What are dental implants?
Dental implants are a great option for many people who have lost teeth. The procedure involves surgically placing titanium anchors into the jawbone where the root is missing. These anchors bond with your jawbone after 3–6 months of healing, serving as artificial roots that ensure a stable foundation for implant crowns, bridges, All-on-4, All-on-X, implant overdentures or hybrid dentures.
What's involved in the procedure?
Placement usually involves two surgical procedures. First, Dr. Shi places the implant into your jawbone; it takes 3–6 months to bond with bone and gum tissues before fabricating an abutment and crown. Dr. Shi scans your teeth to design a virtual tooth, superimposes it with CBCT data to design a surgical guide — ensuring your implants are placed strategically for optimal support. This "Crown-down" technique avoids short, mushroom-like implant crowns.
How long does the full process take?
Dr. Shi provides an initial consultation to determine the best course. Total treatment time depends on your bone and gum conditions plus personal factors. In general, prepare at least 6 months from placement to crown. For patients with weak bone, smokers, diabetes, osteoporosis, old age or heavy grinders, longer healing is recommended. For patients with great bone traveling from far, Dr. Shi could potentially install the crown the same day as surgery.
Guided implant placement — precision, accuracy, safety
At Centre Dental, we use 3D-printed surgical guides for every implant — we've abandoned outdated freehand placement. With AI-enabled software, Dr. Shi superimposes CBCT and intraoral scan data. Like GPS for a driver, a surgical guide enables the most accurate, safest placement — with more natural-looking, healthier crowns later. If you have adequate bone, you may walk in with failing teeth and walk out with a comfortable fixed implant bridge.
Missing Tooth
AI Virtual Tooth Design
Surgical Guide
Full-Arch Surgical Guides
AOX Guide Design
3D Printed Guide
Anchor Pin Guide
PRF Therapy with bone graft and implant surgery
Dr. Shi has been offering PRF therapy since 2016 — results have been phenomenal. Failing/infected teeth damage jawbone and gum, making implants challenging. L-PRF (Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin) from your own blood promotes healing and regeneration of hard and soft tissues from within.
With a simple blood draw and advanced protocol, PRF is made individually for you, from you. Results: improved healing response, significantly less recovery time, and more bone and gum regeneration. PRF is 100% natural and additive-free — natural growth factors concentrated and reintroduced at the surgical site. PRF is also a natural Band-Aid protecting the wound from bacterial infections.
Dental Implants
AI-guided precision implants. Same-day options for qualifying patients.
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Invisalign
Clear aligners that straighten teeth without metal braces.
Learn MoreWhy choose Dr. Shi for implants?
After graduating from Columbia University, Dr. Shi focused on implant training and obtained a diploma in implantology from NYU.
Dr. Shi frequently attends implantology conferences, interacts with specialists, and has been awarded a fellowship from the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
Dr. Shi advocates "strengthening the foundation" — prioritizing minimally invasive surgery and conservative treatments, always considering long-term effects.
Because Dr. Shi personally handles everything from surgery to prosthetics, there's continuity of care and reduced costs. When you have urgent matters or aftercare questions, Dr. Shi will call you as soon as he can — even after hours or when the office is closed. Reach him by text, WeChat, email or online consultation.
Dr. Shi continually acquires new skills and AI-powered digital equipment — making your treatment more effective, updated, predictable and safer. At Centre Dental, Dr. Shi uses AI software to design your virtual tooth, 3D-prints surgical guides for all placements, and restores your future teeth on sound biomechanical foundations.