A missing tooth replaced with one that looks, feels and works like your own, planned without rush and matched to the teeth beside it.
Most people start thinking about dental implants after a tooth is gone or about to go: a back tooth that cracked past saving, a front tooth lost years ago and replaced with something that never felt right, or a gap you’ve learned to chew around. Some come because a bridge or denture has stopped fitting well. An implant replaces the root as well as the tooth, so the new tooth stands on its own, without leaning on the teeth beside it.
At Pearl, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Dr. Colby is certified through Hiossen for dental implants. An implant is a tooth you’ll live with for decades, so we take the planning slowly. You see your X-rays, hear how an implant compares with a bridge or a denture, and know the timeline and cost before you decide anything. The tooth on top is matched to the color and shape of your own, so it doesn’t look like a repair.
“Trust is built through authenticity, results, and the patient experience.”
A replacement root with a tooth on top. The implant itself is a small post, usually titanium, set into the jawbone where the root used to be. Over the next few months the bone grows tight against it, so it holds as firmly as a natural root.
A short connector, called an abutment, then joins the implant to the part you see: a crown made to match your other teeth. You brush it, floss around it and chew on it like any other tooth, so you can stop favoring one side.
A missing tooth is usually worth replacing, even when the gap doesn’t show. The bone that held the tooth starts to shrink once the root is gone, most of it in the first year. The teeth on either side slowly tip into the space, and the tooth above or below it can drift out of place, which changes your bite and makes those teeth harder to clean.
An implant is the one replacement that sits in the bone, so it helps keep the bone where it is. The sooner a gap is planned for, the more options you usually have, so even if you’re not ready to decide, it’s worth knowing what they are.
An implant is placed in stages, with healing time in between. Most of that time you’re getting on with life, and you’re only in the chair for a handful of appointments. You’ll know what each stage involves before it starts. The usual sequence:
We look at the space, your gums, your bite and your health, and talk through implants alongside a bridge or a denture, with the timeline and cost of each.
X-rays, and often a 3D X-ray, show the height and width of the bone, so the implant can be planned for the right position and angle.
With the area numbed, the implant is set into the bone through a small opening in the gum. If a tooth still needs to come out, that may happen first, or on the same day.
The bone fuses to the implant over the next few months, usually three to six. At the front, a temporary tooth can fill the gap in the meantime, so you’re not walking around with a space.
Once the implant is firm, the connector goes on and we take a digital scan of your teeth with our iTero scanner, instead of a tray of impression putty.
The crown is made in the shade and shape of your own teeth, fitted, and your bite is checked so it meets the teeth around it evenly.
“He is skilled, professional, and caring, and really goes the extra mile to make sure we are comfortable with the dentistry as well as in the treatment experience.”
Most adults who are missing a tooth are good candidates. What matters is healthy gums, enough bone to hold the implant, and general health that lets you heal well.
Gum disease is treated first. Smoking and diabetes that isn’t well controlled slow healing and raise the risk of an implant failing, so we’ll talk about both with you, plainly, before you commit to anything. There is no upper age limit; teenagers usually wait until the jaw has finished growing.
If the bone has thinned, a bone graft can often rebuild it. Your X-rays at the consultation will show whether you need one.
A missing tooth is often replaced with whatever fills the gap, and you can tell which one it is from across the room. We plan the implant tooth around the teeth beside it and around your face: the shade, the shape of the edge, how it catches the light, and where the gum sits.
So the new tooth matches its neighbors, and the repair doesn’t show, in photos or across a dinner table.
Usually less than people expect. The area is numbed, so during placement you feel pressure and vibration rather than pain. Many people find the days afterward easier than having a tooth out.
Expect some soreness and swelling for a few days, usually managed with over-the-counter pain relievers and soft food. If you’re anxious about it, tell us at the consultation and we’ll talk through how to make it easier for you.
“We believe every detail matters, and we only deliver work that looks beautiful and natural.”
An implant replaces one tooth without touching the teeth beside it. A bridge is quicker, but the teeth on either side are shaped down to hold it. A partial denture is the least invasive and the least costly, and it comes out at night.
We make dentures and partials here too, so you’ll hear the trade-offs of each option for your mouth, not only the case for an implant. If something simpler suits you better, we’ll say so.
You don’t need one implant for every tooth. Two implants can hold a bridge of three or four teeth, and a few implants can hold a denture so it clicks into place instead of slipping.
When most or all of the teeth in a jaw are missing, a whole arch can be held on implants. Which option suits you depends on your bone, your bite and your budget, and we’ll go through it with you at the consultation.
If a tooth has been missing for a long time, or the bone was damaged by infection, there may not be enough to hold an implant. A graft adds bone, or a bone substitute, so the area can rebuild, which means a long-lost tooth can usually still be replaced.
A small graft is often placed at the same time as the implant. A larger one is done first and left to heal for a few months. In the upper back jaw, a sinus lift adds bone beneath the sinus.
Your timeline depends on your bone and whether a tooth needs to come out first. Most of the time is healing, while the bone fuses to the implant, and you’re only in the chair for a handful of appointments. When the bone is good, an implant can sometimes go in on the day the tooth comes out.
From the first visit to the final tooth is usually three to nine months, longer if you need a bone graft. At the front, a temporary tooth can fill the gap while you heal. We’ll give you the timeline for your mouth before you start, so you can plan around it.
Implants can last for decades, often for life, with good care. The crown on top takes the daily wear and may need replacing after many years. What keeps an implant healthy:
An implant can’t get a cavity, but the gum around it can become inflamed, much like gum disease around a natural tooth. Caught early, it’s treatable, which is one more reason the checkups matter.
We look at the space, your X-rays and your bite, and walk you through your options, the timeline and the cost before you decide anything. Bring any recent X-rays from another dentist, a list of your medications and your insurance details. We’re at 1009 W Webster Ave, across from St. Vincent de Paul Church.
Dr. Colby James Gerth, DMD, earned his Doctorate in Dental Medicine at Midwestern University and is certified through Hiossen for dental implants. He has practiced in Chicago since 2020 and opened Pearl in Lincoln Park in 2025.
It depends on how many teeth you’re replacing, whether you need a bone graft or an extraction first, and what goes on top. You’ll know the full cost for your treatment before you decide, so there are no surprises halfway through.
Sometimes, in part. Some plans cover part of the implant or the crown, and most have a yearly maximum. Contact us and our team will be happy to help you understand what your plan may cover.
Yes. Implants have been used for decades, and titanium is one of the materials the body accepts best. Like any surgery, there are risks, such as infection or an implant that doesn’t fuse, and we’ll go through them with you.
Usually, yes. The bone may have thinned, in which case a bone graft can often rebuild it first.
Usually not at the front. A temporary tooth, a small removable partial or a tooth bonded to its neighbors can fill the space while the bone heals.
Often, but smoking slows healing and makes an implant more likely to fail. Stopping for a few weeks before and after placement helps, and stopping altogether helps most.
No. Healthy bone and gums matter far more than age, and people in their eighties have implants placed.
No, but the gum and bone around it can become inflamed if plaque builds up. Daily cleaning and regular checkups keep it healthy.
Most are titanium, and some are zirconia, a tooth-colored ceramic. The crown on top is usually porcelain or zirconia, shaded to match your teeth.
Something else on your mind? Call (312) 858-7067 or see all our questions and answers.
Book a consultation online, or call us. You’ll see your options, the timeline and the cost before you decide anything.
