A dental implant replaces the root of a missing tooth with a small titanium post placed into the jawbone. Once the bone has healed around it — usually three to six months — a crown is fitted on top. It is the only replacement that stands on its own without involving the teeth either side.
The three parts
An implant is not a single object. There is the fixture, a screw-shaped post that sits in the bone and takes the place of the root. There is the abutment, a connector that emerges through the gum. And there is the crown, the visible tooth, which is made to match the shade of the teeth around it.
What the stages are
First an assessment, including an X-ray or a scan to check there is enough bone and to see where the nerve and sinus sit. This is not a formality — it decides whether an implant is possible at all.
Then placement, under local anaesthetic. The post is positioned in the bone and the gum is closed over or around it.
Then healing. Bone grows onto the surface of the titanium and locks it in place. This takes months and cannot be rushed; it is the part that makes the implant stable.
Finally the crown is made and fitted.
How long it takes
Expect three to six months from placement to final crown in a straightforward case. If a tooth needs removing first, the socket usually needs time to heal before the implant goes in. If bone has been lost and needs grafting, add several months more.
Anyone offering a complete implant in a fortnight is describing a different procedure — usually a temporary tooth fitted on the day, with the permanent crown still months away.
Who they suit
Implants need enough healthy bone to hold them and healthy gums around them. They work well for a single missing tooth, for several gaps, and as anchors to stop a lower denture moving.
They are less straightforward if you smoke, if diabetes is poorly controlled, if you have untreated gum disease, or if you are still growing. None of these is automatically a refusal, but each affects how well bone heals onto the implant, and gum disease has to be treated first — an implant placed into inflamed gums is being set up to fail.
Implant, bridge or denture
A bridge is quicker and needs no surgery, but the teeth on either side have to be cut down to carry it. If those teeth are already crowned or heavily filled, that may not matter. If they are healthy and untouched, it is a real cost.
A denture is the least invasive and the least expensive, and for several missing teeth it may be the sensible choice.
An implant preserves the bone where the root used to be. Bone that is not being loaded gradually resorbs, which is why a long-standing gap changes the shape of the face over years.
Looking after one
An implant cannot decay, but the gum and bone around it can become inflamed in the same way as around a natural tooth — and once that bone is lost it does not come back. Brushing, cleaning between the teeth, and regular check-ups matter more with an implant, not less.
Read more about Dental Implants on our website, or call +91 9585 360 320 to speak to us.
This article is general information, not a diagnosis. Every mouth differs — please see a dentist about your own symptoms. How we review our content
