One missing tooth is easy to live with for a while, especially one behind the smile line. You feel no pain, and you start chewing on the other side without thinking about it.
A dental implant for one tooth fills that gap. It is a small titanium or ceramic root placed in the jaw, and unlike a bridge, it does not lean on the teeth either side.
This guide covers the three parts involved, how long it takes, what happens at each appointment, and the cases where dental implants are not the right answer.
Dental Implants One Tooth: The Three Parts That Replace a Tooth
A natural tooth is a root in bone with a crown above the gum. Replacing one means rebuilding both halves, and a dental implant for one tooth does this with three parts.
- The implant. A small screw-shaped post, titanium or zirconia, placed into the jawbone where the root used to sit. This is the part that fuses with bone.
- The abutment. A connector that sits on the implant and passes through the gum, holding the crown at the right height and angle.
- The crown. The visible tooth, shaped and shade-matched to the teeth beside it.
Because the implant is anchored in the bone, the neighbouring teeth stay untouched. A bridge borrows support from them; an implant brings its own. And because the crown is a separate part, it can be replaced years later without disturbing the post underneath.
Single Tooth Implant: How Long Does It Take From Start to Finish?
A single tooth implant takes several months from start to finish, because bone has to grow around the post before it can take the force of chewing. Most of that time is spent healing, not in the chair.
| Stage | What it usually takes |
|---|---|
| Assessment, scan, planning | one appointment |
| Placing the implant | one appointment |
| Healing while bone forms around the post | several months |
| Fitting the abutment and crown | one to two appointments |
A Cochrane review of implant loading times describes the standard route, in which dentists usually wait several months for the bone around the implants to heal before artificial teeth are attached to the implant. The same review found no evidence that fitting the teeth sooner made any important difference to the outcome. Even so, the faster route is only right for some cases.
If your case allows, a temporary tooth can go on the same day, so the gap does not show while the bone heals.
Expert Tip: Ask whether your tooth could be fitted sooner than the standard wait allows. That depends on how firmly the bone holds the implant when it is placed.
Single Dental Implants: What Happens at Each Appointment
Single dental implants follow the same sequence whichever tooth is missing.
- Assessment and scan. A 3D scan shows bone height, width, and where the nerve runs. This is when you find out whether your case is straightforward.
- Placement. The post goes into the bone under local anaesthetic. It is a short appointment.
- Healing. You carry on with normal life. Where the gap would show, a temporary tooth covers it.
- Fitting the abutment. The connector goes on once bone has grown around the implant.
- The crown. Your dentist takes a scan or impression, then fits the finished tooth and adjusts the bite.
The bite check at the end matters. An implant is fixed straight to the bone, without the cushioning ligament a natural tooth has, so it cannot give or sense pressure in the same way. That is why the bite has to be set precisely rather than left to settle.
Dental Implant for One Tooth: When Is It Not the Right Answer?
A good assessment will tell you early if an implant is not the right treatment. A dental implant for one tooth is not the answer, or not yet, in these cases.
- The bone is too thin or too short. Unless a graft-free approach can work around it, a graft is needed first, which adds a stage and several more months before the implant goes in. Our post on whether you need a bone graft covers this in more detail.
- The teeth either side already need crowns. If they are heavily filled and need crowning anyway, a bridge can crown them and fill the gap at once.
- Gum disease is active. It is treated first, because the same disease can attack the gum and bone around an implant.
- The jaw is still growing. Implants do not move with growth, so younger patients wait until growth has finished.
The usual alternative is a bridge, a fixed prosthetic device used to replace one or more missing teeth, held in place by the teeth either side.
Helpful Tip: If you are told an implant is not suitable, ask what would have to change. Sometimes the answer is a graft, sometimes gum treatment first.
Single Implants: Why a Front Tooth Is Harder to Get Right
At the back of the mouth, single implants mainly have to work well for chewing. At the front, the tooth also has to blend in with your smile, which is harder. The gum line must sit level with the teeth beside it. The crown must come out of the gum at a natural angle, and the shade must match in daylight, not just under a surgery light.
Where the gum is thin, a grey shadow from a titanium implant can show through at the gum line, which is why a zirconia abutment is often used at the front.
Expert Tip: Ask to see finished front-tooth cases photographed in normal lighting, not close-ups taken in the chair.
Missing Lateral Teeth: The Gap That Often Runs in Families
The small teeth either side of the front two sometimes never develop. Missing lateral teeth tend to run in families. Because the gap is narrow, the spacing has to be right before an implant goes in, and braces or aligners are sometimes used to widen or narrow it first.
Single Tooth Dental Implants at Dental Artistry in North London
At Dental Artistry in North London, we place single tooth dental implants in both titanium and zirconia, and the choice depends on your case. We plan each implant digitally from a 3D (CBCT) scan, and we make crowns on site with computer-aided milling.
The crown is made to match the teeth beside it in shade, shape and size, which is what other people notice. Sedation is available for the placement appointment, and the work comes with a long-term guarantee. Where the bone allows, we can also avoid a graft, or fit a tooth on the same day as the implant. Our implant team has over 50 years of combined experience. You can read more on our dental implants page.
Frequently Asked Questions
A single tooth implant stands on its own without touching the teeth either side, and treatment takes several months because the bone has to heal around the post.
Can you implant just one tooth?
Yes. A single missing tooth is a common reason for an implant, and the implant stands on its own without involving the teeth either side.
Is a single tooth implant worth it?
Yes, because it replaces the root as well as the tooth, and the teeth either side stay untouched. In one twelve-month study of 60 patients, people given a single implant crown chewed more efficiently, and got used to it faster, than people given a conventional bridge.
Does a single implant damage the teeth next to it?
The teeth either side keep all their own enamel, which is the main difference from a bridge. We compare the two options in a separate post.
How long is the healing before the tooth goes on?
Healing usually takes several months, while bone grows around the post. Your own timeline depends on the bone where the implant goes, and your dentist will give it to you at your assessment.
Is the procedure painful?
The implant is placed under local anaesthetic, so the appointment itself should not hurt, and sedation is available if you would rather be more relaxed. Some soreness afterwards is normal, and ordinary painkillers usually ease it.
What if I have been missing the tooth for years?
It can still be treated, but the bone shrinks once a root is gone, so you are more likely to need a graft. A scan will show whether you do.
Can a single implant fail?
It occasionally can. Smoking, uncontrolled diabetes and gum disease are the main risks, and we check for all three before treatment.
Titanium or ceramic for one tooth?
We offer both. Titanium has the longer track record. Zirconia, a ceramic, is metal-free and avoids any grey shadow at the gum line, which is why it is often chosen for front teeth.
What to Remember Before Booking
Replacing one tooth is one of the more straightforward implant treatments.
The key things to remember about replacing a single tooth:
- It has three parts, not one. The post, the abutment and the crown, each fitted at a different stage.
- Most of the time is healing. There are only a few appointments, and they are short.
- The teeth either side stay untouched. That is its main advantage over a bridge.
- A front tooth is harder to get right than a back one. The gum line, the angle of the crown and the shade all have to match.
- It depends on your mouth. The bone, the gums and the teeth either side all affect the decision.
For fees, see our guide to what dental implants cost in the UK.
Book Your Implant Consultation at Dental Artistry
An assessment and 3D scan will show what your case needs, including whether the bone is ready for an implant. 0% finance is available over 6, 10 or 12 months on treatment plans over £2,000. Book your implant consultation to find out.
Information Sources
Dental bridge (Oral Health Foundation)
Interventions for replacing missing teeth: different times for loading dental implants (Cochrane)
Single-piece implant-supported crowns and conventional fixed partial dentures for single posterior tooth replacement (PMC)
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