Some of these have a clean answer. Several genuinely depend on your own anatomy and health, and anywhere that’s the case it’s said plainly rather than papered over. For the sequence of treatment itself, see overview of implant placement.
Am I a candidate?
Age by itself isn’t a barrier. What matters is bone, gum health, general health and healing capacity. Plenty of implant patients are in their seventies and eighties.
It’s possible, but smoking affects blood supply and healing and does change the odds. It’s worth an honest conversation rather than a quiet one, because it affects planning and what happens around the surgery.
Well-controlled diabetes is generally compatible with implant treatment. Poorly controlled diabetes affects healing more significantly. AAOMS lists diabetes among conditions that can show up in the jaw as accelerated bone loss, so it’s important information for planning.
Usually not. Insufficient bone is a description of the current site, and bone grafting rebuilds it. Cases involving significant bone loss or a failed previous implant are a large share of what this practice handles.
The procedure
That’s your choice, discussed before the day. Implants can be placed under local anesthesia, and in-office IV anesthesia is available with the surgical team monitoring you throughout.
The placement itself shouldn’t. Most patients report the following days feel like a soreness rather than the pain they braced for, and that it eases steadily.
Sometimes, when the site and the bone allow it. Often graft material is placed into the socket instead, to preserve volume for an implant later. Which applies is decided from imaging, not on the day.
At minimum a consultation, a placement appointment, and restoration visits with your dentist. Grafting adds a stage. Your plan should set this out before treatment starts.
Recovery and timeline
Most people are back to normal routines within about a week. That’s separate from integration, where the bone bonds to the implant over roughly six weeks to six months before the final tooth goes on.
Softer foods for a short period, then back to normal as comfort allows. Don’t smoke, and keep your mouth clean with gentle rinsing for the first few days, avoiding the surgical site itself. Follow the specific instructions you’re given.
Pain that eases and then returns is the main one. Also increasing swelling after the first few days, fever, or any looseness. Calling early is always the right move and never an imposition.
Cost, longevity and the practical side
A well-placed and well-maintained implant can last decades. Gum health and regular care matter a great deal to the long-term result, as does keeping up with check-ups so anything developing around it is caught early.
It depends on your plan. We’re in-network with some plans and out-of-network with others, we identify your coverage before your consultation, and you get a written estimate before treatment begins. Third-party financing is available. What implants cost has more detail.
It’s uncommon but it happens, usually from infection or inadequate integration. The implant is removed, the site is allowed to heal or is grafted, and replacement is often possible afterward. Implants that failed elsewhere are a routine referral here.
General clinical information on this page draws on the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons’ public clinical statements. It is educational and not a substitute for an examination.