It does not move
The replacement is fixed to the implant in the bone, rather than sitting on the gum and shifting when you eat or speak.
What an implant is
The closest replacement to the tooth you lost
A dental implant is a titanium post placed into the jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth, with a crown fitted on top. Unlike a denture, it does not move. Unlike a bridge, it does not require your neighbouring healthy teeth to be cut down to support it. It is the closest available replacement to the tooth you lost.
Neighbouring teeth stay intact
A bridge needs the healthy teeth on either side to be prepared. An implant replaces the missing root instead.
A root, then a crown
A titanium post takes the place of the root. The crown is fitted only after the bone has fused to that post.
Implant treatment is a surgical procedure, and it should be treated as one. At Adhithi Poly Clinic, implants are placed by our MDS qualified specialists in oral and maxillofacial surgery and implantology, and restored by our prosthodontists — two distinct disciplines, both in-house. Diagnostic imaging is handled by our oral radiology specialist. You are not being passed between clinics.
Who implants suit
When a Dental Implant May Be Suitable
A single missing tooth
A single missing tooth, where you do not want healthy adjacent teeth prepared to hold a bridge.
Several missing teeth
Several missing teeth in the same area.
A full arch
A full arch of missing teeth, where implant supported options can replace a removable denture.
A denture that moves
An existing denture that moves, causes sore spots or affects your confidence when eating or speaking.
A tooth that cannot be saved
A tooth that cannot be saved and needs a long term replacement plan.
When implants may need preparation or may not be advised
These are reasons to pause, prepare, or choose a different replacement — not reasons to be talked into surgery anyway.
Insufficient bone
Insufficient bone volume — often addressable with grafting, assessed case by case.
Active gum disease
Active gum disease — this must be treated and stabilised first, by our periodontology specialists.
Healing conditions
Uncontrolled diabetes or certain medical conditions affecting healing.
Ongoing smoking
Ongoing smoking, which is associated with significantly higher implant failure rates.
Jaw still growing
Patients whose jaw growth is not yet complete.
The process
The Implant Process, Stage by Stage
Planning comes before placement
Assessment and planning
Clinical examination and imaging to evaluate bone volume, density and the position of anatomical structures. Your medical history is reviewed in full.
Preparatory treatment where required
Gum treatment, extraction of a failing tooth, or bone grafting, if the assessment indicates it.
Implant placement
A minor surgical procedure under local anaesthesia to place the titanium post into the bone.
Healing and osseointegration
The bone fuses to the implant surface. This typically takes a few months and cannot be rushed; it is what gives the implant its stability.
Abutment and crown
Once integration is confirmed, your prosthodontist fits the connector and the final crown, matched to your natural teeth.
Review and maintenance
Implants require the same hygiene discipline as natural teeth, plus periodic professional review.
Total treatment time depends on your case, whether grafting is needed, and how your bone heals. Your specialist will give you a realistic timeline at assessment. Any clinic promising you a fixed timeline before examining you is guessing.
When a whole arch is missing
Full Mouth Implant Options
Where a full arch of teeth is missing, a complete set of individual implants is not usually necessary. Implant supported full arch solutions use a smaller number of strategically placed implants to carry a fixed set of teeth. This can be a considerable improvement for patients who currently wear a removable denture that moves or causes discomfort.
Whether a full arch approach is appropriate for you depends on your bone condition and clinical assessment. Our oral and maxillofacial surgeons and prosthodontists plan these cases jointly.
Cost, explained
What Affects the Cost of a Dental Implant
Implant cost varies too widely for a published figure to be meaningful. What determines it:
How many implants
The number of implants required.
The implant system
The implant system used — established systems with long term clinical documentation cost more than unbranded alternatives, and the difference matters for the long term serviceability of your implant.
Grafting or sinus work
Whether bone grafting or a sinus procedure is needed.
The crown material
The crown material — for example, zirconia versus metal ceramic.
Treatment before placement
Whether preparatory treatment such as gum therapy or extraction is required first.
A complete written plan, before surgery
You will receive a complete written treatment plan with costs at your assessment, covering every stage from placement to the final crown. We do not begin surgical treatment on a partial estimate.
FAQ
Questions worth asking before you choose a clinic
Lifespan, comfort, time, age, bridges and smoking — answered without a guarantee nobody can honestly make.
Want this assessed for your mouth?
Dental implants are designed as a long term replacement, and long term clinical data on established implant systems is favourable. Longevity in practice depends on oral hygiene, gum health, whether you smoke, control of conditions such as diabetes, and regular professional review. No dentist can guarantee a lifespan for an implant, and you should be cautious of any who does.
Implant placement is carried out under local anaesthesia, and patients typically report the procedure itself as comfortable. Some swelling and soreness for a few days afterwards is normal and managed with prescribed medication and aftercare instructions.
The implant needs time to fuse with the jawbone, a process that generally takes a few months and cannot be safely accelerated. Total treatment time depends on whether bone grafting is required and how your individual healing progresses. Your specialist will give you a case specific timeline after assessment.
There is no upper age limit for dental implants. What matters is your bone condition, gum health and general medical status rather than your age. Assessment determines suitability.
They serve different situations. An implant replaces the tooth root and does not require adjacent teeth to be prepared, whereas a bridge involves cutting down the healthy teeth on either side to carry it. A bridge may still be the more appropriate choice in some cases — for instance where bone volume is insufficient or a patient does not wish to undergo surgery. Both options will be explained to you with their respective trade offs.
Smoking is associated with significantly higher rates of implant failure because it impairs healing and blood supply to the gum and bone. Implants may still be possible, but you should expect a frank conversation about the increased risk, and reducing or stopping smoking around the treatment period materially improves the outlook.
Adhithi Poly Clinic, Meenchanda
Call9747773866
Start with an assessment. Decide after the plan.
Your surgeons and prosthodontists will tell you whether an implant is appropriate, what has to happen first, how long healing is likely to take, and the full cost — in writing — before any surgery.