Dental Implants
The closest thing to getting the tooth back: a replacement root, so nothing either side has to be cut down.
Missing Teeth
One tooth, or several.
Stable Support
Carries a crown, bridge or denture.
Careful Planning
Assessed before anything is promised.
Confidence
Bite and chew as before.
Book an implant consultation
Come in and we will tell you honestly whether an implant is the right answer for you.
A replacement root, not just a replacement tooth.
A gap changes what you are willing to eat, how you speak and often how readily you smile. What sets an implant apart from a bridge or a denture is that it replaces the root as well as the crown — so the neighbouring teeth are left entirely alone and the bone underneath keeps being used.
It is not right for everyone, and we would rather say so at the consultation than part-way through.
What an implant is
A small titanium post placed into the jawbone, which the bone then grows onto over a few months. Once it has integrated it behaves like a root, and can carry a crown, a bridge or a denture.
Because it is anchored in bone rather than resting on gum, it does not move when you eat. Most patients stop thinking about it entirely.
Whether it will work for you
That depends on the state of your gums, how much bone is there, your medical history, whether you smoke and what you want out of it. None of that can be judged by looking at a photograph, so a full assessment comes first.
Oral Health
Gums need to be healthy before we start. Active gum disease around an implant behaves much as it does around a tooth, and the implant will not survive it.
Bone Support
There has to be enough bone to hold the fixture. Where it has been lost, a graft may make it possible — that is a conversation for the assessment.
Medical History
Some conditions and some medications affect how bone heals, which changes both the plan and the timescale. Tell us everything you take.
Lifestyle Factors
Smoking is the single biggest predictor of implant failure. How well you clean around it comes a close second.
The ways implants are used
How many you need depends on how many teeth are missing and where they sit — it is rarely one implant per tooth.
Single Tooth Implant
One gap, one implant, one crown on top. The teeth either side are not touched at all.
Implant Bridge
Two implants can carry a bridge spanning three or four teeth, which costs less than placing one for every gap.
Implant-Retained Denture
A handful of implants can hold a denture firmly in place, which for many people is the difference between wearing it and leaving it in a drawer.
Full Arch Options
A whole arch can be carried on a small number of well-placed implants. This needs careful planning and a proper assessment first.
How the treatment runs
- Consultation — what is missing, what you want back, and what matters most to you.
- Assessment — gums, bite, bone levels and medical history, properly examined.
- Planning — the options, the timescale, the cost, and the alternatives to implants.
- Placement — the implant is placed, then left to integrate with the bone.
- Restoration — the crown, bridge or denture is made, fitted and reviewed.
Implants are £2,500 each. Consultation is £90, bone grafting from £400.
Looking after an implant
An implant will not decay, but the gum and bone around it can still be lost — and that is what ends most implants that fail late.
- Brush around it properly, every day
- Clean underneath and between with the brushes we recommend
- Keep your hygiene appointments — this is not optional with an implant
- Stop smoking if you possibly can
Is an implant right for me?
When an implant works best
Implants suit patients with healthy gums and enough bone to hold the fixture securely. Where bone has been lost, grafting is sometimes needed first. We assess all of this properly before recommending anything, and we will tell you plainly if an implant is not the right answer for you.
Planning and Alternatives
Implants take longer and cost more than a bridge or a denture. Sometimes they are clearly the right answer; sometimes they are not, and we will say so.
You will get the full picture — including the option of doing nothing — before you commit to anything.