What is a dental implant?
A natural tooth has two parts: the crown you see and the root that holds it in the bone. When a tooth is lost, both are gone. A dental implant replaces the root with a small titanium post that the jawbone gradually bonds to. Once healed, it acts as a firm base for a crown, a bridge or a denture.
Because it is anchored in bone, an implant does not rely on the teeth either side of the gap, and it helps slow the bone loss that usually follows a missing tooth. For many people looking at missing teeth replacement in Kozhikode, that makes an implant the closest option to having their own tooth back.
Single tooth, several teeth or a full arch
- Single tooth implant: one implant with a zirconia or ceramic crown on top. The neighbouring teeth are left untouched.
- Multiple teeth: where several teeth are missing in a row, two or more implants can support a bridge, so you do not always need one implant per tooth.
- Implant-supported dentures: for people with no teeth in one or both jaws, a denture can clip onto or be fixed to a small number of implants. It moves far less than a conventional denture, which often makes eating and speaking more comfortable.
When implants are part of rebuilding the whole mouth, we plan them alongside crowns and bridges as full mouth rehabilitation.
How we plan your tooth implant in Calicut
Good planning matters more than anything else in implant treatment. We start with an examination, X-rays and a 3D digital intraoral scan, then measure the bone where the implant will go. If gum disease is present, we treat it first. If the bone is too thin, your dentist may suggest a bone graft, which adds time to the plan. We explain each stage, the typical timeline and what you can expect at every visit before treatment begins.
Aftercare for implants
An implant cannot decay, but the gum and bone around it can become inflamed, a condition called peri-implantitis, if plaque is left to build up. To keep implants healthy:
- Brush twice a day and clean around the implant with floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser as shown.
- Avoid smoking, which slows healing and raises the risk of problems.
- Keep regular check-ups. Gentle guided biofilm therapy (air-polishing) is well suited to cleaning around implants without scratching them.
- If you grind your teeth, ask about a night guard to protect the implant crown.
