Dental implants
The only replacement that puts a root back in the jaw. Everything else sits on top of the gum and leans on the teeth beside it.
An implant is a titanium post placed into the jawbone where the root used to be. Over three to six months the bone grows around it and locks it in place. That process is why implants take longer than a bridge but outlast one.
A crown is then fitted on top. It bites like a real tooth, cleans like a real tooth, and doesn't require grinding down the healthy teeth on either side, which a bridge does.
Signs that usually point here
Implants suit some situations and not others. These are the cases where they're usually the right answer.
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A single missing tooth with healthy teeth on both sides
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Several missing teeth in different parts of the mouth
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An existing bridge that has failed or keeps coming loose
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A denture that slips, clicks, or has stopped fitting
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A tooth about to be extracted that you want replaced properly
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You'd rather not have healthy neighbouring teeth ground down for a bridge
What actually happens
Four stages spread over three to six months. Most of that time is waiting for bone to fuse. You're not in the chair for it.
X-ray, planning and bone check
The X-ray shows how much bone is there to hold an implant. If there isn't enough, grafting is discussed at this point rather than discovered mid-surgery.
Consultation visitPlacing the implant
Done under local anaesthetic through a small opening in the gum. Most people are surprised how ordinary it feels, closer to an extraction than to major surgery.
45–60 minutesHealing and fusing
The bone grows around the titanium and grips it. This takes three to six months and requires nothing from you except normal cleaning. A temporary tooth can fill the gap meanwhile.
3–6 monthsFitting the crown
An impression is taken, the crown is made to match your other teeth in shape and shade, and it's fixed onto the implant. From this point it's just a tooth.
2 appointmentsBefore and after
A case from the clinic, shared with the patient's written consent.
Single implant with a zirconia crown, four months. See more cases →
Does implant surgery hurt?
Less than people expect. The jawbone itself has very few pain receptors, which is why patients often describe the placement as easier than the extraction that preceded it.
The area is fully numbed before anything begins. You feel pressure and some vibration during the placement, and the appointment is usually shorter than a root canal.
Afterwards there's swelling and soreness for two to three days, handled with ordinary painkillers and an ice pack. Most people go back to work the next day.
What it costs
The range comes down to the implant system used, the crown material, and whether the jaw needs bone grafting first.
- Consultation, X-ray and planningStarts at
- Single implant with crownStarts at
- Premium implant systemStarts at
- Bone graft, if neededStarts at
- Temporary tooth during healingStarts at
Ranges, not quotes. You get the exact figure after the examination and before any work starts.
What people ask before booking
The titanium post itself commonly lasts twenty years or more, and often for life. The crown on top is the part that wears. Expect to replace it after ten to fifteen years, which is a much smaller job than redoing the implant.
In most cases, yes, though not all. A bridge requires filing down the healthy teeth on either side of the gap, permanently. An implant doesn't touch them. A bridge is faster and cheaper upfront; an implant lasts longer and preserves more of your own teeth.
Bone recedes once a tooth has been missing for a while, which is why waiting years makes implants harder. Grafting rebuilds enough to hold the implant. It adds a few months and some cost, and it's identified from the X-ray at the consultation, not discovered later.
Sometimes. It's called immediate placement and it works when the socket is clean and the bone is sound. Where there's infection, the site needs to heal first. The X-ray decides this.
No. Brush and floss it like a normal tooth. What matters more is keeping the gum around it healthy. Implants don't decay, but the gum around them can become inflamed and that's what loses them.
Usually yes, provided blood sugar is reasonably controlled, since healing is the thing diabetes affects. Bring your recent readings and your medication list to the consultation so this can be planned properly.
What usually comes next
Book a consultation
The consultation covers the examination and, where it's needed, an X-ray. You'll know what's wrong and what it costs before committing to anything.
In pain right now? Call the clinic instead of waiting for a callback.