Six implant myths I hear every week
Dr Pushkar SobtiAll-on-X implantologist, Delhi
Patients rarely walk in with no idea about implants. They have heard something from a relative, a neighbour or a video, and a lot of what they've heard is wrong. Some of it puts people off treatment for years.
This is the last post in the first chapter of this series, so it's a good place to clear up the six I find myself correcting most often.
"It's going to be very painful"
This is the fear I hear the most, and it is the one that surprises people most when it turns out to be wrong. The area is completely numb during the procedure. You feel pressure and some vibration, but not pain. With guided surgery the implant goes in through a small, precise opening, often without needing to cut and lift the gum, so there is less swelling afterwards.
Many patients tell me afterwards that it was easier than having the tooth taken out. For the next day or two, ordinary painkillers are usually enough. For anxious patients, or for longer full-arch procedures, conscious sedation is available, and many people remember very little of the appointment.
"My body might reject it"
People picture something like a kidney transplant, where the immune system fights the new organ. An implant doesn't work that way. Titanium doesn't trigger an immune reaction; as I described in the second post, bone grows directly onto it.
Implants can fail, but rarely, and not because of rejection. The usual causes are infection, heavy smoking, uncontrolled diabetes or too much load before the bone has healed. Careful planning reduces those risks a great deal, and when an implant does fail to bond, it can usually be replaced after the area heals.
"It will set off the metal detector at the airport"
I get asked this a lot, especially by patients who fly in from abroad for treatment. The answer is no. Titanium isn't magnetic and the amount of metal is tiny. People fly with implants every day without any trouble at security. MRI scans are also safe with titanium implants, though it is worth mentioning them to the radiographer.
"I'm too old for implants"
I covered this properly in the last post, so I'll keep it short. There is no upper age limit. A healthy person in their seventies or eighties can have implants and often benefits the most, because a loose denture makes eating so hard at that age. The patient who made me an implant dentist was 79.
"Implants are only for rich people"
An implant does cost more at the start than a bridge or a denture. But it is a one-time cost for something that can last decades, while a bridge or a denture usually has to be redone more than once over the same period. When patients add that up, the gap is smaller than they expected.
Prices in India are also much lower than in the UK, the US or Australia, for the same implant systems. At our clinic a single implant with a custom abutment and a zirconia crown starts from ₹35,000, and All-on-4 starts from ₹3,00,000 per arch. I always give a written plan with the full cost before we start, so nothing is a surprise later.
"Implants only last ten years"
I'm not sure where this number comes from, but I hear it constantly. Long-term studies follow implants for twenty years and more, and most are still working. The implant itself, the part in the bone, can last a lifetime with good care. The crown on top takes the wear of chewing, so it may need replacing after many years, much like a filling or a crown on a natural tooth.
What decides how long an implant lasts is mostly what happens after it is placed: cleaning well at home, coming for check-ups, not smoking, and wearing a night guard if you grind your teeth.
If a myth has held you back
If one of these has kept you from asking about implants, ask anyway. A short conversation and a scan usually settle it.
From the next post, the story moves inside our clinic. I'll walk you through the rooms, the equipment and the people you'd meet on the day.
Have a question I haven't covered here? Message me on WhatsApp and I'll reply personally.
Questions
Will a dental implant set off airport metal detectors?
No. Implants are made of titanium, which is not magnetic, and the amount of metal is tiny. Patients fly with implants all the time without any problem at security.
Can the body reject a dental implant?
Not in the way the body rejects a transplanted organ. Titanium does not trigger an immune reaction. An implant can fail to bond with the bone, usually because of infection, smoking or overloading too early, but this is uncommon and usually fixable.
Is getting a dental implant painful?
Most patients say it was easier than having the tooth taken out. The area is fully numb during the procedure, and afterwards most people need only ordinary painkillers for a day or two.
Next · Sun 01 Nov
A walk through the clinic. Chapter 2 begins with the rooms, the equipment and the team.
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Who can get a dental implant? Age, health, smoking and diabetes