Specialty Care · Washington, DC
Why see a periodontist for your dental implant?
Because an implant is only as good as the gum and bone that hold it. Periodontists are the specialists trained on exactly that foundation.
Direct answer
A periodontist is a dental specialist with three additional years of surgical training focused on the gum and bone that support teeth and implants. For implants, that training covers the part of the treatment that actually determines long-term success — the foundation, not the crown.
The bone foundation is the decision that matters
An implant succeeds or fails on the bone it sits in. A periodontist evaluates whether your jaw has enough bone, plans grafting when it does not, and places the implant in the position the final restoration requires — not just where bone happens to exist.
That is why implant planning here starts with imaging and a foundation assessment, and why bone grafting, sinus lifts, and guided regeneration are everyday procedures in this practice rather than referrals to somewhere else.
Gum tissue around implants behaves differently
The gum around an implant is not the same as the gum around a natural tooth. Insufficient attached tissue is a setup for peri-implantitis — gum disease around the implant — which is among the most common causes of implant failure.
Periodontists manage this tissue every day: building it where it is thin, protecting it during placement, and treating it when an implant starts to struggle.
Specialist training, three additional years of it
Periodontists complete three additional years of surgical training beyond dental school, focused specifically on the gum and bone that support teeth and implants. The implant is the straightforward part; the foundation is where specialist judgment earns its keep.
All three periodontists at DC Perio place implants with that training behind them — and see the long-term consequences of implant decisions across decades of follow-up care.
Long-term thinking, not just placement day
Implants can last decades. The surgical decisions made on day one — position, angulation, tissue management, bite forces — determine whether year fifteen looks like a success or a problem.
A periodontist also stays part of the maintenance picture: peri-implant tissues are checked the way gums are checked, so small problems are caught while they are still small.
Your general dentist stays on the team
Seeing a periodontist for the surgical phase does not replace your dentist. In the typical arrangement, the periodontist plans and places the implant, and your restorative dentist makes the crown, bridge, or arch that goes on top — with treatment planning aligned between both offices from the start.
Referring dentists get findings, imaging, and reports back the same way every time. That co-management is a deliberate part of how this practice runs.
The periodontists
Implant care
Common questions
Frequently asked about periodontists and implants
- Can a general dentist place an implant?
- Legally, yes — implant placement is within a general dental license. The question is who you want managing the bone and gum decisions when the case is not textbook: thin tissue, limited bone, a failing tooth to remove first, or a full arch to plan. That foundation work is the substance of periodontal specialty training.
- Do I need a referral to see a periodontist here?
- No. Many patients are referred by their general dentist, and we work closely with referring offices — but you can schedule an implant consultation directly.
- What if I already have an implant that is having problems?
- That is squarely a periodontist's territory. Bleeding, tenderness, recession, or bone loss around an existing implant is peri-implant disease, and treating it early protects the implant. See our peri-implantitis page or bring prior imaging to an evaluation.
- Will my dentist still make my final tooth?
- Usually, yes. The periodontist handles the surgical phase — extraction, grafting, placement, and tissue healing — and your restorative dentist designs and fits the visible tooth or arch. We coordinate the plan with them from the beginning.
Get a specialist read on your implant case.
A consultation reviews your foundation — bone, gum, and options — and puts the plan in writing.