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Dental Implants in San Antonio, TX

Permanent tooth replacement planned around your bone, your health, and the tooth you want at the end.

Replace Missing Teeth for Good

Dental implants in San Antonio replace the root of a missing tooth, not the visible part alone. Dr. Chris Cappetta, DDS, has practiced dentistry for more than 35 years. He holds Texas dental license 14475. He has placed over 1,000 implants since 1990 from his office in the Medical Center District. Below you will find how he decides who qualifies and who waits. You will also see how implants compare against dentures and bridges on bone, upkeep, and lifespan. Five questions close the page. They are worth asking any practice before you agree to anything.

Most people reading this fear one of two answers. Either they hear no, or they hear yes from someone who never looked closely. Both answers cost money and years. A poorly planned implant can fail and take healthy bone with it. Nobody here rushes that decision. Nobody asks you to explain how long it has been.

How Does a Dental Implant Work?

A dental implant is a threaded titanium post that a surgeon sets directly into your jawbone. Three parts make up the finished tooth. Bone grows onto the post across three to nine months, and the visible tooth goes on last. Each part is fitted at a separate appointment.

  • The post, a threaded titanium anchor placed into the jawbone during surgery
  • The abutment, a connector that screws into the post and rises above the gumline
  • The restoration, meaning the crown, bridge, or denture that everyone else can see

The order those three get planned matters more than it sounds. Your visible tooth is designed first. It goes in last, and that design decides where the post sits, how deep, at what angle. Reverse the order and you get a tooth that looks wrong or traps food. Posts come in titanium and zirconia, and the different types of dental implants suit different bone. Dr. Cappetta treats every case as restorative dentistry rather than surgery with a tooth added later.

How Is My Implant Planned?

Your implant runs through a nine-step plan before anyone books surgery. Dr. Cappetta asks whether the tooth is hopeless or still worth saving. Then he weighs an implant against a bridge, a denture, or saving what you already have. Medical history follows, covering diabetes control, bleeding disorders, immune suppression, and any past radiation to the head or neck. Three-dimensional imaging measures bone volume, nerve position, and sinus anatomy.

Then the sequence does something most practices skip entirely, and it changes the outcome. He designs the final tooth position first. Only afterward does he plan where the implant goes to support it. Disease control, bone and gum preparation, a maintenance commitment, and informed consent finish the review. His own line on it is blunt. Being able to place an implant does not mean he should place one. Costs and the full treatment sequence get laid out for you at that same records appointment. The dental implant cost guide explains what moves the number.

Phone:

210-614-5481

Address:

5282 Medical Dr. #520
San Antonio, TX 78229

Dr. Chris Cappetta, DDS
Texas Dental License #14475

Office Hours

Monday – 9:00 – 5:00
Tuesday – 9:00 – 5:00
Wednesday – 9:00 – 5:00
Thursday – 9:00 – 5:00
Friday – 10:00 – 2:00
Saturday & Sunday – Closed

See Reviews From Fountain of Youth Dental. 

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What If My Gums Need Work First?

Bone and gum problems get treated here, not used to turn you away. Most people sent away elsewhere got a temporary barrier, not a permanent verdict. Untreated gum disease and active infection both sit on that list. So do poorly controlled diabetes, weak plaque control, and a site needing a graft first. Around 20 percent of new patients here arrive carrying anxiety or a bad experience elsewhere. Many were told no years ago and never asked again.

Gum disease is the most common blocker, and it responds to treatment. Dr. Cappetta uses laser-assisted periodontal therapy to stabilize the tissue before he plans any implant. A true no is rarer and far more specific. High-dose antiresorptive medication for cancer sits on that list, along with prior radiation to the site. So does anatomy that grafting cannot fix. Ask which list you were put on, because the two lead somewhere very different. Our candidacy page for dental implants walks both lists in order.

Implant, Bridge, or Denture?

Three options exist for a missing tooth, and each one trades something away. A bridge borrows support from the healthy teeth on either side. A denture rests on gum tissue. An implant is the only one that replaces the root itself. That is why it behaves differently over the years.

Dental implant Fixed bridge Removable denture
Replaces the tooth root Yes No No
Neighboring teeth altered No Yes, both are reshaped No
Jawbone preserved at the site Yes No No
Removable for cleaning No No Yes
Typical restoration lifespan Around 15 years 10 to 15 years 7 to 10 years
Healing before the final tooth 3 to 9 months 2 to 3 weeks Weeks

Source: Cleveland Clinic Health Library, Dental Implants, last updated 11 June 2026.

Those lifespans describe typical outcomes. Individual results vary with hygiene, bite forces, and general health. Where several teeth or a whole arch are missing, the arithmetic changes and fewer implants carry more teeth. That is the ground covered by All-on-4 dental implants. Those angle the rear posts into denser bone at the front of the jaw. Full mouth dental implants rebuild both arches, and implant-supported dentures snap onto posts.

Is It Too Late to Fix This?

Waiting is common here, and it rarely closes the door. Only 58.1 percent of Texas adults saw a dentist in the past year. That is the lowest rate of any state, against a national figure of 67.5 percent. Among Texans aged 65 and older, 12.3 percent have lost every natural tooth. Waiting here is close to the state average rather than a personal failing.

Bexar County held 1,146 licensed dentists against a population of 2,093,502. That works out to one dentist for every 1,827 residents, ranking 17th among 254 Texas counties. This practice sits a quarter mile east of Babcock Road. The VIA Medical Center Transit Station is four doors down. That matters for patients from Hamilton Wolfe and Dellview who would rather not drive. Fear of the answer keeps people away.

Dentists in San Antonio TX, Dental Implants in San Antonio TX, Dr. Chris Cappetta, DDS
Dentists in San Antonio TX, Dental Implants in San Antonio TX, Dr. Chris Cappetta, DDS

Am I in the Right Hands?

Five questions separate a real treatment plan from a package deal. What happens if the implants are not stable enough on surgery day? Are the teeth I leave with temporary or final? Who is designing my bite and my final prosthesis, and who signs off on it? What happens if an implant fails, and who handles long-term implant maintenance ten years from now? Any practice worth your money answers all five without hesitating.

Watch how the offer is worded. Advertising that calls a same-day bridge permanent teeth has told you something. So has a headline price that quietly leaves out extractions, anesthesia, bone reduction, and the final bridge. Same-day dental implants work only when the posts are stable enough that day. Dr. Cappetta puts it plainly, saying he does not believe the calendar should dictate the biology. Getting teeth quickly is not the same as being finished quickly. The goal is building something that works correctly and lasts.

Stop Working Around Your Teeth

A consultation here ends with you knowing which list you are on and why. If you have spent years chewing on one side or hiding your smile, you deserve that answer. Dr. Cappetta gives it before asking you to commit a single dollar. He has practiced more than 35 years, holds Texas dental license 14475, and belongs to the Academy of Osseointegration. Patients drive in from Castle Hills and Shavano Park for that evaluation, and individual outcomes vary. Call (210) 614-5481 or book your consultation at fountainofyouthdental.com.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the downside of a dental implant?

Time and maintenance are the real downsides, more than the surgery itself. Bone needs months to fuse to the post. The FDA lists risks that include infection, nerve injury, sinus perforation, screw loosening, and implant failure. Odds run higher in people who smoke or have unmanaged diabetes. The implant also has to stay cleanable for decades. A restoration you cannot floss under will trap plaque and cost you bone, however good the surgery was.

Is a dental implant painful?

You should feel no pain during the procedure itself. Mayo Clinic describes three anesthesia options, and the right one depends on you. Local anesthesia numbs the area, sedation eases anxiety, and general anesthesia puts you in a sleeplike state. Afterward, most people report swelling, bruising, and soreness for several days, usually managed with over-the-counter medication. Comfort varies from person to person, and Dr. Cappetta settles the anesthesia question before surgery day rather than on it.

Do you have no teeth while waiting for implants?

Usually no, especially toward the front of your mouth. Cleveland Clinic notes that a temporary tooth is normally made for front implants. No visible gap is left while you heal. A back implant often does not need one at all. The temporary is not your finished tooth. It holds space, shapes the gum, and protects the site. It also lets you test speech and bite during the three to nine months of healing.

Do they pull all your teeth at once for implants?

Not unless every one of them is genuinely hopeless. The American Dental Association points out that your general health matters more than your age for implant candidacy. That is why an evaluation drives the plan instead of a fixed package. Dr. Cappetta compares an implant against a bridge, a denture, and saving the tooth before recommending removal of anything. Some patients need one implant. Others need a staged plan across several appointments.

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The information on this page is provided to help you understand general dental care and the preventive services we offer. It’s not a substitute for professional diagnosis or individualized treatment. Every patient’s needs are different, and your dentist will evaluate your oral health before recommending any specific care or procedure. (For personalized guidance, please schedule an appointment with our licensed dental professional.)