Almost everyone who writes to us with a quote in hand asks the same question before booking: “Does it hurt?”. It is a fair question: a titanium screw is going to be placed in your jawbone. This guide answers it with data, using Spanish private-clinic prices as the comparison.
Dental implant surgery does not hurt: it is done under local anaesthetic and, if you prefer, with sedation. Discomfort starts when the anaesthetic wears off, peaks on the first day and halves by the third; almost all patients manage it with ibuprofen or paracetamol. The whole process takes 3 to 6 months because the bone needs that time to fuse with the implant. If you lack bone, a graft is added to the price and to the timeline; below you will see what it costs in Spain and how it is quoted in Tbilisi.
Does dental implant surgery hurt?
No. The implant is placed under local anaesthetic, the same as for a filling, and during the procedure you feel pressure and vibration, but no pain. If the noise or the duration worries you, you can ask for conscious sedation, which is added to the quote.
A single implant takes 30 to 60 minutes in the chair; a full arch, two or three hours. In Tbilisi local anaesthetic is included and sedation is priced before the trip, as stated in the price list.
How much does a dental implant hurt afterwards, and for how many days?
Discomfort appears when the anaesthetic wears off, is at its worst in the first 24 hours and drops clearly by the third day. In one clinical study the mean pain score was 24 out of 100 on day one, 12 on day three and 9 on day six.
That study, published in the International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants (2006), also measured the worst moment: the first day, and after two or three days it was already half. Another study of 84 patients, in the Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences (2023), recorded 2.9 out of 10 at 24 hours and 0.27 at 72. Swelling peaks at 48 hours and is gone within a week.
The dental implant process step by step
The dental implant process has five steps: assessment with a 3D scan, surgery, healing for 3 to 6 months, impressions and the final crown. Most of the timeline is waiting.
| Step | What is done | How long it takes | What you feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Assessment | 3D scan (CBCT), treatment plan, fixed written quote | 1 visit, 30–60 min | Nothing |
| 2. Extraction (if needed) | The damaged tooth is removed; sometimes the implant goes in the same day | 20–40 min | Local anaesthetic, pressure |
| 3. Implant surgery | Incision, bed drilled in the bone with a surgical guide, implant, stitches | 30–60 min per implant | Pressure and vibration, no pain |
| 4. Healing | Osseointegration; stitches out at 7–14 days | 8 weeks to 6 months | Discomfort for 2–3 days, then nothing |
| 5. Final crown | Digital impressions, try-in, abutment and zirconia crown | 2 visits over 5–10 days | Nothing, or slight pressure |
Brands and prices on dental implants.
How long does the whole dental implant process take?
From the first visit to the final crown, 3 to 6 months in most cases. If you need a bone graft before the implant, add 4 to 6 months. With All-on-4 the implants are loaded immediately and you wear fixed provisional teeth from the first days.
With All-on-4 the final bridge is fitted once the implants have healed; your written plan states whether that happens within the stay or on a second short visit, and what is included.
How long does a dental implant take to heal? Osseointegration
The gum closes in one or two weeks. The bone takes longer: osseointegration, the direct bonding of bone to titanium, needs 8 weeks to 6 months depending on the site and the bone quality. In the lower jaw the bone is denser and heals sooner than in the upper jaw.
The Cochrane review on loading times distinguishes immediate loading at 2–3 days, early loading at 6 weeks and conventional loading at 3 to 8 months; in lower jaws with good bone, early loading gives results similar to waiting. What decides the timing is the stability of the implant at placement and the area of the mouth. At ten years, a 2019 systematic review estimates survival at 96.4 % (93.2 % in the conservative analysis).
What to eat after a dental implant, day by day
For the first 24 hours, only liquids and cold or lukewarm purees. From day 2 to 7, soft foods that do not require chewing over the site. From the second week you return gradually to a normal diet, avoiding anything hard or crunchy until the stitches are out.
| When | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| First 24 h | Water, lukewarm broth, yoghurt, mashed potato, custard | Nothing hot, straws, alcohol, tobacco, vigorous rinsing |
| Days 2–3 | Vegetable soup, scrambled eggs, flaked fish, banana | Crusty bread, nuts, seeds, spicy food |
| Days 4–7 | Well-cooked pasta, rice, shredded chicken, soft cheese | Chewing over the implant, hard sweets, popcorn |
| Weeks 2–3 | Normal diet, chewing on the other side | Crusts, nougat, ice |
| Until the final crown | Everything, with common sense | Loading a provisional with hard food |
Heat encourages bleeding, a straw can dislodge the clot and seeds get caught between the stitches. Tobacco is what damages healing most.
Bone graft and sinus lift: when they are needed and what they cost
A bone graft is needed when the remaining bone is too narrow or too shallow to hold the implant, which is common if the tooth was lost years ago. A sinus lift is the graft specific to the upper molars. Both are added to the price and, if the bone must mature for 4–6 months before the implant, to the timeline.
| Procedure | Price in Spain (private clinic) | Source | In Tbilisi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor graft (membrane regeneration) | 150 – 200 € per site | Dentaly.org Spain, bone graft (23 April 2025) | Quoted before the trip from the scan |
| Bone graft alongside the implant | from 646 € | cuantomecuesta.com, dental implant (April 2026) | Quoted before the trip |
| Sinus lift | 300 – 1,200 €; 956 € according to cuantomecuesta | Dentaly.org Spain, sinus lift (23 April 2025); cuantomecuesta.com (April 2026) | Quoted before the trip |
| Single implant with crown, for comparison | 1,400 – 2,500 € | cuantomecuesta.com (April 2026) | from 629 € (£540 / $730) (NTA®); 1,258 € (£1,080 / $1,450) (Straumann®) |
The Spanish figures come from Dentaly.org and cuantomecuesta.com, two Spanish consumer price guides for dental treatment. In Tbilisi we do not publish a single graft price because it depends on the bone and the material. You send the scan on WhatsApp, the surgeon marks whether a graft is needed and the figure goes into the fixed written quote before you buy a ticket; if it means waiting months, two stays are planned. The Seguridad Social, Spain’s public health system, does not cover implants or grafts.
Implant or bridge? When each is the better choice
For a single missing tooth with healthy neighbours, the implant is usually better: it does not require grinding down healthy teeth and it lasts longer. If the neighbours already carry large crowns, a fixed bridge may be the more sensible option, with no surgery and no months of waiting.
A ten-year systematic review (2016) puts single-implant survival at 95 %. Conventional bridges are around 87 % at ten years and 67 % at fifteen, according to the ADA summary reported by The Dental Elf. Honest advice: for a single implant the trip rarely pays off; the sums change from two or three implants or a full arch.
Aftercare following a dental implant
Care in the first week is simple: cold on the cheek at intervals for the first 24 hours, medication as prescribed, gentle brushing without touching the wound and a chlorhexidine rinse from the second day. Once the stitches are out, the implant is cleaned like any other tooth.
An implant cannot get decay, but the gum around it can become inflamed; that peri-implantitis is the main cause of long-term loss and is prevented with an interdental brush and a professional cleaning every six months. Dr Ketevan Mamulashvili reviews each patient’s plan before the trip; you can read about her on her page.
Signs that something is wrong
Rejection of an implant, in the sense of a titanium allergy, is extraordinarily rare. What does happen, in 3–5 % of cases over ten years, is that the implant fails to integrate or becomes infected. The signs are pain that increases from the fourth day, growing swelling, pus, fever or an implant that moves.
If an implant does not integrate, it is removed and placed again a few months later, almost always successfully. The coordinator stays in touch on WhatsApp after the stay.
What the implant process looks like in Tbilisi in 10 days or 2–3 weeks
For single implants the stay is around 10 days: surgery on the second day, check-up and stitch removal before flying home. The final crown is fitted once the implant has healed, on a second short stay or with your dentist at home. For a full arch, 2 to 3 weeks with fixed provisional teeth.
A single implant, from 629 € (£540 / $730) with a zirconia crown and 1,258 € (£1,080 / $1,450) with Straumann®, includes the CBCT scan, surgical guide, surgery, crown, airport transfer, coordinator and implant passport. Graft, sinus lift and sedation are priced separately and before the trip. The coordinator accompanies you in English, Russian or Hebrew. Flights, visa and hotel in your trip.
Frequently asked questions
How many days does a dental implant hurt?
Two to three days of real discomfort, managed with ibuprofen or paracetamol, and up to a week of mild sensitivity and cheek swelling. If the pain increases from the fourth day, contact the surgeon that same day.
Can you work the day after an implant?
For a single implant under local anaesthetic, yes, in an office job; many patients take one or two days off. If you had sedation you cannot drive that day. After a full arch, expect three or four days of visible swelling and avoid physical exertion.
How long does a dental implant take from start to finish?
Between 3 and 6 months in most cases: an hour of surgery, 8 weeks to 6 months of healing and two visits for the crown. With a prior bone graft, add 4 to 6 months. With All-on-4 you wear fixed provisional teeth from the first days.
What can you not eat after a dental implant?
For the first three days nothing hot, hard, crunchy or spicy, and nothing through a straw. Avoid crusty bread, nuts, seeds, popcorn and alcohol. In the first week do not chew over the operated area, and if you smoke, try not to for two weeks.
How much does a dental bone graft cost in Spain?
According to the 2025 and 2026 sources cited above, 150 to 200 € for a minor membrane regeneration, from 646 € for a graft alongside the implant and 300 to 1,200 € for a sinus lift. In Tbilisi it is measured on the scan before the trip and goes into the fixed written quote.
Which is better, an implant or a bridge?
It depends on the neighbouring teeth. If they are healthy, the implant avoids grinding them down and has a ten-year survival of around 95 % against 87 % for conventional bridges. If the neighbours already carry large crowns, the bridge makes use of that work and is finished in two weeks.
The short version
- The surgery does not hurt thanks to the local anaesthetic; afterwards, two or three days of discomfort that halves by the third day and is managed with common painkillers.
- The process takes 3 to 6 months because the bone needs that time to fuse with the implant; chair time is about four hours in total.
- A bone graft in Spain costs 150 to 1,200 € depending on the technique; in Tbilisi it is quoted in writing before the trip, never in the chair.
Send your 3D scan on WhatsApp and the surgeon in Tbilisi replies with a plan and a fixed written quote, graft included if needed. Free, no deposit. A coordinator replies on WhatsApp in English.
