A dental implant replaces a missing tooth from the root up. The process takes months rather than weeks, which puts people off until they understand why — the waiting is bone growing onto titanium, and it is what makes the result last decades.
The three parts
The fixture is a titanium screw placed into the jawbone, acting as an artificial root. The abutment connects it at gum level. The crown is the visible tooth, made of ceramic or zirconia and shaded to match your others.
Visit 1 — Assessment
Examination, digital X-ray and a discussion of what you want the result to do.
We are checking three things: whether there is enough bone in height and width, whether your gums are healthy, and whether your general health supports healing. Uncontrolled diabetes slows healing considerably; smoking measurably increases failure rates. Active gum disease must be treated first.
If bone is insufficient, a graft or sinus lift can usually build it back — adding a stage and a few months.
Visit 2 — Placement
Under local anaesthesia. A precise channel is prepared in the bone and the fixture placed, then the gum is closed over or around it.
Around 45 to 60 minutes for a single implant. Most patients are surprised how ordinary it feels — generally easier than an extraction, because nothing is being pulled.
Afterwards: some swelling and soreness for a few days, managed with ordinary painkillers. Soft food for a few days, no smoking, and keep the area clean as instructed.
The wait — three to six months
This is osseointegration: bone growing directly onto the titanium surface and locking it in place. It cannot be rushed, and it is the reason implants feel solid rather than like something sitting on the gum.
You are not left with a visible gap. A temporary tooth is provided where the space would show.
Visit 3 — Uncovering and abutment
A short appointment to expose the healed implant and attach the abutment.
We use a dental laser for this rather than a scalpel. The laser removes tissue while sealing small blood vessels, which means very little bleeding, usually no stitches, and a cleaner gum margin around the final crown — which matters considerably for how natural a front-tooth implant looks. See laser implant dentistry.
Visit 4 — The crown
An impression or scan is taken, and the final crown fitted a couple of weeks later. Shade is matched against your natural teeth in good light, and the bite is checked and adjusted before it is secured.
Total timeline
Three to six months for a straightforward case; longer if grafting is needed. Immediate-loading protocols exist for selected cases and we will tell you if yours qualifies — they are not suitable for everyone.
Implant or bridge?
A bridge is faster and cheaper, but requires grinding down the healthy teeth either side, permanently. If those teeth are already crowned or heavily filled, that costs you nothing extra and a bridge is sensible. If they are intact, an implant touches nothing else and keeps the bone loaded.
Aftercare
An implant cannot decay — but the gum and bone around it can absolutely become infected, which is called peri-implantitis and is the main cause of late failure.
- Brush and floss it exactly like a natural tooth
- Use an interdental brush around it daily
- Keep six-monthly check-ups so the gum around it can be measured
- Stopping tobacco improves the odds materially
Longevity
Implants have among the highest long-term success rates in dentistry, well documented above 90 percent at ten years and beyond. Failures cluster around gum disease, smoking and poor cleaning — all substantially within your control.
Implant assessment at our Madan Mahal clinic with Dr. Abhinav Shrivastava MDS. Call 8359017239.
