In short
A dental implant is a titanium post set into the jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth, topped by a custom crown that restores how the tooth looks and chews. At Form + Function Dental Aesthetics in Las Vegas, Dr. Kevin Tan plans the case with a large view CBCT scan and a digital scan, coordinates placement of the implant with a trusted oral surgeon, and then designs and delivers the implant crown himself. The practice also repairs and cosmetically upgrades crowns on implants that were placed somewhere else.
A dental implant replaces a missing tooth from the root up. A small titanium post is set into the jawbone where the root used to be, the bone grows tight against it over a period of months, and a custom crown is fitted on top. That crown is the part you see in the mirror and chew with, and it is the part Dr. Kevin designs and fits here.
Dental implants come up when a tooth is already gone or too broken down to keep, and when you would rather not reshape the healthy teeth on either side to carry a bridge. An implant stands on its own. Whether one suits you depends on the bone at the site, your general health and your bite, and Dr. Kevin will tell you what he sees at your consultation.
At Form + Function Dental Aesthetics, Dr. Kevin owns the plan and the final result. He decides with you whether an implant is the right answer and where it needs to sit, coordinates with the surgeon who places the fixture, and then designs and delivers the crown. Oral surgery, including the surgical placement of the implant itself, is referred to a specialist we trust here in Las Vegas.
Why the crown decides where a dental implant goes
An implant is planned backward, from the finished tooth down into the bone. Before anything is placed, Dr. Kevin works out what the final crown has to look like, where it needs to sit to meet the opposing tooth cleanly, and how much room the tongue and the surrounding tissue need. That plan is what the surgeon follows. A fixture can integrate beautifully into bone and still sit where a natural looking crown is difficult.
The bite gets the same attention. Dr. Kevin completed the Kois Center curriculum and looks at how your teeth meet, how your jaw sits and how much room your tongue has before he replaces anything. A new tooth lives in the same conditions the original one did. If those conditions need attention first, he will say so at the consultation rather than after the crown is seated.
Who places my dental implant, and who makes the crown?
An oral surgeon places the implant fixture, and Dr. Kevin does the planning, the imaging, the coordination and the final implant crown. Form + Function is a restorative and airway focused practice, and surgery goes to a trusted network of Las Vegas providers. We consider that a strength: one doctor holds the plan from the first scan to the last bite adjustment, working alongside a specialist who places implants every day.
You are not left to manage the handoff. The scan, the plan and the intended position go to the surgeon from us, and you come back here for the crown. Here is how a case usually runs.
- A consultation with a large view CBCT scan, photographs and a bite assessment, so the plan begins with what is actually there
- A digital scan of your teeth with an intraoral scanner, no impression material and nothing to gag on
- The full cost in writing before treatment begins, including what happens here and what the surgeon bills separately
- Placement of the implant fixture by the surgical specialist, with the position agreed in advance
- A healing period while the bone integrates around the fixture, the length of it set by the site, your bone and your health
- A second digital scan and a shade match once the tissue has settled, then design of your crown
- Delivery of the custom implant crown here, adjusted against your bite, with a follow up visit to confirm it is comfortable
How dental implants are planned and restored in our Summerlin studio
Every implant plan starts on the large view CBCT, which images the head and neck in three dimensions. Bone volume, the position of nerves and sinuses and the shape of the airway are all visible in one scan, taken in the studio rather than sent out. Low dose digital X-rays fill in the close detail, and the digital intraoral scanner records your teeth without impression material.
Your crown is designed from those records and matched for shade in the studio, against your own teeth in your own light. Cleanings around a finished implant are done with the air polishing system, warm air, water and a fine powder rather than heavy scraping. Every instrument is sterilized to hospital grade, individually tracked and individually packaged.
One patient is seen at a time, start to finish, so nothing is happening in the next room while you are in the chair. Weighted blankets, AirPods Max headphones, eye patches and aromatherapy are on the comfort menu at every appointment, at no charge.
Can a crown on an implant I already have be repaired or improved?
Yes. Dr. Kevin repairs and replaces crowns on implants that were placed elsewhere, including a crown that has loosened, chipped, worn, or never quite matched the teeth beside it. Often the fixture in the bone is sound and it is only the visible part that needs the work, though that is confirmed with a scan and an examination before anything is decided.
Cosmetic upgrades are common as well. An older implant crown can read gray at the gum line, sit a shade away from its neighbors, or be shaped for a smile that has since changed. Dr. Kevin will tell you what can be improved and what is limited by the position of the fixture underneath, because a crown can only do so much with where the implant already sits.
What do dental implants cost, and will insurance cover them?
There is no single price for a dental implant, and a number quoted before anyone has looked in your mouth is a guess. The cost depends on how many teeth are involved, what the site needs before placement, the crown material, and the surgeon's fee for the placement, which their office bills separately. You receive the full cost in writing before treatment begins, with nothing added later.
We accept most PPO dental insurance plans and are in network with a select few. Implant benefits vary a great deal between plans, so we verify yours and tell you what it actually says rather than promise coverage we have not confirmed. Payment plans and third party financing are reviewed at the consultation. Cosmetic consultations are $50, and when you call we will tell you which type of visit yours is.
About two hours are reserved for every new patient. That is time to take the CBCT scan and the digital records, look at the bite and the airway alongside the missing tooth, and have Dr. Kevin explain what he sees, which part he does, which part the surgeon does, and what it costs. You will not be asked to decide anything that day. We are at 4205 S. Grand Canyon Dr. #19 in Summerlin, next to Target at the Grand Canyon Shoppes, open Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Appointments canceled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours notice are subject to a $50 fee, and same day emergency appointments are held open.
