Dental implants

What the visit includes

• Premium implants with a guarantee
• Placement in under an hour
• Precise 3D surgical guides
• All-on-4 full-arch restoration

When this procedure is needed

• 01One tooth is missing and the neighbours are healthy — you would rather not grind them down for a bridge.
• 02Several teeth in a row are missing and a removable denture will not stay in place.
• 03There are no teeth at all: the arch is restored on four or six implants.
• 04Bone has started to shrink where a tooth was removed — you can see it in the contour of the gum.
• 05A removable denture rubs, gets in the way of speech or falls out while eating.
• 06There is nothing to hold a bridge: the supporting teeth are destroyed.

How the visit goes

1. 1
   Diagnostics and a 3D scan

   Computed tomography shows the volume of bone and the position of the nerve. From the scan the dentist chooses the implant system and the exact placement.

2. 2
   Preparing the bone

   If there is not enough bone, a sinus lift or augmentation comes first. Sometimes the implant goes in at the same time as the graft — the scan decides.

3. 3
   Placing the implant

   The procedure is done under local anaesthesia or sedation and takes about an hour per implant.

4. 4
   Healing

   The titanium fuses with the bone over three to six months. If the tooth is in the smile zone, a temporary crown is fitted for that time.

5. 5
   The permanent crown

   An impression or digital scan is taken, the crown is made and fixed onto the abutment.

After the procedure

• For the first day apply cold for 10–15 minutes with hour-long breaks — that keeps the swelling down.
• Do not chew on the operated side until the dentist allows it.
• Brush as usual, but go round the implant area with a soft brush.
• No sauna, swimming pool, training or heavy exertion for a week.
• Smoking interferes with healing more than anything else — try to abstain.
• Come for the follow-up checks even if nothing bothers you: healing is checked on an X-ray, not by how it feels.

Prices for this service:

Frequently asked questions

How long does an implant last?

With normal hygiene the titanium part lasts for decades. The crown is replaced sooner — usually after 10–12 years, like any other.

Does placing an implant hurt?

The procedure is done under anaesthesia, so there is no pain. Swelling for the first two days is normal and passes by itself.

What if there is not enough bone?

It is built up: a sinus lift or augmentation. Sometimes this is done at the same time as placing the implant — the scan decides.

Do implants take, and what is the failure rate?

World statistics put successful integration at around 95–98%. Failure usually comes down not to the implant itself but to the conditions: smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, poor hygiene, loading it too early. If an implant does not integrate in the first months, it is removed, the bone is allowed to heal and a new one is placed — usually successfully.

How long after an extraction can an implant be placed?

Sometimes straight into the same socket, when there is no inflammation and enough bone. More often we wait two or three months for the socket to heal. If the extraction involved inflammation or a bone graft was needed, that moves out to four to eight months. The scan gives the exact answer.

Which is better, an implant or a bridge?

If the neighbouring teeth are healthy, an implant. A bridge means grinding them down, and that is healthy enamel you cannot get back, while the supporting teeth then carry a double load. On top of that, bone slowly disappears where a root is missing, whereas an implant loads it and holds it. A bridge makes sense when the neighbours need crowns anyway, when there is not enough bone and it cannot be grafted, or when it has to be faster and cheaper.

How long does the whole implant process take?

Three to eight months, and that is not time spent in the chair: placing it takes 45 to 90 minutes, the rest is the implant fusing with the bone. The lower jaw usually needs three months, the upper up to six, as the bone there is softer. If a sinus lift or a graft is needed, add another two to four months. The gap is not left empty meanwhile: front teeth get a temporary crown.