Implant Surgery Day
Knowing exactly what will happen makes implant surgery far less daunting. This is how the day runs at Comely Bank Dental, from the moment you arrive to your first evening at home.
What Happens on the Day of Dental Implant Surgery in Edinburgh?
At Comely Bank Dental in Edinburgh, a single implant is placed under local anaesthetic, with IV sedation available if you are anxious, and the surgery itself usually takes around an hour. The implant goes in through a 3D-printed guide made from your CT scan plan, most people describe it as pressure rather than pain, and you go home the same day. Placing a single implant is £1,800, and the crown usually follows about three months later.
What Actually Happens on Implant Surgery Day?
For most people, implant surgery is a calm, unhurried appointment of around one to two hours in total, with the surgery itself typically taking about an hour for a single implant. It is done under local anaesthetic in the surgery, just like other dental treatment, and you go home the same day.
By the time you arrive at Comely Bank Dental, the hard work of planning has already been done. Your implant has been planned on a 3D CT scan, and a surgical guide has been made to place it exactly where the plan says. That means the day itself is about carrying out a plan, not making decisions in the chair.
The sections below walk through the day in order, so you know what to expect at each stage.
How Should You Prepare the Day Before?
We'll give you written instructions, but in general:
- Eat normally before a local anaesthetic appointment. If you are having IV sedation, follow the specific eating and drinking advice we give you.
- Take your usual medicines unless we have told you otherwise. Tell us in advance about blood thinners, diabetes medicines or any recent change in your health.
- Avoid smoking for as long as you can before and after surgery. Smoking slows healing and raises the risk of problems.
- Plan a quiet day. Most people take the rest of the day off. After sedation you must have a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you, and you can't drive, work or sign important documents until the next day.
- Stock up on soft foods and your usual painkillers.
If you feel unwell or develop a cold sore just before your appointment, call us on 0131 332 3971 so we can decide together whether to go ahead.
Start with a Free Consultation
Every implant at Comely Bank Dental begins with a free consultation. We'll talk through your options, explain whether you need a scan and answer every question before anything is booked.
Local Anaesthetic or Sedation: Which Will You Have?
Local anaesthetic is all most people need. The area is numbed thoroughly, just as for a filling, and we check it is fully numb before starting. You will be awake and able to talk to us throughout.
IV sedation is available at our Edinburgh practice if you are anxious, have a strong gag reflex or are having a longer procedure. A small cannula is placed in the back of your hand or arm and a sedative is given through it. You stay conscious and can respond, but you feel deeply relaxed, and many people remember little of the appointment afterwards. Local anaesthetic is still used alongside it, because sedation relaxes you but does not numb the area.
We'll talk through which suits you at the consultation. You can read more about how we look after anxious patients on our nervous patients and sedation pages.
How Is the Implant Placed with a Surgical Guide?
Once you are numb, the guide is fitted. With the MegaGen R2 guided surgery system, the guide is a 3D-printed piece made from your CT scan plan that fits snugly over your teeth. It has a sleeve positioned over the implant site that controls where the drill goes.
The steps are broadly:
- Accessing the bone. A small opening is made in the gum, sometimes with a narrow punch and sometimes with a small flap that is folded back.
- Preparing the site. A series of drills, each slightly wider, prepares a precise channel in the bone. The guide controls position, angle and depth, so the channel matches the plan.
- Placing the implant. The MegaGen AnyRidge implant is gently screwed into place and checked for stability.
- Finishing. Depending on the plan, either a cover screw is placed and the gum closed over it, or a small healing cap is fitted that sits just through the gum.
If a small bone graft was planned, it is placed at this point. A guide does not remove the need for clinical judgement; I still check everything by eye and by feel as I go.
How Does Implant Surgery Feel?
With good anaesthetic, you should not feel pain. What you will notice is:
- Pressure and vibration as the drills work, which can feel strange but not painful;
- Sounds of the equipment and water spray;
- A firm pushing feeling when the implant is screwed in.
If you feel anything sharp, raise your hand and we'll stop and give more anaesthetic. Most people are surprised at how manageable it is, and many say it felt easier than having a tooth out.
For anxious patients, IV sedation makes the experience feel much shorter. You can also bring headphones and listen to music if you prefer.
Will You Have Stitches and a Temporary Tooth?
Stitches. Many implants need a few small stitches to close the gum neatly around the healing cap or cover screw. We usually use dissolvable stitches that come away over one to two weeks; occasionally we remove them at a short review appointment.
A temporary tooth. Whether you leave with a tooth in the gap depends on where it is and what was planned:
- Front teeth: we plan a temporary so you are not left with a visible gap. This might be a small denture, a clear retainer carrying a tooth, or a temporary bonded to your neighbouring teeth.
- Back teeth: often no temporary is needed, as the gap is not visible and it is better not to load the healing implant.
- Immediate teeth: in selected cases, a temporary crown can be fitted onto the implant on the day. This depends on the implant being very stable and is not suitable for everyone.
We'll agree the temporary plan at your consultation so there are no surprises on the day.
What Should You Expect in the First 48 Hours?
Once the anaesthetic wears off, which usually takes a few hours, expect some tenderness. For a single implant, most people manage well with paracetamol or ibuprofen if they can take them. We'll give you written aftercare advice, and our aftercare page covers it too.
Day one:
- Avoid hot drinks and food until the numbness has gone, so you don't burn or bite yourself.
- Do not rinse vigorously for the first 24 hours; let the blood clot settle.
- Rest with your head slightly raised and avoid strenuous exercise.
- A little oozing is normal. Bite on a clean, damp gauze for 20 minutes if needed.
Day two onwards:
- Begin gentle warm salt-water rinses after meals.
- Brush your other teeth normally and clean carefully near the implant.
- Stick to soft food on the other side.
Swelling usually peaks on the second or third day and settles over the following week. Some bruising is possible, especially after grafting. Call us if you have bleeding that won't stop, swelling that keeps increasing after day three, a fever or pain that is getting worse.
When Does the Final Crown Go On?
The implant needs time to bond with the bone before it carries a permanent tooth. For most single implants this takes around three months, sometimes longer in the upper jaw or after grafting.
In the meantime, we'll see you for a short review to check healing. Once the implant has integrated, we take a digital scan with our iTero scanner rather than messy moulds, and the crown is made to match your neighbouring teeth. Fitting it is a straightforward appointment that usually needs no anaesthetic.
Placing a single implant is £1,800, the crown is £1,100, and both together are £2,900. Fees are guide prices and are agreed in writing in your treatment plan before anything begins. For the full picture, see our dental implants page.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.