Implants, answered: the questions every patient asks first

1. Does it hurt?

The honest answer: the placement appointment is usually less uncomfortable than people expect, and the following two days are the part to plan for. The implant is placed under local anaesthetic, and I check you are fully numb before starting — properly numb, not probably numb. Afterwards there is an ache like a bruise and often some swelling. Most patients take ordinary painkillers for a day or two and are back at work the next day. If you are dreading it, say so: we can offer sedation for the placement visit, and I would rather know than have you white-knuckle it.

2. How long does the whole thing take?

Three to six months from assessment to finished crown, across four or five appointments totalling roughly three hours in the chair. The gap between appointments is not waiting-list delay; it is the treatment. Your bone needs eight to twelve weeks to grow onto the implant and hold it firmly enough to bite on. You will have a temporary tooth from the day of placement, so the gap never shows — most patients tell me colleagues never noticed anything at all.

3. What does it cost, all in?

£2,450 per tooth at Marlowe, complete: assessment scan, placement, temporary tooth, connector, crown and reviews. Two things can add to that — a bone graft if your scan shows thin bone (£380) and sedation if you choose it (£240) — and both are settled at the assessment, before you commit to anything. The assessment itself is £95, taken off the treatment fee if you go ahead. The implants page has the stage-by-stage breakdown.

4. How long will it last?

The implant post, looked after, should last decades — it cannot decay, and it is cleaned exactly like a natural tooth. The crown on top works hard and may need replacing after ten to fifteen years, at the cost of a crown alone. The biggest threat is gum disease around the implant, which is why we check it at every six-month check-up and show you how to clean around it properly at the fitting appointment.

5. Am I too old — or is my tooth too far gone?

Age on its own is not a barrier; general health and bone are what matter, and both are checked at the assessment. As for the gap: the longer a tooth has been missing, the more the bone under it shrinks, which can mean a graft first. That is a reason to get the assessment done even if you are not ready to decide — you will at least know what your options will still be in a year.

If you are weighing up an implant, the assessment is the sensible first step: 45 minutes, a 3D scan, and a plan with figures to take home. You can book one here, and take as long as you like to decide afterwards.