If you are replacing one tooth or a full arch in Dallas, the specialist you pick matters more than the implant brand. Dental implants are surgery and restoration in one: the post has to be placed in the right spot in healthy bone, and the crown, bridge or denture on top has to fit your bite for decades.
This guide explains what separates a true implant specialist from a dentist who places the occasional implant, then introduces three prosthodontists at the Dental Implant Center in Dallas who plan and restore implant cases every day.
What Makes a Top Dental Implant Specialist?
The best implant specialists combine formal specialty training, independent board certification and a practice built around implant cases. Here is what to look for.
Specialty training beyond dental school
Any licensed dentist can legally place implants, sometimes after a weekend course. A specialist has completed an accredited residency, usually three years, after dental school. Implant work is typically handled by three specialties:
- Prosthodontists plan the whole case and design the teeth: crowns, bridges, implant dentures and full-mouth reconstructions. They are often called the architects of dentistry.
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons focus on the surgical side: extractions, bone grafts and implant placement.
- Periodontists focus on the gums and bone that support the implant.
Board certification
Board certification is a voluntary, rigorous exam process on top of specialty training. Look for diplomates of the American Board of Prosthodontics, the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the American Board of Periodontology or the American Board of Oral Implantology. Few dentists hold one; very few hold two.
Planning before surgery
Predictable implants start with the end result. A top specialist plans where the final teeth need to sit, then places the implant to support them. Expect 3D imaging, a written treatment plan and a clear explanation of each phase.
Depth of experience
Ask how many implant cases the office handles and how many look like yours. Complex cases such as full-arch replacement, failing previous work or bone loss reward a team that treats them routinely.
Top 3 Dental Implant Specialists in Dallas
All three specialists below are prosthodontists at the Dental Implant Center, 5120 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas, TX 75209. They work as one team, so patients get specialist planning and restoration under one roof.
| Specialist | Specialty | Specialty Training | Board Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. David McFadden | Prosthodontics + implantology | Baylor College of Dentistry, 1990 | American Board of Prosthodontics; American Board of Oral Implantology |
| Dr. Daniel Tan | Prosthodontics | University of Southern California, 2020 | Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons |
| Dr. Andrew Lim | Prosthodontics | University of Southern California, 2024 | American Board of Prosthodontics |
1. Dr. David McFadden, Founder and Lead Prosthodontist
Dr. McFadden is one of fewer than 15 dentists in the United States who are board certified in both prosthodontics and oral implantology. He has led implant care in Dallas for more than 30 years.
He earned his dental degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine in 1988 and his prosthodontics specialty certificate from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1990. The American Board of Prosthodontics certified him in 1995, and the American Board of Oral Implantology followed in 2012. He is a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists and of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
Before private practice, Dr. McFadden spent nine years as a faculty professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he established its Dental Implant Center. He opened his own Dallas practice in 2002 and lectures locally, nationally and internationally. Beyond implants, he treats adults with complex needs, including full-mouth reconstructions, crowns, bridges, veneers and dentures.
Best for: complex and full-mouth cases, failing previous work, patients who want the most credentialed lead clinician.
Read Dr. McFadden’s full profile
2. Dr. Daniel Tan, Prosthodontist
Dr. Tan has worked alongside Dr. McFadden since early 2021 and handles much of the practice’s restorative work, the crowns, bridges and dentures that sit on implants.
He earned his dental degree from the National University of Singapore in 2012. After several years as a general dentist in public and private practice, he became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. That path led him to specialist training at the University of Southern California, where he earned his certificate in Advanced Prosthodontics in 2020.
As a resident, Dr. Tan received several scholarships, including the Drs. Jack Preston, Howard Landesman and William Wright Scholarship, the Terry Donovan Endowed Fund, the Howard and Lynne Landesman Endowed Scholarship and the Max Sosin Endowed Scholarship.
Best for: patients who value precise, natural-looking restorations and careful attention to detail.
3. Dr. Andrew Lim, Prosthodontist
Dr. Lim joined the Dental Implant Center in 2024 and is a board-certified prosthodontist with advanced training in digital dentistry.
He earned his dental degree from the National University of Singapore in 2015, then practiced in government and private settings and taught part-time at the Singapore dental school. He completed his specialty certificate in Advanced Prosthodontics at USC’s Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry in 2024. Alongside his residency, he researched and defended a thesis for a Master of Science in Biomaterials and Digital Dentistry from USC in 2023.
The American Board of Prosthodontics certified him in 2025. As a resident he received the Drs. Alex Koper, Howard and Lynne Landesman, Terry Donovan and Winston Chee scholarships.
Best for: patients interested in digitally planned treatment and modern restorative materials.
Watch: Inside the Dental Implant Center
Choosing the Right Specialist for Your Needs
Match the specialist to the complexity of your case, not just to the nearest office.
| Your Situation | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| One missing tooth, healthy bone | A specialist who plans the crown first and places the implant to suit it. |
| Several missing teeth | Experience with implant bridges and bite design. |
| All teeth missing or failing | Full-arch and implant-denture experience, with a prosthodontist leading the treatment plan. |
| Previous implant or crown that failed | A specialist who regularly diagnoses and redoes other practitioners' work. |
| Dental anxiety | Sedation options and a calm, unhurried office. |
Ask who leads the treatment plan
In many offices the surgeon places the implant and a different dentist builds the teeth, sometimes across town. A prosthodontist-led team designs the final result first, so the implant ends up where the tooth needs to be.
Look at the whole service range
Implant patients often need more than implants: bone grafting, extractions, crowns on neighboring teeth, or a denture during healing. A practice that offers these in one place, as the Dental Implant Center does, means fewer handoffs.
Check comfort and logistics
Ask about sedation, the number of visits, temporary teeth during healing and support if something needs adjusting later.
Red Flags: What to Avoid
Walk away, or at least get a second opinion, if you notice any of these.
- Credentials you can’t verify. “Implant expert” is a marketing phrase, not a specialty. Ask which residency they completed and which board certified them, then check the board’s directory.
- A price quoted before an exam. A real fee depends on imaging, bone volume and the final teeth. A flat price over the phone usually leaves out grafts, abutments or the crown.
- Guarantees. Implants have high success rates, but no honest clinician promises 100% or a pain-free experience.
- Pressure to decide today. Expiring discounts and same-day signing push you past the questions you should be asking.
- No plan for the teeth themselves. If nobody can show you what the final crown, bridge or denture will look like, the implant may be placed where it is easy, not where it is right.
- Reluctance about second opinions. A confident specialist welcomes one.
Making Your Final Decision
Book a consultation, bring your questions, and choose the specialist who explains your options most clearly. At your visit, ask:
- Who will plan my case, who will place the implant, and who will make the final teeth?
- How many cases like mine do you treat each year?
- What imaging will you take, and can I see the plan?
- What does the total fee include, from extraction to final crown?
- What happens during healing, and will I have temporary teeth?
- What follow-up care do you provide if something needs adjusting?
The Dental Implant Center offers a complimentary consultation with its prosthodontist team. Call (214) 956-9100 or visit the Dental Implant Center at 5120 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas, TX 75209 to schedule yours.
