Seven questions we are asked most about dental implants
The topics patients raise most often before deciding on an implant, answered the way we answer them at the examination.
What to put in the place of a missing tooth is one of the most discussed subjects in dentistry. Below are the seven questions we meet most often at examinations, and the answers we give.
1. Can anyone have an implant?
Suitability is measured in bone and general health, not in years. Bone height and width, gum health and systemic status are assessed together. Uncontrolled diabetes, treatment for severe osteoporosis, heavy smoking and untreated gum disease all affect the outcome directly.
Insufficient bone does not rule treatment out; grafting or a sinus lift can support the site, adding four to six months to the timeline.
2. Is it painful?
Surgery is performed under local anaesthesia and no pain is expected during the procedure. Swelling and mild discomfort over the following two to three days are usual, managed with cold compresses and the medication prescribed. Most patients return to work the next day.
3. How long does it take?
The surgical appointment is one day. Integration takes on average two to three months in the lower jaw, three to four in the upper. The restoration needs two to three visits. The total is given in writing at the planning appointment — leaving no uncertainty is the first step of treatment.
4. Will I be without teeth in the meantime?
No. If the gap is visible, it is covered with a temporary restoration. In some cases a fixed temporary can be placed on the day of surgery; that decision depends on bone density and the implant's initial stability, and it is not suitable for everyone.
5. Can the body reject an implant?
Titanium has been used in medicine for decades and is biocompatible; a "rejection" reaction in the classical sense is not expected. Implants can still be lost, however, and the commonest reason is inflammation of the gum and bone around the implant (peri-implantitis). Like gum disease around a natural tooth, it is linked to plaque — and it is preventable.
6. Is maintenance difficult?
Different, but not difficult. An implant cannot decay, so there is no worry about caries; but cleaning the tissue around it matters more than around a natural tooth. Interdental brushes and, where advised, a water flosser become part of the daily routine. A check-up with professional cleaning at least once a year is recommended.
7. Does it last a lifetime?
No treatment can be guaranteed for life — treat any sentence claiming otherwise with caution. Three things determine longevity: daily cleaning, regular reviews and not smoking. Smoking is the single modifiable factor that most clearly raises the risk of implant loss.
How should you decide? There is no single right answer for a missing tooth. Implants, bridges and dentures each carry a cost and a benefit. Putting those options side by side after an examination and radiographic assessment, and talking them through together, is the soundest way.
