What a dental implant actually is
A missing tooth leaves two problems, not one. There is the gap you can see, and there is the root that is no longer there. Without a root, the jaw bone beneath the gap slowly shrinks, the teeth on either side start to lean in, and the tooth above or below has nothing to bite against.
An implant solves both. A titanium screw goes into the jaw where the root was, the bone grows onto it over a few months, and a crown is fitted on top. Once it has healed it behaves like a tooth: you bite with it, you clean it, you mostly forget about it.
How the treatment runs
- Consultation and a 3D scan. We look at how much bone you have, where the nerve sits, and whether anything needs treating first. You leave knowing what is involved and how long it will take.
- Placing the implant. Local anaesthetic, usually under an hour for a single implant. The gum is opened, the implant is placed, the gum is closed over it.
- Healing. Three to six months while the bone fuses to the implant. You get a temporary tooth if the gap shows when you smile.
- The crown. We take an impression, the laboratory makes the crown to match your other teeth, and it is fitted.
Who implants suit, and who they do not
Implants suit most adults who have lost a tooth and have healthy gums. They work particularly well when the teeth either side are sound, because unlike a bridge an implant does not involve cutting them down.
They are harder, though not impossible, if you have lost a lot of jaw bone. That usually means bone grafting first, or a sinus lift in the upper back jaw.
They are a poor idea while gum disease is active, and smoking roughly doubles the failure rate. Neither rules you out permanently. Both need dealing with first, and we will say so honestly rather than take the work and hope.
What recovery is really like
Day one and two are the worst, and they are not very bad: soreness, some swelling, occasionally a bruise. Ordinary painkillers are enough for almost everyone. Eat on the other side, keep the area clean, and avoid smoking.
By day four most people have forgotten about it. The longer wait is invisible, happening inside the bone. More detail on recovery and aftercare.
Deciding between an implant, a bridge and a denture
Each has a place, and the best answer depends on how many teeth are missing, the state of the neighbouring teeth, and your bone. We have set out the honest trade-offs on implants compared with bridges and dentures.