Does it hurt?
The surgery is usually carried out as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthetic mainly with an intravenous sedative, and is generally not at all painful. When the local anaesthetic wears off some hours after the surgery, mild discomfort is normal; you will be given advice about painkillers, which will relieve this.

  How do dental implants work?
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  How long do I need to wait for my implants to bond before I get my new teeth?
Usually we must wait 2 months in the lower jaw and 3 months in the upper before we can begin to construct the new teeth. In a few selected cases it may be possible to shorten this period. Occasionally we need to wait for a longer period when simultaneous grafting has been used.

  Do I have to go without teeth while my implants are bonding to my jawbone?
Yes, although this is often a matter of only a few days, although on rare occasions up to one or two weeks. Sometimes, the implant dentist can place a temporary adhesive bridge. Every patient is given advice in this regard prior to surgery.

  Do implants ever fail?
Implants are very successful, over 98% of implants bond successfully. (Smokers have a higher failure rate). If an implant should fail then it can usually be replaced. Sometimes when several implants are placed and one fails, it is possible to proceed with the original treatment plan and replace the missing teeth without needing to replace the failed implant.

  Is bone grafting is sometimes necessary?
Sometimes the implant surgeon needs to build up the bone in the implant area. (Bone often dissolves away following tooth loss). Sometimes the surgeon is able to bend or stretch the bone to allow implant placement, or artificial bone substitute can be used. Very occasionally bone needs to be taken from a different area of the patient as a graft. Commonly this is from a different part of the jawbone. In a small minority of patients the bone grafting procedure is more involved, your surgeon will of course explain this to you.