Has anyone had dental implants and wouldn't mind sharing a word or two on your experience. I had to have a molar extracted last year and have now had the same tooth on the other side of my mouth extracted. In both cases, the tooth simply cracked in half due to my old amalgam fillings.

I am seeing my Dentist tomorrow to discuss beginning work on an implant. I may also need a bone graft. I have just been reading up on the procedure and have rather alarmed myself. I have had a lot going on healthwise recently and am now wondering if I am really up for it. Obviously I will discuss it at length with my Dentist, but would be interested in hearing anyone else's experience. Thanks in advance.

Ouch! I don't know much about implants, but both my parents opted for partials instead. Of course that depends on whether you have a tooth on either side of the missing one.

Feel better soon!

No personal experience, but I have a close relative who is a dentist. Provided the jawbones are healthy and strong (often a question of age, and yes there is certainly a more professional term for what I describe), he would strongly recommend implants and always said he never had one patient regretting it. He actually has some himself.

Thank you both. I do have teeth on either side of each extraction, so will discuss all options. I am 62, so in the older range for sure. I could imagine I wouldn't regret haven't a relatively permanent solution once it's there ... I am wondering how much pain and discomfort there might be on the way!

My MIL had it done when she was older (than you are) and never regretted it, she was very happy she did it!
Friend of mine had partials done last year and only regrets not having it done earlier.
Although it wasn‘t fun but the end result was great.

I think 62 is a very standard implant age. The jawbones will have to be checked with xray in any event.

My husband has had 3 implants fitted at the back, 1 when we still lived in Scotland, 2 on trips back (irony is they were specially made to order by Straumann in Basel). The third one required him to have a bone graft and he said it was pain free. He was treated at a private clinic by a maxillofacial surgeon who used to be head of department at our local hospital back there until she set up her own practice.

He suffered from going to a dentist as a teenager who just drilled and filled all his teeth, he says implants are the best thing he's ever done as he was getting jaw pain and trouble with crowns that kept falling out. I think he was about 52 when he had the first one, 58 when he had the third.

Thanks very much Cherub, thats very reassuring. I have also had a fairly horrible history with dentistry. It occurred to me today whilst having my teeth cleaned (those that remain anyway) that teeth are a pain and a nuisance from the moment they first appear!

It's a topic I'm a bit familiar, as I've gotten 3 implants myself over the years.

First of all, it's honestly not a big deal to get it. It's not even painful if your doctor knows what he/she is doing.
The extraction of the old tooth roots is probably the most annoying part of the entire process.

Generally they will insert a titanium screw (which can feel strange at first) and let you wait (approx 4-6 months or so) to heal up, before they will be able to attach the crown on top.
In some cases they can even attach it immediately if it seems sturdy enough.

Aside from waiting, it's a surprisingly quick process and you'll be able to eat solid foods on the very same day they attach the crown.

If it makes you feel any better, Swiss dentist equipment is considered to be the best in the entire world.

It better be given what they charge here.

Go for it, but look for experienced dentist, that what I did.



First I got tested from any angle, tomography to measure the bone, asses it's density and all to check if it'll support the implant.


Surgery day, after positive thorough health check, was really quick and painless. It takes a few days to heal the gums, 3-4 days, when you have to be extra careful. If I remember correctly they removed the stitching after 7 days.


5 months living as if nothing happened.


Back at the dentist, general check, all was fine, so restoration procedure started. Nothing serious anymore. Just punching hole in the gum to put in a screw into the implant, letting it heal/form for a few days, making the crown, assembly. One more visit after a few days, perhaps 2 weeks, to do a final check.



Funny feeling of a hollow tooth (I could hear the tooth via my bones) for a few months, but the brain eventually adjusted, I don't hear it anymore when eating.


Ah, yes, I got upper tooth implant, for the lower teeth the implant integration time is much shorter. It's because of the difference of the bones.


One last thing, it's also worth to think what are your plans for the future. There are many types of implants. Basically it's the same thing but the dentist need a dedicated tool to unscrew it, so once you had your first implant you should follow with the same brand in the future. When you move to a new place in the world you might find it challenging to find a close-by clinic which could service your implants. Worst case you might need to cover the cost of purchasing the tools, nothing overly expensive I guess.

Thank you Atheri and Gravity. That's very helpful and reassuring.

I will live in Switzerland for the rest of my life (unless all my dental treatments send me into bankruptcy so the tools won't be an issue for me. The problem is my old UK dentistry which has accounted for more problems than it ever solved.

I am off to discuss it all with my Dentist this morning and am feeling much more comfortable with the whole procedure. Thank you everyone for your help.