Dental Implants in West Tambaram
Medically reviewed by Dr. P. Nithya, Chief Dental Surgeon · Last reviewed · How we review our content
- Home
- Services
- Restorative Dentistry
- Dental Implants
Replacing the Root, Not Just the Tooth
A dental implant is a small titanium post placed into the jawbone where a tooth root used to be. Once the bone has healed around it, a crown is attached on top. Unlike a bridge or a denture, an implant replaces the part of the tooth you cannot see — and that turns out to be the part that matters most in the long run.
When a tooth is lost, the bone that used to hold its root stops being loaded and gradually resorbs. Neighbouring teeth drift towards the gap and the tooth in the opposing jaw over-erupts into it. The bite changes, chewing shifts to the other side, and a problem that started with one tooth quietly becomes a problem with several. An implant is the only option that puts load back into that bone.
At Dental Leaf in Irumbuliyur, West Tambaram, implant treatment starts with an examination and X-rays to establish whether there is enough bone to support one, and finishes with a written estimate covering the implant, the crown and anything else the case needs — before any treatment begins.
When an Implant Is Worth Considering
A single missing tooth
Especially where the teeth either side are healthy and untouched. An implant leaves them alone; a bridge would mean cutting both of them down.
Several missing teeth
Implants can support a bridge across a longer gap without resting the whole load on the remaining natural teeth.
A loose or uncomfortable denture
A small number of implants can anchor a denture so it stops moving while you eat and speak.
A tooth that cannot be saved
Where a tooth is fractured below the gum or too decayed to restore, planning the implant at the same time as the extraction usually gives a better result.
A gap you have lived with
Even an old gap is often still treatable, though the bone may have thinned enough to need grafting first. An X-ray will tell us.
Chewing on one side only
A common sign that a missing tooth has already changed how you eat, which over time affects the joint and the teeth doing the extra work.
Why Teeth Are Lost in the First Place
Gum disease
The leading cause of adult tooth loss in India and worldwide. It is painless until it is advanced, which is exactly why it goes untreated.
Deep decay
Decay that reaches the pulp and is left long enough can destroy the tooth beyond what a root canal and crown can rescue.
Fracture
A cracked tooth, often one with a large old filling, can split below the gum line where it cannot be restored.
Injury
A blow to the mouth from a fall, sport or an accident can avulse a tooth outright.
Failed earlier treatment
An old root canal that has reinfected, or a bridge whose supporting tooth has decayed underneath it.
Congenitally missing teeth
Some people simply never develop certain adult teeth, most often the upper lateral incisors or premolars.
What Implant Treatment Involves
Implant treatment is not one appointment. It runs over months, because the bone needs time to bond to the post before it can carry a chewing load.
1. Assessment and X-rays
We check the height and width of bone available, the position of the nerve and sinus, and the health of the surrounding gums and teeth.
2. Planning
We agree which tooth is being replaced, what the final crown will look like, and whether any preparatory work — extraction, grafting — is needed first.
3. Placing the implant
Carried out under local anaesthetic. The post is placed into the prepared site in the jawbone and the gum is closed over or around it.
4. Healing and integration
Over the following months the bone grows onto the surface of the implant. Rushing this stage is the most common cause of failure, so it is not rushed.
5. The abutment
Once integrated, a connector is attached to the implant and the gum is shaped around it so the crown emerges naturally.
6. Fitting the crown
An impression or scan is taken, the crown is made to match your other teeth, and the bite is checked and adjusted before it is secured.
What an Implant Actually Gives You
Neighbouring teeth stay intact
Nothing is cut down to support it, unlike a conventional bridge.
The jawbone keeps its load
An implant transmits chewing force into the bone, which is what stops that area resorbing.
It does not decay
The post and crown cannot get cavities. The gum and bone around them still need daily cleaning, which is where problems arise if they occur.
Chewing feels normal
Because it is anchored in bone rather than resting on gum, most patients stop thinking about it entirely.
It is fixed, not removable
No taking anything out, no adhesive, no movement while you eat or speak.
Long lifespan when maintained
A well-placed, well-cleaned implant can last many years, often decades. The crown on top may need replacing sooner than the post.
How We Plan the Case
Digital X-rays
Low-dose imaging that shows bone levels, root positions and the anatomy we have to work around, on screen in seconds.
Impressions or digital scan
An accurate record of your bite so the laboratory can build a crown that meets the opposing tooth correctly.
Shade matching
The crown is matched to your natural teeth rather than approximated, so it does not announce itself when you smile.
What Determines the Cost
Implant treatment is priced case by case, because the work involved genuinely varies. These are the things that move the number:
How many implants
One tooth, a bridge on two implants, or a denture anchored on several — the scope changes the cost substantially.
Whether grafting is needed
If the bone has thinned after a long-standing gap, it may need building up before an implant can be placed.
The implant system used
Different systems carry different costs. We will tell you which we are proposing and why.
The crown material
A metal-free ceramic crown for a front tooth is not priced the same as a crown on a back molar.
Whether an extraction is involved
Removing a failing tooth and placing an implant may be planned together or in stages.
Follow-up appointments
Included in the estimate, so the figure you agree is the figure for the whole course.
We examine, X-ray where needed, and give you an itemised written estimate before treatment begins. Call +91 9585 360 320 for an assessment.
Who Will Treat You
Dental Leaf is a multi speciality practice, so this treatment is carried out by the member of our team whose speciality it falls under rather than by whoever is free.
You will be told who is treating you and what their speciality is before the appointment, and the same clinician sees the case through where the treatment runs over several visits.
Meet the dental team
Implant, Bridge or Denture?
All three replace a missing tooth. They are not interchangeable, and the right answer depends as much on the teeth either side of the gap as on the gap itself.
Dental implant
Where it fits: Replaces the root as well as the crown. Nothing is done to the neighbouring teeth, and the bone in that area keeps being loaded so it does not resorb. Fixed in place, cleaned like a natural tooth, and typically the longest-lasting option.
The trade-off: Takes months because the bone must integrate with the post. Costs more up front. Needs adequate bone, and needs gum disease treated first. Not ideal if you smoke heavily.
Bridge
Where it fits: Faster — usually a few weeks rather than months. Fixed, so nothing comes out. Generally less expensive up front, and a reasonable choice when the neighbouring teeth already carry large fillings or crowns and would benefit from covering.
The trade-off: The teeth either side must be cut down to carry it, and that is irreversible. The bone under the gap still resorbs because nothing is loading it. Cleaning underneath the bridge takes a specific technique.
Denture
Where it fits: The least invasive and least expensive option, and the only realistic one when many teeth are missing. Can be made quickly and adjusted or added to later.
The trade-off: Removable, so it moves while eating and speaking until you adapt. Rests on gum rather than bone, so the ridge continues to shrink and it will need relining or remaking over time.
Doing nothing
Where it fits: Occasionally defensible — a single missing back molar that is not visible and is not affecting your bite may reasonably be left. We will tell you if yours is that case.
The trade-off: For most gaps, neighbouring teeth tilt in and the opposing tooth over-erupts, which changes the bite and makes later treatment more complex and more expensive than acting now.
We will set out which of these apply to your mouth specifically, including the cheaper option where it would do the job, and give you a written estimate for each before you decide.
Looking After an Implant
Expect some soreness and swelling for a few days after placement; ordinary painkillers usually handle it. Stick to softer food on that side and follow the specific instructions you are given, which will include how to keep the site clean while it heals.
Long term, the implant itself cannot decay — but the gum and bone around it can become inflamed and recede if plaque is allowed to build up. This is called peri-implantitis and it is the most common reason an implant is eventually lost. Cleaning around an implant is not optional; it is the whole maintenance plan.
Brush twice daily, clean between the teeth and around the implant every day with whatever your dentist recommends for the shape of your restoration, and keep up regular check-ups so the surrounding bone can be monitored.
If you smoke, be aware it measurably raises the risk of implant failure and of peri-implantitis. It is worth an honest conversation before committing to treatment.
Dental Implants Questions, Answered
Not the question you had? Our full list of patient questions covers costs, timings, nervous patients and what to bring to a first visit.
Often follows a loose tooth that could not be saved.
Implant patients travel to us from Tambaram, Perungalathur, Selaiyur, Mudichur and Peerkankaranai — see all the areas we serve.
Missing a Tooth?
Book an implant assessment at our Irumbuliyur clinic and get a clear written estimate before you commit to anything.
65A, T.T.K. Nagar, West Tambaram, Irumbuliyur, Chennai 600045 · Mon–Sat, 10 AM – 9 PM
