Dental Implants

Dental implants are relatively common, designed to act as a replacement or artificial substitution for the root portion of your natural tooth. Dental implants are anchored into a small pre-drilled hole in your jawbone in order to support a crown, bridges or to secure a denture in place.

Dental implants are recommended if you have one, or multiple, missing teeth. Used as a cosmetic and means of covering gaps, as well as a way of preventing remaining teeth moving, they are the perfect solution for those wanting to improve the appearance of their smile.

There are several implant systems available all with unique features, see below:

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An implant made from titanium is tightly fitted into the small socket created by the drill. The gum is then stitched back over the implant to cover the gap. Once it has healed, an artificial tooth will then be fitted onto the titanium post. If you are suffering from multiple missing teeth, you may not require an implant for each one as a single implant can act as a support to anchor a bridge or denture.

Dental implants can be placed in patients of any age, providing they have fully developed jawbones and they are of quality of bone. Most healthy individuals who have a good standard of oral hygiene are suitable for dental implants.

Once the implants have been put into place, the bone in your jaw must be given time to grow in order to fuse them together over the following couple of months before the false tooth can be fitted. On occasion however it is possible for the false teeth to be fitted sooner if the implants are stable. With this in mind, you may have to wear a temporary tooth in the interim for cosmetic reasons. If you already have a full set of dentures however, you are able to keep wearing them until your implants are healed, but they will need modifying to fit correctly.

Dental implants have been used to replace missing teeth for over 30 years and can last a lifetime if looked after correctly. It is always recommended to practice good oral hygiene – whether you have all you own teeth or a full mouth of dentures to decrease the risk of infection or decay.

Costs vary dramatically, but in general, a single tooth implant should cost between £800 and £4000.