Dental Implants FAQ, Chandigarh

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These are the questions patients ask in implant consultations here, answered as they would be answered in the chair. If you have been told elsewhere that you are not a candidate, start with the section on bone, because that is the most common reason people are turned away and it is frequently not the end of the matter.

The treatment itself is described on the dental implants page, and completed cases are in the implant gallery.

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Am I a candidate?

What is a dental implant?

A titanium post placed into the jawbone to take the place of a missing tooth root. Bone grows onto its surface over the following months and locks it in position, a process called osseointegration, which is why titanium is used rather than any other metal. A connector called an abutment is then attached, and a crown is fitted on top. The implant is the root; the part you see is a separate component that can be replaced without disturbing it.

Am I too old for implants?

There is no upper age limit. What matters is general health and healing capacity, not the number. Patients in their seventies and eighties are treated routinely.

There is a lower limit. Implants are not placed until jaw growth is complete, generally the late teens, because a bone that is still growing will move around an implant that is not. For a younger patient who has lost a tooth, a temporary replacement is used until growth finishes.

I am diabetic. Does that rule me out?

No, provided the diabetes is well controlled. Controlled diabetes is not a barrier to implant treatment. Poorly controlled diabetes is, because it impairs healing at exactly the stage the implant depends on, so this is assessed before treatment rather than assumed either way. Bring your recent blood results to the consultation.

I smoke. Does it matter?

Yes, and this is worth being straightforward about. Smoking measurably increases the risk of implant failure and of gum problems around implants later. It does not automatically disqualify you, and many smokers are treated successfully, but you should know the risk is higher before you spend the money rather than after. Stopping around the surgery, even temporarily, improves the odds.

What if I have gum disease?

It is treated and stabilised first. Placing implants into active gum disease invites the same disease process around the implant, and the bacteria involved are the same. This means gum treatment before implant surgery and sometimes removal of teeth with a hopeless prognosis. It is a delay, and skipping it puts the whole investment at risk.

Is an implant always better than saving the tooth?

No. A natural tooth that can be saved with root canal treatment is almost always better kept than extracted and replaced, and it is usually cheaper too. If you have been told a tooth must come out and be replaced with an implant, that is a decision worth a second opinion before it is acted on, because it cannot be reversed.

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If you have been told you do not have enough bone

Is grafting the only option?

Often not, and this is the most common reason patients arrive here having been refused elsewhere. Where bone height or width is insufficient, the possibilities include grafting, ridge splitting, sinus lift surgery in the upper back jaw, and in cases of severe upper jaw bone loss, zygomatic and pterygoid implants, which anchor into bone outside the jaw itself and can avoid grafting altogether.

Which applies to you depends on where the bone is missing and how much, and that requires a three-dimensional CBCT scan rather than an ordinary X-ray. A flat X-ray shows height but cannot show width at all, which is why a case can be declined on a two-dimensional film and turn out to be treatable on a scan.

Will bone be taken from my hip?

Almost certainly not. Routine implant grafting uses processed bone substitute material, or a small quantity of bone collected from the surgical site itself, and it is often done at the same appointment as the implant. Harvesting from the hip belongs to major reconstructive surgery after trauma or tumour resection, not to ordinary implant dentistry, and it is not what is proposed here.

How long does grafting add?

Minor grafting done alongside implant placement adds nothing to the timeline. A larger graft that must heal before implants can be placed adds several months. You will be told which category your case falls into, with the reason, before you decide.

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The procedure and the timeline

How long does the whole thing take?

Placement itself is usually a single appointment per implant site. The wait afterwards is for bone to integrate with the implant, commonly around three to six months depending on the site, bone quality and whether grafting was involved. The final crown or bridge is fitted after that. Most of the elapsed time is healing rather than appointments.

Can I have teeth the same day?

In selected cases, yes. Where the bone is dense enough to hold the implant firmly at placement, a temporary tooth or a fixed temporary bridge can be fitted immediately, so you are not without teeth during healing. This is a clinical judgement made at surgery based on how the implant sits, not something that can be promised in advance. Full-arch cases planned this way are covered on the All-on-4 and All-on-6 pages.

Will I be without teeth in the meantime?

No. Where an immediate temporary is not appropriate, a removable temporary is provided. You will not be sent home with a visible gap.

Is the surgery planned in advance or judged during it?

Planned. Implant positions are worked out in software from the CBCT scan and transferred to the mouth using a surgical guide. For full-arch cases in particular, the angle of each implant determines whether the final bridge fits, which makes planning the difference between a predictable result and an improvised one.

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Pain, recovery and time off

How painful is it?

The surgery is done under local anaesthetic and you should feel pressure rather than pain during it. Afterwards, expect some swelling, soreness at the site and occasionally bruising, usually peaking on the second or third day and settling from there. Most patients describe it as comparable to an extraction. Pain relief is prescribed, along with antibiotics where the case warrants them.

When can I go back to work?

For a single implant, usually the next day. For multiple implants, grafting or sinus surgery, allow more, and plan for two or three quiet days rather than assuming none. You will be given a realistic answer for your specific case before the appointment, not afterwards.

What should I eat?

Soft food for several days after each surgical stage, avoiding the surgical site, and nothing hot in the first twenty-four hours. Full written post-operative instructions are given at the appointment.

When should I call?

If swelling or pain is increasing rather than decreasing after the third day, if bleeding does not settle, or if you develop fever. Discomfort that improves each day is expected. Discomfort that worsens is not, and it is always better to ring than to wait it out.

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Implant systems and cost

Which implant system do you use?

Nobel Biocare, Straumann and Osstem, chosen to suit the case rather than because the clinic stocks one brand. Ask which is proposed for you and why. It is a fair question with a specific answer. More on implant brands.

Does the brand actually matter?

For the long term, yes, though not for the reason usually given. An implant is a component you may need serviced years from now, possibly in another country. Widely distributed systems have parts available and are recognised by other clinicians. Obscure or discontinued systems leave you with something nobody can match a replacement part to. That is the practical argument for an established system, rather than any claim that one brand integrates better than another.

What does it cost?

Cost depends on the number of implants, whether grafting or sinus surgery is needed, the system used and the type of final restoration, which is why a figure quoted before an examination would be a guess dressed up as information. After the examination and scan you receive a written treatment plan stating the number of implants, the system, the final prosthesis and the total, and you take it away and consider it before anything is scheduled.

Can I bring a quote from another clinic?

Yes, and it is worth doing. Implant quotes are hard to compare because they rarely itemise the same things. One may include the abutment and crown, another may quote the implant alone, and a third may assume a graft that has not been discussed with you. Bring it and it will be gone through line by line, including ours.

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Living with implants

How do I clean them?

Brushing twice daily and cleaning between the teeth, as with natural teeth, with interdental brushes sized to the spaces around the implant. The crown will not decay, but the gum and bone around the implant can become diseased, and that is what cleaning prevents.

How often do they need checking?

Most patients are reviewed every six months, with the gum around each implant probed and radiographs taken periodically to check the bone level. Patients with a history of gum disease or who smoke are seen more often. The schedule is set by risk rather than applied uniformly.

Will anyone be able to tell?

A well-made implant crown is difficult to distinguish from a natural tooth. The outcome depends more on the laboratory work and the position of the implant than on the implant itself, which is another reason position is planned rather than improvised.

Do implants last a lifetime?

Many last decades, and some do not. The implant itself is durable; what fails is usually the bone and gum around it, or the crown on top, which is a component with a finite life that can be remade. Nobody can honestly promise a lifetime, and a clinic that does is selling you something it cannot control.

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When things go wrong

What is peri-implantitis?

Inflammation and progressive bone loss around an implant, driven by bacteria in much the same way gum disease affects natural teeth. It is the most common long-term complication of implant treatment and it is treatable when caught early, which is the entire reason for regular review. It rarely causes pain in the early stages, so it is found by examination rather than noticed by the patient.

What if an implant fails?

Early failure usually means the bone has not integrated with the implant, and it is generally apparent within the first few months. The implant is removed, the site is allowed to heal, and placement can usually be attempted again once it has. How long that takes depends on why it failed, which is worth establishing rather than simply retrying.

I had implants placed elsewhere and I am having problems. Can you help?

Usually. Bring whatever records you have, including the implant system and size if you know them, and any radiographs. Assessment of work done elsewhere is routine here, including cases where the original clinic is no longer available. Where the system can be identified, replacement components can often be sourced.

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Coming from outside Chandigarh

Can implant treatment be done around a trip?

Partly, and it depends on the healing intervals rather than on scheduling. Placement and the final restoration are separated by months of integration that cannot be compressed. In practice this usually means two trips, or placement here and the final restoration completed with a clinician at home if that is arranged in advance. The sequencing, including the minimum interval before return travel, is covered in the dental tourism FAQ and the dental tourism page.

Can you tell me before I travel whether I am a candidate?

To a useful degree, yes. A recent OPG or CBCT and a description of what you want done are enough to say whether the treatment is realistic and roughly how many visits it would take. It is not enough for a plan or a price, and it does not replace the examination.

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What you will not be told before an examination

Not a final price, not the number of implants, and not whether grafting will be needed. Those depend on a scan and an examination. Anyone producing an implant plan from an emailed photograph is guessing, and the guess will change once they see you.

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You will also be told when an implant is not the right answer for you, whether that means saving the tooth instead, treating the gums first, or accepting that a removable option is the more sensible choice in your circumstances.

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To have your case assessed, book a consultation and bring any recent radiographs, previous treatment records and quotations with you. The surgeons who carry out this work and their qualifications are listed in full, and patient reviews are collected separate