Restorative & Surgical
A titanium root placed in the jaw and restored with a custom crown — the one way to replace a missing tooth without cutting down the healthy teeth on either side of it.
A bridge replaces a missing tooth by crowning the teeth either side of the gap, which means preparing two healthy teeth to fix one problem. An implant stands on its own. It also transmits chewing force into the bone, which is what stops the jaw in that area from gradually shrinking after a tooth is lost.
The implant is placed under local anaesthetic in a single appointment. It then needs time to integrate with the bone — commonly a few months — before the final crown is made and fitted. Where a tooth is being removed and replaced, the two can sometimes be combined, which is decided from the X-rays and the condition of the socket.
Bone volume is assessed before anything is planned. Where a tooth has been missing for a long time the ridge may have resorbed, and grafting may be needed to rebuild it before or during placement. This is established from imaging at the consultation, not discovered halfway through.
Implants have a long track record, and the titanium portion is designed to be permanent. What determines the outcome is gum health and maintenance: peri-implantitis, the implant equivalent of gum disease, is the main cause of late failure and is largely preventable with cleaning and routine review. Smoking materially reduces success rates, and you will be told so plainly.
Your Visit
Examination and X-rays to check bone volume, gum condition and the position of adjacent structures.
The number of implants, any grafting, and the restoration are set out with fixed pricing before anything starts.
The implant is placed under local anaesthetic, with a clear recovery plan for the days that follow.
Healing time, then the custom crown is made, fitted and adjusted against your bite.
Questions
Implant placement is carried out under local anaesthetic and most patients report less discomfort than an extraction. Mild soreness for two to three days afterwards is normal and is managed with standard painkillers.
The placement itself is a single appointment. The implant then needs to integrate with the bone, commonly a few months, before the final crown is fitted. Cases needing bone grafting take longer, and your timeline is set out in the written plan before you start.
The total depends on how many implants are needed, whether bone grafting is required, and the type of restoration placed on top. You receive a written plan with a fixed total after the assessment and X-rays, because quoting before imaging would be guessing.
Age itself is rarely the deciding factor. What matters is bone volume, gum health and general medical condition, all of which are assessed at the consultation. Implants are routinely placed in patients well into later life.
The titanium implant is designed to be permanent and has a long clinical track record. The crown on top may need replacing after many years of normal wear. Long-term success depends mainly on gum health, cleaning and regular review.
Yes, but smoking measurably reduces implant success rates and increases the risk of late failure. You will be told honestly how that affects your particular case rather than after the fact.
Treatments
Start the journey
Message us on WhatsApp to arrange an assessment. Bone volume and gum condition decide the plan — and both are checked before anything is quoted.
