The Dental Implant Procedure, Step by Step: From First Scan to Final Tooth

Most people who search for “dental implant surgery” want to know three things: what actually happens, whether it hurts, and how long it all takes. This guide walks through every stage in plain English, from the first scan to the final tooth, and is honest about what can go wrong and how it is put right.

A dental implant is a small titanium or ceramic (zirconia) post placed in the jawbone, where it acts as the root of the missing tooth. A connector called an abutment sits on top of it, and a crown, bridge or denture is fixed to that. The procedure is really a sequence of short appointments with healing time in between.

The procedure at a glance

1. 1

   Consultation and medical history

   Your teeth, gums and bite are examined, and your medical history and medicines are reviewed, because some conditions change the plan.

2. 2

   CBCT 3D scan

   A cone-beam CT scan shows the height, width and density of the bone, and where the nerves and sinuses lie.

3. 3

   Digital plan and written quote

   The position, angle and depth of each implant are planned on the scan before surgery. You get an itemised written quote before treatment starts.

4. 4

   Preparation, if needed

   A tooth that cannot be saved is removed, often on the same day as the implant. If the bone is thin, a bone graft or sinus lift is done with the implant, or the implant is placed at a later stage once the graft has healed.

5. 5

   Implant placement

   Under local anaesthesia, the implant is placed in the bone through a small opening in the gum.

6. 6

   Healing (osseointegration)

   Over the following months the bone grows onto the implant surface and locks it in place.

7. 7

   Abutment and scan

   Once the implant has healed, the abutment is fitted and the area is scanned so the final tooth can be made.

8. 8

   Final crown or bridge

   The crown or bridge is fitted, the bite is checked, and regular check-ups begin.

Before surgery: consultation, scan and plan

Good implant treatment is decided before anyone picks up an instrument. At the first appointment the dentist looks at the gap, the teeth around it and your gums, and asks about your health. Diabetes, smoking, blood-thinning medicines, bone medicines such as bisphosphonates, and past radiotherapy to the head or neck all affect how implants are planned; some need extra steps, and a few mean implants are not the right choice (who should plan more carefully).

The CBCT scan is a three-dimensional X-ray of the jaw. It shows whether there is enough bone for an implant, how close the nerve in the lower jaw and the sinus above the upper back teeth sit, and whether grafting is likely. At Sterling a full CBCT scan is ₹10,000, and it is the basis of every implant plan.

From the scan, the implant position is planned digitally. In some cases a surgical guide is made from that plan: a thin template that sits over the teeth or gums during surgery and steers the drill to the planned position. If you live abroad you can send a recent scan or OPG X-ray before you travel and get an indicative plan first (how the virtual consultation works).

The day of surgery

Anaesthesia

Implant placement is usually done under local anaesthesia, the same kind of injection used for a filling, so you are awake but the area is numb. For anxious patients Sterling offers sedation: nitrous oxide, breathed through a small nasal mask, keeps you awake but relaxed; general anaesthesia, given by an anaesthetist, is an option for longer or more complex cases such as full-arch treatment.

What it feels like

Once the anaesthetic has worked, most patients describe pressure, vibration and the sound of the instruments, not sharp pain. If you feel anything sharp, say so: more anaesthetic can be given. The surgeon makes a small opening in the gum, prepares a channel in the bone in careful stages, places the implant and closes the gum, sometimes with a few stitches.

How long it takes

• One implant: often about an hour in the chair, including numbing and checks; longer if a tooth is removed or a graft is placed at the same time.
• Several implants: longer, depending on how many and where.
• A full arch (All-on-4 / All-on-6): a longer session in which failing teeth are removed and four or six implants are placed; the fixed temporary bridge is fitted within days.

Whether a tooth can go on the implant straight away depends on how firmly the implant is held in the bone on the day, called primary stability, which the surgeon measures before deciding (one trip or two, and immediate loading). With a same-day implant crown, the tooth fitted on the day is provisional or permanent, depending on your gums and bone.

The first week afterwards

• Swelling and bruising are common and usually peak in the first two or three days. A cold pack on the cheek on the first day helps.
• Discomfort is usually managed with ordinary painkillers, as advised by your dentist.
• Soft, cool food for the first few days, chewing on the other side, and nothing hard or crunchy on the implant until your dentist says so.
• Keep it clean: brush the other teeth normally and use rinses gently, as instructed, from the day after surgery.
• No smoking. Smoking slows healing and is linked to a higher risk of implant failure.
• Stitches, if they are not the dissolving kind, are removed after about one to two weeks.

Healing: how an implant fuses with bone

Osseointegration is the process by which living bone grows directly onto the implant surface. It is what lets an implant carry the force of chewing like a natural root. It takes time: for a single implant, usually a few months before the final crown; for a full arch, about 3–6 months before the final bridge. If a graft was needed, healing can take longer; when the implant has to wait for a graft, a ridge graft usually heals for about 4–6 months first (bone grafts and sinus lifts).

You are not left with a gap while you heal: depending on the case, you have a temporary tooth on the implant, a temporary bridge, or a removable temporary tooth or denture.

The abutment and your new tooth

When the implant has healed, the abutment is attached and the area is scanned. The crown is designed to match the shape and shade of your own teeth and is fixed to the abutment, either with a small screw or with dental cement. Sterling designs and makes crowns in its in-house lab, and some in the clinic with CEREC. The bite is checked carefully so the new tooth does not take more load than its neighbours.

At Sterling the implant price covers the implant and its placement; the crown is priced separately. The clinic's current prices:

For what changes the price, and the full trip budget if you are travelling, see the cost guide and implant brands and prices.

Single implant vs full arch: the timelines

Full-arch treatment is explained in more detail on our full-mouth implants page and in All-on-4 vs All-on-6.

Looking after an implant for the long term

• Clean it like a natural tooth, twice a day, with interdental brushes or floss around the implant. A full-arch bridge also needs cleaning underneath, which your hygienist will show you.
• Keep up check-ups and hygiene visits. The gum and bone around an implant are checked, with X-rays when needed.
• Tell your dentist if you grind your teeth. A night guard may be advised to protect the crown or bridge.
• Don't ignore bleeding or swelling around an implant. Inflammation caught early is far easier to treat.

If you live abroad, you leave with a full implant record (system, size, batch details and X-rays) so your own dentist can look after the implant (what your dentist at home needs).

What can go wrong, and how it is managed

Implants are a well-studied treatment: a 2019 systematic review estimated that about 96% of implants survive 10 years, with somewhat lower survival in patients aged 65 and over (Howe et al., 2019). Even so, any surgery carries risks, and it is better to know them in advance.

Some factors raise the risk. A 2022 meta-analysis found smokers had around 2.4 times the odds of implant failure (Mustapha et al., 2022). A 2026 review found outcomes in people with diabetes comparable to others when HbA1c was below about 8%, and worse as it rose above that (BMC Oral Health 2026). Stopping smoking and controlling blood sugar both help.

Who does the procedure at Sterling

Implant treatment at Sterling in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, is led by Dr. Tarun Kumar Giroti, who has placed 12,000+ implants as lead surgeon, in more than 31 years of practice. Every case starts with a CBCT scan and a digital plan. For what to ask any clinic, see our safety checklist; for the treatment itself, our dental implants page.

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Whether implants suit you, and what they will cost, depends on a clinical examination and 3D scan. Prices are indicative and are confirmed in writing before any treatment.