The closest thing to getting your own tooth back

An implant is a small titanium post placed into the jawbone, where it takes the place of a natural tooth root. Once the bone has healed around it, a crown is attached on top.

Because it integrates with bone, an implant stays put. There is no adhesive, no clasping to other teeth, and nothing to take out at night.

It also preserves the jawbone. When a tooth is lost the bone underneath gradually shrinks away, and an implant is the only replacement that stops that happening.

For one missing tooth, an implant avoids the main drawback of a bridge, which is that a bridge requires cutting down the healthy teeth either side to hold it.

The implant stands on its own. Your neighbouring teeth are left untouched.

You brush and floss it like a normal tooth, which makes it simpler to look after than a bridge.

If you wear a full denture that slips, moves when you eat, or has made you cautious about what you order in a restaurant, implants can anchor it firmly.

A small number of implants, often four to six per arch, can hold a denture solidly in place. Some designs clip out for cleaning and others are fixed permanently.

For many people this is the single biggest quality of life change dentistry can offer. Eating normally again matters more than people expect.

It starts with imaging and planning, so we know exactly where there is bone and where the implant should sit. Sometimes a graft is needed first to build up the site.

The post is placed in a procedure done under local anaesthetic. Most people report it being far easier than they had braced themselves for.

Then comes healing, usually a few months, while the bone fuses to the implant. A temporary tooth can fill the gap meanwhile. Finally the permanent crown is fitted.

It is not fast, and anyone promising otherwise is glossing over the biology. But the result is designed to last decades.

Brush and floss as normal, and keep your regular checkups. Implants cannot decay, but the gum and bone around them can become inflamed if plaque builds up.

That condition, peri-implantitis, is the main reason implants fail, and it is largely preventable with routine hygiene visits.

Avoid using them as tools. Opening packaging with your teeth is a bad idea whether the tooth is yours or not.

Most healthy adults are. The main requirements are enough bone to hold the implant and healthy gums to surround it, both of which can often be built up if lacking.

Smoking meaningfully reduces success rates, and uncontrolled diabetes complicates healing. Neither automatically rules you out, but both are worth talking through honestly.

The only way to know is an assessment with imaging. We will tell you plainly if an implant is not the right answer for your situation.