Dental implants
A dental implant is a titanium screw 3.0–5.0 mm in diameter placed into the jawbone in place of the lost tooth root, together with the restoration built on top of it.
- Procedure time
- 20–40 minutes per implant
- Anaesthesia
- Local anaesthetic (sedation on request)
- Recovery
- 3–7 days · integration 8–12 weeks
- Sessions
- Surgical stage + restorative stage
- How long it lasts
- Long-lasting; six-monthly review and maintenance essential
The bone is measured first
An implant is a screw placed into the jawbone, and it needs enough bone height and width to hold. That measurement is not made by eye but to the millimetre on a 3D scan.
After a tooth is removed, the bone in that area resorbs over time. If the loss happened long ago, the bone volume may be inadequate; grafting or a sinus lift is then done first and the process extends by 3–6 months. This is the single most common reason a plan made from photographs changes once you arrive.
The stages
In the first stage the implant is placed in the bone and left to heal. Osseointegration — fusion with the bone — takes about 8 weeks in the lower jaw and 12 in the upper.
In the second stage a healing abutment is fitted, an impression is taken and the restoration is made. In some cases where initial stability is good enough, a temporary tooth can be fitted early; that decision is made during surgery, not promised before it.
How many trips it takes
Implant treatment does not fit into one trip. Because the bone has to be given time to integrate, two separate visits are planned — and anyone offering you an implant and a final crown in one week is describing something that does not work.
The first trip covers the scan, planning and surgery; 3–4 days is usually enough. The second is scheduled 2–3 months later, with 5–7 days set aside for impressions and completing the restoration.
- First trip — 3D scan, planning, implant surgery (3–4 days)
- Interval — 8 weeks in the lower jaw, 12 in the upper, for integration
- Second trip — impressions, try-in and fitting the restoration (5–7 days)
Longevity comes from maintenance
An implant cannot decay, but the gum and bone around it can become diseased. Left untreated, that condition — peri-implantitis — ends in losing the implant.
Six-monthly checks and regular professional cleaning are therefore part of the treatment, not an optional extra. Those checks can be done by a dentist where you live; take your implant passport and the record of the system used with you, because they will need it. Smoking markedly increases the risk of failure.
What decides the result
Three things decide how long an implant lasts: the volume and quality of the bone it sits in, the health of the gum around it, and the discipline of your daily care.
Where one of those three is missing, the work can look fine in the short term and still fail in the medium term. Each of the three is assessed separately at examination.
Who this is not for, and what not to expect
An implant has to form a biological bond with bone. Where something prevents that bond, not placing the implant is the more correct decision than placing it.
An implant is not an exact replacement for a natural tooth: it has no periodontal ligament of its own, so the sensation of pressure is different. Nor should you expect a tooth that never needs looking after.
- Uncontrolled diabetes — high blood glucose impairs healing; no surgery is planned until metabolic control is achieved
- Inadequate bone height or width — measured on the scan; no implant is placed without grafting first
- Patients on intravenous antiresorptive therapy (bisphosphonates and similar) — not performed without an oncology or endocrinology opinion, because of the risk to the jawbone
- Heavy smoking — increases the risk of failure; multiple implants are not recommended without a plan to cut down or stop
- Untreated gum disease and active decay — the surgical stage does not begin until the mouth is healthy
This page is general information and does not replace a clinical examination. The method, dose and timescale that apply to you are decided by a doctor after examining you.
Frequently asked questions
Does implant surgery hurt?
How long does an implant last?
Does diabetes rule out implants?
Can an implant go in immediately after an extraction?
What do I take home, and what if there is a problem later?
Pre-assessment
Describe your situation and we will answer with a measurement
Send a photograph or an X-ray. A doctor in the relevant speciality will reply with a graft range, a number of teeth or a dose range in units. If you are not suitable, we say so plainly.