Losing a tooth as an adult feels much bigger than it sounds. Beyond the cosmetic concern, missing teeth cause neighbouring teeth to drift, the bone in your jaw to recede, and your bite to change in ways that affect chewing, speech and even facial shape over time.
Dental implants are the closest modern dentistry has come to replacing what nature gave you. Here’s what every first-time patient should know.
What an implant actually is. A dental implant is a small titanium screw that’s placed into your jawbone, where it integrates with the bone over three to four months in a process called osseointegration. Once integrated, a custom crown is fixed to the top. The result looks, feels and functions like a natural tooth — and with proper care, it can last 25 years or more.
The full timeline, honestly. From start to finish, a single implant typically takes four to six months. The surgery itself is one to two hours under local anaesthetic; most patients are back at work the next day. The longer wait is for the bone to fuse with the implant before the final crown can be placed.
Will it hurt? Most patients report less discomfort than they expected — usually comparable to a wisdom tooth extraction, managed easily with paracetamol or ibuprofen for the first 48 hours. We use modern surgical guides that make the procedure quicker and gentler than implants performed even five years ago.
The cost. A single implant in the UK in 2026 typically costs between £2,000 and £3,500, depending on whether bone grafting is required. It’s a meaningful investment, but spread over the implant’s lifespan, it works out at less than the cost of a coffee per week.
Are you a candidate? Most healthy adults are. Smokers, people with uncontrolled diabetes, and patients with severe gum disease may need additional preparation, but very few are completely ruled out. A 3D CBCT scan at your consultation will tell us exactly what you’re working with.
If you’ve been living with a gap or struggling with a denture, book an implant consultation with our team. There’s no obligation, and you’ll leave with a clear plan and a fixed quote.