How long do dental implants last?

The post itself often lasts for life. The crown on top is the part that wears, and typically needs replacing after ten to fifteen years. Long-term survival depends far more on gum health and cleaning habits than on the implant itself.

Am I too old for dental implants?

There is no upper age limit. Bone quality and general health matter, age on its own does not. We place implants for patients in their seventies and eighties routinely.

The tooth has been missing for years. Is it too late?

Usually not, though bone shrinks after a tooth is lost, so a long-standing gap is more likely to need grafting first. A scan will show quickly whether that applies to you.

Is an implant better than a bridge?

For a single missing tooth with healthy neighbours, usually yes, because a bridge requires cutting down the two teeth either side while an implant leaves them untouched. A bridge can still be the better answer where bone is poor or where the adjacent teeth already need crowns.

How many visits will I need?

Typically four to six over three to six months, most of them short. The waiting between them is the healing, not the treatment.

Dental Implants in Zouk Mosbeh | Stellar Smile Clinics

What an implant actually is

An implant has three parts. The post goes into the jawbone and is usually titanium, a metal the body accepts unusually well. Over the following months bone grows onto its surface and locks it in place, a process called osseointegration. An abutment connects the post to the visible part, and a crown sits on top, shaped and coloured to match the teeth around it.

Because the post replaces the root rather than resting on the gum, it also does something a bridge or denture cannot: it keeps loading the bone. Bone that stops being used shrinks, which is why long-term gaps change the shape of the face over time.

Who implants suit

Implants are worth considering if you have one or more missing teeth, a bridge that has failed, or a denture that has never felt secure. They are also used to anchor dentures, which turns a plate that moves into one that stays put.

You need enough healthy bone to hold the post. Where there is not enough, bone grafting or a sinus lift can build it, which adds time but not usually difficulty.
Gum disease has to be treated first. An implant placed into inflamed gums is an implant that fails.
Smoking measurably raises the failure rate. It does not rule treatment out, but it is a conversation worth having honestly beforehand.
Uncontrolled diabetes and some medications affect healing, so bring a full list of what you take.

What happens, visit by visit

The first appointment is an examination and a scan. We use digital impressions rather than putty trays, so there is nothing to gag on, and the scan shows exactly how much bone is available and where the nerves run.

Placement is done under local anaesthetic and usually takes under an hour for a single implant. You are awake, you feel pressure rather than pain, and you go home the same day.

Then comes the wait. Bone needs roughly three to six months to integrate with the post, and there is no shortcut worth taking. A temporary tooth covers the gap in the meantime if it is somewhere visible.

Once the implant is stable, we scan again and fit the final crown. That part takes two short visits.

Does it hurt

During placement, no. The area is fully numb and most patients are surprised how undramatic it is.

Afterwards you can expect soreness and some swelling for two to three days, the sort that ordinary painkillers handle. Most people go back to work the next day. Pain that increases after the third day rather than settling is worth a phone call, because it usually means something simple that is easier to fix early.

What it costs

We do not publish implant prices, and any clinic that quotes you a figure before looking in your mouth is guessing. The cost depends on how many implants are needed, whether the bone needs building first, and which crown material suits the tooth.

What we will do is examine you, explain the options including the ones that are cheaper than implants, and give you a written plan with the full figure before anything starts. No treatment begins without you knowing what it costs.

Looking after an implant

An implant cannot decay, but the gum and bone around it can become inflamed, which is the main reason implants fail years later. The care is the same as for a natural tooth: brush twice daily, clean between the teeth, and keep regular cleaning appointments so we can catch inflammation while it is still reversible.