Dental Implants Explained

This is the essay to read if a friend told you “you might need an implant” and you want to understand what that actually means — before you commit to anything. No jargon that we can reasonably avoid, no soft-sell, and five specific questions you should ask any clinic (including ours) before transferring a deposit.

What is a dental implant, exactly?

A dental implant is a small titanium screw — typically four to five millimetres wide, eight to twelve millimetres long — that replaces the root of a missing tooth. It sits inside the jawbone. Over three to six months the surrounding bone biologically bonds to the titanium surface through a process called osseointegration. Once that bond has set, a crown (the visible part of a tooth) is attached on top via an abutment.

Three components, in order:

1. The fixture — the titanium screw. This is the implant itself.
2. The abutment — a smaller connector piece that screws into the fixture and rises above the gum line.
3. The crown — porcelain or zirconia, shaped like a tooth, that attaches to the abutment.

When this system works — and at a specialist practice using a reputable brand, it works well above 94% of the time at the ten-year mark — the implant behaves and functions like a natural tooth. You can chew on it, floss around it, and largely forget it is there.

Who needs one?

The clinical indications, in order of frequency:

• A single missing tooth — the alternative is a bridge that grinds down the two healthy teeth on either side. An implant avoids that sacrifice.
• Multiple missing teeth — where a bridge isn’t practical or where the adjacent teeth shouldn’t be reduced.
• A full arch of missing teeth — All-on-4 or All-on-6 protocols, where four to six implants support a complete bridge.
• A failing tooth — where endodontic rescue has been attempted and the tooth can no longer be saved.

What an implant is not indicated for: a tooth that still has a viable nerve and can be restored conservatively. We decline roughly one in five implant enquiries at this clinic because the tooth can actually be saved. An extraction and implant is not an upgrade over a healthy native tooth.

What brands we use, and why that matters

Two brands dominate the reputable global implant market: Straumann (Switzerland) and Nobel Biocare (Sweden/USA). Between them they have the longest published clinical follow-up data in the industry — decades of survival curves, not marketing claims. These are the implants used in major UK teaching hospitals and specialist private practices. We use these exclusively.

If a clinic offers a “premium implant” without naming the brand, you are being asked to trust something you cannot verify. Every legitimate specialist practice will tell you the brand, the specific line within that brand (BLX, BLT, Active, Parallel CC), and the surface chemistry. We print the lot number of your specific fixture on your warranty certificate.

The process, step by step

Will it hurt?

Most patients report the surgical day itself as comparable to a straightforward extraction — some pressure, minimal pain. Post-operative discomfort for 48–72 hours is standard and managed with over-the-counter pain relief. Any sharp pain beyond a week is unusual and should be reported.

Our honest data: of our UK patients who had a single implant in the last three years, 71% said the experience was “less uncomfortable than I expected” and 22% said “about the same as I expected”. The remaining 7% had more post-operative discomfort than typical — usually associated with posterior molar cases near the sinus.

How long does it last?

At ten years, properly placed Straumann · Neodent · Nobel Biocare implants show survival above 94% in peer-reviewed literature. At twenty years, above 88%. The fixture itself is a lifetime component in most cases. What tends to need attention earlier is the crown on top — typically somewhere between year 10 and year 15, a crown may need replacement due to wear or fracture. Replacement is straightforward: the abutment stays in place, and only the crown is re-made.

Five questions to ask any clinic before booking

What it costs — honestly

In the UK private sector, a single Straumann or Nobel implant with crown is typically £2,800–£4,500 per tooth. At GC Clinic in Istanbul, the same fixtures start from £830 including the crown. The difference is not the quality of the component; Straumann manufactures in Switzerland for both markets. The difference is clinic overheads, regulatory costs, and professional fees in London versus Istanbul.

For a full breakdown and live comparison, see our cost calculator or the dedicated implants treatment page.

Short version

1. An implant is a titanium fixture that replaces the root of a missing tooth.
2. At a specialist practice using Straumann, Neodent or Nobel Biocare, 10-year survival is above 94%.
3. The process takes 3–6 months across two visits.
4. Ask the five questions. They separate specialist practice from volume cosmetic clinic.
5. If your tooth can still be saved, an implant isn’t the right answer. A specialist will tell you that.