Permanent solutions to restore your teeth with confidence.
A dental implant replaces a missing tooth starting from its root. A titanium fixture is placed in the bone to act as the root, and a crown made to match your neighbouring teeth in shape and shade is fitted onto it. The result is a tooth you chew and clean like any other, without cutting down the adjacent teeth the way a conventional bridge requires.
It begins with assessment: a 3D scan to measure the volume and density of bone and to locate nerves and sinuses precisely, along with a review of medical history and medication. The fixture is then placed in a single visit under local anaesthetic.
Healing follows, during which bone integrates with the implant surface. This stage cannot be rushed and usually takes three to six months depending on the case and the site. Patients are not left with a visible gap while it happens.
Where bone height or width is insufficient, grafting or a sinus lift is added before or alongside placement. This is not an unusual complication but a routine part of planning.
What decides long-term success is not the surgery alone but regular oral hygiene, controlled chronic conditions, avoiding smoking, and keeping review appointments. An implant cannot decay, but the gum and bone around it can become inflamed if neglected.
Common questions
About Dental Implants
- Are dental implants painful?
- The procedure is done under local anaesthetic, so there is no pain during it — you feel pressure and movement only. Once the anaesthetic wears off there is mild to moderate soreness and swelling for a few days, usually managed with simple painkillers and cold compresses. Most patients describe it as less than they expected, closer to having a tooth out than to major surgery.
- How long does the whole process take?
- Placing the implant is a single visit. The long part is healing, while bone integrates with the fixture — usually three to six months depending on the site, bone density and your general health. If grafting is needed, a further period is added beforehand. Once healing is complete the crown is fitted over roughly two visits. This stage is not rushed, because rushing it is the most common reason implants fail.
- How long does an implant last?
- The fixture itself is made to last many years, and long-term studies show success rates above ninety percent at ten years in well-maintained cases. That figure comes with conditions: daily hygiene, control of conditions such as diabetes, not smoking, and regular reviews. The crown on top may need renewing after some years, which is normal. Nobody here promises a lifetime guarantee — anyone who does is not giving you the full picture.
- I have diabetes — can I still have an implant?
- Diabetes on its own is not an absolute barrier. What matters is how well controlled it is: with good control, implant success rates are close to those of other patients, while poorly controlled diabetes slows healing and raises the risk of infection. We therefore ask for an assessment and recent readings, and may coordinate with your treating doctor before scheduling. The decision is made after examination, not before.
- What if I do not have enough bone?
- Insufficient bone is common, especially when a tooth has been missing for a long time, because bone shrinks once the root that stimulated it is gone. The solution is routine: grafting to add width or height, or a sinus lift in the upper back jaw. It is done before placement or in the same visit depending on how much is missing. A 3D scan is what decides which route applies, which is why this question cannot be answered without an examination.
- How much does an implant cost?
- Cost depends on the number of implants, the state of the bone and whether grafting is needed, and the type of crown fitted. The price is therefore given after examination and imaging rather than before — any figure quoted before seeing the bone is an estimate that may change. Contact us to book an assessment and you will receive a detailed treatment plan and cost before any step begins.