Dental Implants

A dental implant replaces the root of a missing tooth with a titanium post placed in the jawbone. Once the bone has healed around it, a crown, bridge or denture is attached on top. It is the only option that replaces the root itself, which is why it protects the neighbouring teeth and slows the bone loss that follows tooth loss.

What Is a Dental Implant?

An implant is a small screw-shaped post, usually made of titanium, that takes over the job of a natural tooth root. It is placed into the jawbone under local anaesthetic and left to heal. During that healing period the bone grows onto the implant surface and locks it in place — a process called osseointegration.

The visible tooth is a separate piece. Once the implant has integrated, a crown, a bridge or a full-arch prosthesis is fitted onto it. So an implant is not "a tooth" — it is the foundation the tooth is built on.

Who Is Suitable for Implants?

Most adults with a healthy jaw and gums are suitable. Age is not a barrier in itself; general health, gum condition and the amount of available bone matter far more. A 3D scan tells us with certainty rather than assumption.

• Diabetes: implants can be placed when blood sugar is under control; healing is monitored more closely.
• Pregnancy: non-urgent surgery is postponed until after the birth.
• Gum disease: gum treatment is completed first, and the implant is planned afterwards.
• Bone loss: in most cases an implant is still possible with a bone graft — see the section below.
• Smokers: implants are not ruled out, but smoking measurably increases the risk of failure and healing is followed more carefully.

If your jawbone has shrunk after years without a tooth, that does not close the door. Bone grafting and sinus lifting are routine procedures that rebuild enough volume for an implant to be placed safely.

How Is an Implant Placed?

The whole process is carried out in our clinic, from the scan to the final crown. You will not be sent elsewhere for imaging or impressions.

1. Examination and 3D scan: the mouth is assessed and a cone beam CT image is taken.
2. Planning: the length, diameter and angle of the implant are determined on the 3D image, and the options are discussed with you.
3. Placement: the implant is placed into the bone under local anaesthetic. For a single implant this usually takes 10–30 minutes.
4. Healing: the bone integrates with the implant. A temporary tooth is used during this period where needed.
5. Digital impression: once integration is complete, an intraoral scanner takes a digital impression — far more comfortable than holding impression putty in the mouth.
6. Fitting the crown: the crown is tried in, the shade and the bite are checked, and it is fixed in place.
7. Reviews: regular check-ups monitor the health of the implant and the surrounding gum.

Placement itself is not a painful procedure. The area is fully numb, and most patients describe it as easier than an extraction. Mild swelling for two to three days afterwards is normal and settles with simple painkillers.

How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?

There is no single list price for implant treatment. The cost follows the treatment plan drawn up after your examination. The main factors are:

• the number of implants to be placed;
• the brand used — there is a real difference between economy and premium implant systems;
• whether additional procedures such as bone grafting or a sinus lift are needed;
• the type of restoration on top (metal-ceramic, zirconia, full-arch prosthesis);
• whether a temporary tooth is required.

Figures you see in "dental implant prices" searches do not take any of these into account, which is why they are often misleading. A firm price for your own case can be given after the examination and the scan, together with the treatment plan.

We do not quote a price over the phone without seeing the mouth and an X-ray. If you send us a panoramic image over WhatsApp we can give you a realistic range and tell you what is likely to be involved before you travel.

How Long Does Implant Treatment Take?

From placement to the final crown, treatment usually spans two to six months. Most of that time is healing, not appointments — you are not in the chair for it.

The surgical appointment itself is short. The waiting period afterwards depends on bone quality and whether grafting was needed: roughly two to three months in the lower jaw and three to six months in the upper jaw.

In selected cases, where the bone is dense enough and there is no infection, a temporary tooth can be fitted on the same day as the surgery. Whether that applies to you is decided on the scan, not in advance.

Travelling to Turkey for Implants

Patients travelling from abroad usually plan implant treatment as two visits. The first covers the examination, the scan and the surgery — around three to five days. After the healing period you return for the digital impression and the fitting of the crown, which takes a further four to six days.

Where a temporary tooth is fitted, you do not go home with a visible gap between the two visits. If you would prefer to have the crown made in your own country, we can complete the surgical stage here and provide your scans and implant documentation for your dentist at home.

Before you travel, send us your panoramic X-ray and photographs of your mouth over WhatsApp. We can then tell you in advance roughly how many days to allow, what the treatment is likely to involve and what it will cost — so you are not booking flights on guesswork. The definitive plan is still made after the examination here.

How Long Do Implants Last?

With good oral hygiene and regular check-ups an implant can last a lifetime. What determines its lifespan is not the implant itself but the health of the bone and gum around it — the same tissue that supports natural teeth.

The crown on top is a wearing part and may need replacing after ten to fifteen years, in the same way a filling or a crown on a natural tooth does. Replacing the crown does not mean replacing the implant.

The most common cause of late implant loss is peri-implantitis, an inflammation of the tissue around the implant caused by plaque. It is preventable, and it is what routine check-ups are designed to catch early.

Are Implants Harmful?

Titanium has been used in medicine for decades and is one of the best-tolerated materials in the body; true allergy is extremely rare. An implant does not interfere with MRI scans, and it does not set off airport security.

Like any surgical procedure, implant placement carries risks — infection, delayed healing, or the implant failing to integrate. These risks are reduced by correct case selection, 3D planning and sterile technique, which is why the scan and the assessment come before any decision to operate.

After Your Implant Surgery

The first week matters most. Following these points closely makes healing quicker and more comfortable:

• Avoid hot food and drink for the first 24 hours, and try not to chew on the treated side.
• Eat soft food for the first week — soup, yoghurt, purée, cooked vegetables.
• Let tea and coffee cool for the first 24–48 hours; drink them warm rather than hot.
• Smoking slows healing markedly and should be avoided at least for the first few weeks.
• Keep brushing, avoiding the sutured area, and use a mouthwash if one has been prescribed.

Swelling and mild discomfort for two to three days are expected. Pain that increases after the third day, or a bad taste and discharge, should be reported to us rather than waited out.

Why Do Implants Fail?

Failure is uncommon, and when it happens there is almost always an identifiable reason: an implant placed into insufficient or infected bone, untreated gum disease, heavy smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, or excessive load from clenching and grinding.

Early failure — within the first months — usually means integration did not take place. Late failure is nearly always peri-implantitis, caused by plaque building up around the implant over years without professional cleaning.

If an implant is lost, the site can generally be grafted and a new implant placed once the bone has healed. It is not the end of the treatment plan.

Bone Grafting and Bone Loss

Bone shrinks once a tooth is lost, because the root that stimulated it is gone. After several years there may not be enough height or width left to hold an implant securely.

In these cases bone grafting rebuilds the missing volume, and in the upper back jaw a sinus lift creates the height needed beneath the sinus floor. Both are routine, and both are decided on the 3D scan rather than guessed at.

Implant or Bridge?

A missing tooth can be replaced in three ways: an implant, a bridge or a removable denture. The main differences are:

"Implant or zirconia?" compares two different things: zirconia is a crown material, an implant is a tooth root. A zirconia crown can be fitted onto an implant — one is not an alternative to the other, they are usually used together. For crown options see our zirconium crowns page.

Dental Implants in Kuşadası

Our clinic is a five-unit practice in the Cumhuriyet district of Kuşadası. The 3D tomography (CBCT) unit used for implant planning and the intraoral scanner used for digital impressions are both on site, so you do not need to go to another centre for imaging. The clinic holds the International Health Tourism Authorisation issued by the Turkish Ministry of Health.

As well as patients from Kuşadası, we treat patients travelling from across the region and from abroad. The first examination and the treatment plan are carried out personally by our founding dentist, Tuğçe Arslan, and the treatment then continues with the relevant member of the team.

The way to find out whether an implant is right for you is a short examination. To book, use the form on this page, write to us on WhatsApp or call us directly. Sending us your existing X-ray on WhatsApp speeds up the initial assessment.

The information on this page is general in nature and does not replace an examination. A treatment plan suited to you is determined after clinical and radiographic assessment.

Before & After

Dental Implants Before and After

The images below are examples of implant treatments carried out at our clinic. They show what changes in the smile line and in chewing function once missing teeth are replaced. Every case has its own bone volume and healing pattern, so results vary from person to person.

Case Examples

From a single missing tooth to a full arch, these images show what implants achieve in different situations. They are shared for information only; which treatment suits you becomes clear after an examination and a CBCT scan.