A dental implant replaces the root of a missing tooth, not just the part you can see. A small titanium post goes into the jaw where the root used to be, the bone grows around it, and once it has knitted in we fix a crown on top that looks and works like a natural tooth.
The word that frightens people is surgery. In practice the procedure is far gentler than the picture in your head, and the part most people dread - the implant going in - is usually the easiest part of the whole process. Here is what actually happens, from the first visit to the day you walk out with the tooth.
The first visit is just talking and a scan
Nothing is done to your teeth at the first appointment. We look at the gap, take a 3D scan and an x-ray, and check that there is enough healthy bone to hold an implant. That scan is what lets us plan the exact position before we touch anything, which is a large part of why modern implants are so predictable.
This is also where we answer the real questions: how long it takes, what it costs, and whether an implant is the right choice for you rather than a bridge or a denture. You leave with a plan and no commitment.
The day of the implant: what you actually feel
The area is numbed with local anaesthetic, the same kind used for a filling, so you feel no pain during the procedure. What you do feel is pressure and a little pushing while the post is placed, and you will hear some sounds. It is not sore, and most people are surprised at how undramatic it is.
A single implant usually takes under an hour. There are often a couple of small stitches, which either dissolve or come out a week later. You drive yourself home.
The first few days after
This is the honest part people want to know. Expect some tenderness and perhaps a little swelling for two or three days, the sort of thing ordinary over-the-counter pain relief handles comfortably. Most people are back at work the next day and eating softer food on the other side for a few days.
Serious pain is not normal and is not what we expect. If anything worries you afterwards, you ring us and we see you. You are not left to wonder.
The wait, and why it matters
The post now needs time to fuse with the bone, a process called osseointegration, and that takes roughly three to six months depending on where it is in the mouth. It is the one part of implant treatment that cannot be rushed, because it is what makes the result last for decades rather than years.
You are not walking around with a gap the whole time. Where it shows, we fit a temporary tooth so you look and function normally while the implant heals quietly underneath.
The day the tooth goes on
Once the implant has integrated, fitting the crown is quick and completely painless - there is no nerve in an implant, so often no anaesthetic is needed at all. We check the fit, the bite and the colour, fix the crown in place, and that is the moment the tooth is finished.
From there it is yours. You clean it like a normal tooth, you come in for your regular check-ups, and in most cases you forget which one it even is.
If you are nervous about it
Plenty of our implant patients were anxious before they started, and nearly all of them say afterwards that the anticipation was worse than the day itself. If dental fear is what has kept you from doing something about a missing tooth, we can take it slowly, explain each step before it happens, and sedation is available if you want it.
On cost: an implant is more than a filling, but it is a one-off that can last the rest of your life, and we set out the full fee in writing before anything begins so there are no surprises. If the tooth was lost in an accident, ACC often contributes and we lodge the claim for you.
Booking a consultation
The first step is a conversation, not a commitment. We are at 12 Lake Esplanade in central Queenstown with free off-street parking at the door, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Ring 03 441 8248 or send an enquiry through the site and we will arrange a time to look at your options.
General information, not a diagnosis. Written and reviewed by Dr Adrian Paul, BDS (Otago), principal dentist at Lakeside Dental Practice, Queenstown. If something is worrying you, see a dentist.
