Dental Implants are used as a replacement to natural teeth that have been lost or require removal to help restore the patients natural dentition. They are essentially a titanium insert of ‘artificial tooth root’ which sit into the jawbone providing a foundation for crowns, bridges dentures to be placed much like a natural tooth.

People lose teeth all the time, either through trauma (when teeth are knocked out) or due to decay, gum disease or old age. Whatever the reason for losing your teeth, they need to be replaced, both for aesthetic and functional reasons. The most common treatments for missing teeth are either a denture or a fixed bridge. However, dental implants are now seen as the gold standard to replace missing teeth, as they provide a longer-term solution, slow down bone loss and preserve nearby healthy tooth tissue.

Dental implants, look, feel and function much like your normal teeth. The average life span if a dental implant is 10 years , however with good care and maintenance they can last a life time.

Dental implants can be placed in patients of any age (with fully developed jawbones), provided that they have a sufficient quantity and quality of bone tissue available. Most healthy individuals that maintain a good oral hygiene program are suitable candidates for dental implants.

We’ll be able to determine suitability at your consultation. We will likely take an X-ray or refer you for a CT scan to make sure there is enough healthy jawbone present to successfully accept the implants.

Circumstances where implants may not be suitable, or situations that have an increased risk of implant failure, include:
- Heavy smoking – this slows down and hinders the healing process.
- Excessive alcohol intake – disrupts healing of the gums.
- Periodontal gum disease – all active gum disease must be treated prior to any implant procedure to ensure the long-term success of any treatment. Periodontal disease is a major cause of bone loss, which would hinder the success of any implant procedure.
- Immuno-compromised individuals (steroids, auto-immune disease, patients undergoing radiation treatment).
- Teeth grinders (bruxism) – a night-time splint can be given to treat this.

Traditionally, an implant placed into your bone supports a single crown and this is know as a “single tooth implant”. However, if you have several missing teeth, you do not necessarily need an implant for every missing tooth: one implant can support several teeth via a bridge or denture. The number of implants required depends on the volume and density of bone tissue available at each implant site. Often, smaller-sized “mini implants” are used to secure dentures or implant supported bridges in place.

In the case of full-mouth reconstructions, where an arch of several teeth needs to be supported in either the upper or lower jaw, a minimum of five to six implants in each jaw would be required. The exact number of implants needed would depend on the individual case and your implant surgeon would be able to advise you on the best solution after a thorough examination and assessment.

The cost of treatment can vary from patient to patient, but generally treatment prices start from £2000.00 depending upon the complexity of the case. In addition to the Dental Implant there may be fees for bone grafting and a surgical stent. With Flexible Finance Options we can help you spread the cost of treatment, making it easy and affordable for you.