Sydney Smile Centre offers dental implant treatment for Maroubra patients from Shop 1, 16 Maroubra Road, minutes from Maroubra Junction. An implant replaces a missing tooth with a titanium post placed in the jawbone, topped with a custom crown. Treatment runs over several months in stages. To discuss whether an implant suits you, call our team on 02 9349 2387.

Losing a tooth raises two questions at once: what are the options, and what does the process actually involve. This guide walks through the implant journey from first assessment to the day the final crown goes on, what makes someone a good candidate, and how implants sit alongside bridges and dentures.

The three parts of a dental implant

An implant is often described as a single item, but it is really three components fitted together over time. Understanding them makes the rest of the process much easier to follow.

• The fixture: a small titanium post placed into the jawbone where the root of the missing tooth used to sit. Titanium is used because bone bonds directly to it, a process called osseointegration.
• The abutment: a connector that sits on top of the fixture and passes through the gum. It is fitted once the fixture has integrated with the bone.
• The crown: the visible tooth, custom made to match the shade, shape and contour of your neighbouring teeth, then secured to the abutment.

Because the fixture replaces the root and not just the visible tooth, an implant transmits chewing forces into the jawbone in a way that bridges and dentures do not. That is the main reason implants help maintain bone in the area over the long term.

Who dental implants suit

Implants are a good fit for a wide range of situations, but they are not automatically the right answer for everyone.

• A single missing tooth: particularly where the teeth either side are healthy and you would rather not have them trimmed down to support a bridge.
• Several missing teeth: implants can support a fixed bridge without relying on the remaining natural teeth for anchorage.
• An unstable lower denture: a small number of implants can be used to stabilise a denture that moves while eating or speaking.
• A tooth that cannot be saved: where a tooth is cracked below the gum or has failed after previous treatment, planning the implant at the same time as the extraction often gives a better result.

Implants are usually deferred or reconsidered for people with active gum disease until that is treated and stable, for people who smoke heavily, for those with poorly controlled diabetes, and for teenagers whose jaws are still growing. Certain medications, particularly some used for osteoporosis, also need to be discussed before surgery. None of these are automatic exclusions, but they change the plan and the timing.

Bone and gum health: what makes a candidate

The single biggest technical factor is whether there is enough healthy bone in the right place to hold the fixture securely. Bone in the jaw is maintained by the forces of chewing passing through a tooth root, so once a tooth is removed the surrounding bone begins to shrink. Most of that change happens in the first year, which is why we generally encourage people not to leave a gap indefinitely if an implant is on the cards.

At the assessment we look at bone height and width, the position of nearby structures such as the sinus and the nerve in the lower jaw, gum thickness and health, your bite, and whether you grind your teeth. Three-dimensional imaging is often used for this planning rather than a standard X-ray, because it shows the bone in cross-section.

Where bone volume is insufficient, grafting can rebuild the site before or at the time of placement. This adds months to the overall timeline but frequently turns an unsuitable site into a workable one.

The treatment journey, stage by stage

1. Consultation and planning: examination, imaging, a discussion of alternatives, and a written treatment plan with the stages and timing set out. Costs vary depending on your individual needs, including whether grafting is required, so see our fees page or book a consultation for an exact quote.
2. Preparation: any gum treatment, decay in other teeth, or extraction of the failing tooth is completed first. A healthy mouth improves the conditions for healing.
3. Placing the fixture: a surgical appointment under local anaesthetic in which the titanium post is positioned in the bone. A temporary tooth can often be provided for a front tooth so you are not left with a visible gap.
4. Osseointegration: a healing period, typically around three to six months, while the bone bonds to the fixture. You are not without a tooth during this time if a temporary has been made.
5. Fitting the abutment: once integration is confirmed, the connector is attached and the gum is shaped around it over a few weeks.
6. Impressions and the final crown: a digital scan or impression is taken, the crown is made to match your other teeth, then fitted and adjusted to your bite.
7. Review: a check a few weeks later, then ongoing monitoring at your regular check-ups.

Timelines vary. A straightforward single implant in a site with good bone commonly runs from around four to six months between placement and final crown. Several things extend that. Bone grafting can add three to nine months depending on the type. A site in the upper back jaw near the sinus often heals more slowly than the lower jaw, where bone is denser. Smoking slows healing and increases the risk of the implant failing to integrate. Uncontrolled diabetes and untreated gum disease do the same.

It is worth planning around this rather than being surprised by it. If you have a wedding, a trip or a season of sport coming up, tell us at the consultation and we can sequence the stages sensibly.

Implants compared with bridges and dentures

All three replace missing teeth, and each has a place. The right choice depends on how many teeth are missing, the health of the neighbouring teeth, bone volume, and how much time you want the process to take.

• Implant: stands alone without altering neighbouring teeth, helps preserve bone at the site, and is cleaned much like a natural tooth. The trade-off is a longer timeline and a surgical stage.
• Bridge: fixed and completed in a matter of weeks rather than months, but the adjacent teeth must be prepared and permanently crowned to carry it, and bone under the gap continues to shrink.
• Denture: the least invasive and the quickest, and it can replace many teeth at once, but it is removable, rests on the gum, and usually needs adjusting or relining over time as the ridge changes shape.

For a fuller comparison, see our guide on implants, dentures and bridges.

When we refer for the surgical stage

Dr George Hedges has more than thirty years of experience in general and surgical dentistry, and many implant cases are managed entirely in-house. Some sites are more complex: significant grafting, a sinus lift, placement close to the nerve in the lower jaw, or a medical history that warrants a specialist setting. In those cases we refer the surgical stage to a trusted oral surgeon or periodontist and continue to manage your planning, the restorative stages and your ongoing care here on Maroubra Road. You are not handed over and left to coordinate it yourself.

Living with an implant

An implant crown does not decay, but the gum and bone around the fixture can become inflamed if plaque is allowed to build up. This is called peri-implantitis, and it is the most common reason implants fail years after placement. It is largely preventable.

• Brush twice daily: a soft brush, angled at the gum line, treating the implant like any other tooth.
• Clean between the teeth every day: floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser, depending on the shape of the space. We will show you what suits your implant.
• Keep up regular check-ups and cleans: we monitor the gum around the implant, check the bite, and take periodic X-rays to look at bone levels.
• Protect it: wear a night splint if you grind, and a mouthguard for contact sport.
• Do not chew hard objects: ice, pens and bottle tops can chip a crown just as they can a natural tooth.

Is having an implant placed painful?

The surgical stage is carried out under local anaesthetic so the area is fully numb during the procedure. Most people describe the days afterwards as milder than they expected, comparable to an extraction, and manageable with over-the-counter pain relief. Some swelling and tenderness for a few days is normal. We will give you written aftercare instructions and a review appointment.

How long does the whole process take?

A straightforward implant usually runs around four to six months from placement to the final crown, because the bone needs time to bond to the fixture. If bone grafting is needed first, the timeline can extend considerably. Your treatment plan will set out each stage and its approximate timing before you commit to anything.

What are your opening hours and how do I book a consultation?

Sydney Smile Centre is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm. Call 02 9349 2387 to book an implant consultation, or request an appointment online at /request-an-appointment/. New patients are welcome. The first appointment covers examination, imaging and a discussion of all the options, not just implants.

How do I get to you from Maroubra, and is there parking?

We are at Shop 1, 16 Maroubra Road, on the Maroubra and Pagewood border, only minutes from Maroubra Junction and Pacific Square. Free parking is available via Glanfield Street, which is convenient for the longer implant appointments. Anzac Parade bus routes through Maroubra Junction also stop within a short walk of the practice.

Can I have an implant if I have been missing the tooth for years?

Often yes, though bone shrinks in the area after a tooth is lost, so a longstanding gap is more likely to need grafting to rebuild the site. Three-dimensional imaging at your consultation shows how much bone is present and whether grafting is required. A long-standing gap does not rule an implant out, it simply changes the plan.

Do health funds cover dental implants?

Many extras policies contribute to implant treatment, though annual limits, waiting periods and the specific items covered vary widely between funds. Because treatment runs in stages across months, benefits sometimes fall across two calendar years. We use HICAPS for on-the-spot claiming, and payment plans and Afterpay are available. See our fees page for details.