareCredit and Cherry.
If dental visits make you nervous, IV sedation is available to help you stay relaxed. We also treat gum disease before placing an implant, because healthy gums are essential for a stable result, and the full timeline typically runs three to nine months from consultation to final restoration.
Here are straight answers to a few common questions about dental implants.
With good care, an implant can last for decades, and the crown on top may need replacing after roughly 10 to 15 years of normal wear. Daily brushing, flossing, and regular cleanings protect the tissue around the post, and routine checkups let us catch small issues early.
Local anesthesia keeps the area numb during placement, and sedation options are available if you feel anxious. Most patients feel only mild soreness afterward, which is usually managed with over-the-counter medication, and many return to normal activity within a day or two.
Bone grafting can rebuild bone density and create a solid foundation for an implant. Dr. Sharbash reviews your imaging at your consultation and explains whether grafting or a sinus lift fits your plan.
Laguna Niguel has plenty of dental offices, so it is fair to ask why you would drive north. Our answer is simple. Implant care often passes between a surgeon, a restorative dentist, and a lab, and every handoff is a chance for delays. We keep the process in one office with one team who knows your case from the first scan to the final crown. Fewer handoffs also mean fewer appointments to juggle, which matters when you are planning around a drive.
We also restore implants placed elsewhere, so if you began treatment with another provider, we can pick up from there. Our restorative dentistry in Laguna Niguel covers the crowns and repairs a healthy implant smile depends on, and if a brighter smile is also on your wish list, our cosmetic dentistry in Laguna Niguel fits right alongside implant care.
Dr. Laura Sharbash is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, and she brings a conservative, gentle philosophy to every implant case. We explain each option in plain language and move at the pace you are comfortable with.
Questions about timing, insurance, or whether implants fit your situation are always welcome. If a missing tooth has been on your mind, contact our office to schedule your implant consultation.
Don’t let dental anxiety prevent you from getting the care you need. Schedule a sedation dentistry consultation with Dr. Sharbash today.
