Dental Implants Crayford

Dental implants

Dental Implants

Missing teeth affect more than just the way you speak and eat? They can damage your confidence too.

If you’ve been suffering, dental implants could be the answer you have been looking for.

Dental implants have emerged as a preferred way to replace missing teeth. They are a permanent solution to lost or damaged teeth. With dental implants you get a new porcelain tooth or teeth beautifully matching your healthy teeth.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are made up of an abutment and a dental crown.

The abutment in a dental implant is a titanium screw and simulates the function of a root in a healthy tooth. We fit it into your jaw, just like a natural tooth is attached.

The dental crown in a dental implant is the part of the tooth you can see. It is manufactured bespoke to match your other teeth, and we fix it to the abutment filling the gap left by your missing tooth. Together, these two pieces are fixed in place and leave you with a permanent replacement that never need be removed.

Dental Implant Process Video

Dental Implant Cost?

“How much are dental implants?” is a key question we are asked by people with a missing tooth. You may know already that they are not a cheap fix. Typically, prices begin at £2,500 per tooth. But that is not the end of the story, and there are a few myths that make people assume that a dental implant solution is more expensive than it actually is.

One example of this is that if you have more than one missing tooth, you may not need more than one complete dental implant. There is a technique we can apply known as a dental implant bridge. This sees just one dental implant abutment fitted to the jaw and a three-tooth crown attached to it. So three missing teeth are replaced with one dental implant.

More about Dental Implants

As dental implants are porcelain, they will potentially last longer than your remaining healthy teeth. As with your natural teeth, the more you take care of them, the longer they will last. So treat them as you would your teeth, and they will last a lifetime.

There are no arbitrary upper or lower age limits for dental implants. That said, we will not recommend them to people under the age of 18. This is because their bone tissue and jaw are not yet fully developed. For older patients, the consideration which may limit you is the condition of your jawbone and gums.

You can swap dentures for dental implants. And the good news is that because your teeth were removed during the denture fitting process, having a dental implant may be simpler as no further extraction is required. We can perform a technique called “all on four” which relies on a few abutments to fit two entire porcelain arches so your old dentures are permanently replaced.

The dental implant procedure should not be painful, but some mild discomfort may be experienced. We ensure you are comfortable before beginning the procedure, and local anaesthetic is used. When we have finished, if you still feel discomfort, over-the-counter painkillers should be sufficient while your mouth heals.

Dental implants and dental bridges are both fixed solutions. However, while a dental implant is designed as a permanent fixture fitted to the jawbone directly, a dental bridge relies on supporting teeth either side of the gap. This means that if these supporting teeth ever deteriorate, the bridge may need to be replaced. So while more expensive initially, dental implants often prove to be the better long-term choice.

Our friendly dental practice was established more than 50 years ago and was newly refurbished in 2011 to provide a bright welcoming reception and modern well-equipped surgeries. Now with almost double our original space, we have plenty of room to perform a wide range of dental and facial cosmetics.

As a leading dentist in Crayford we have a string of five-star Google reviews, and we take pride in offering first-rate patient care.

The dental implant procedure is surgery and like any surgery does come with risk. This risk can be managed by ensuring you choose an experienced and well qualified team to perform the procedure.

After the dental implant is fitted there is no downside. You have a permanent solution that will match your other teeth. If you look after your dental implants properly, they will last you your whole life.

People do often ask “Why are dental implants so expensive?”, and there are understandable reasons.

To begin with, the fitting procedure requires a specially trained dental professional – a regular dentist cannot perform the dental implant procedure. In fact , it takes many hours of extra training to achieve the dental implantologist qualification.

Then we have the materials from which dental implants are made: porcelain and titanium. These need to be crafted in a specialist laboratory so that they fit your mouth perfectly. Of course, having anything made bespoke like this using a dedicated expert’s time is more expensive than something mass-produced.

There is no other permanent solution other than a dental implant for replacing a missing tooth. That said, there are other non-permanent methods:

Dentures: Dentures are less popular as a solution for missing teeth as new techniques have become available. Dentures require regular removal for sleeping and cleaning which some find excessively inconvenient.

Dental bridges –  A dental bridge bears some similarity to a dental implant in that it uses a porcelain crown. However rather than being fitted directly to the jawbone like a dental implant, dental bridges rely on being bonded to nearby teeth which may deteriorate over time.

Dentures – Dentures can also be used instead of dental implants. However, they will need to be removed regularly for cleaning and sleeping. Although still used in some cases, they are becoming less and less popular today.

Sometimes called permanent dentures, all on 4 has become a popular treatment. All on 4 involves fitting  a full porcelain arch of teeth using just four dental implants. It is a major procedure so to get the desired result, all on 4 does require significant planning. This, plus the cost of the materials, means that £15,000 is the normal starting price for all on 4 treatment. If you could not pay this in one go, ask us to see if we have any of our excellent finance packages available.

For complex dental implant procedures like all on 4 or other cases of multiple implants you would be fully sedated. For more minor dental implant cases, it is up to you.

Something we offer which may be of interest is called “conscious sedation”. This technique does not put you to sleep, but does leave you heavily sedated. Normally one does not remember the procedure after they recover when consciously sedated.

The key requirement for dental implants is to have healthy, fully developed gums and jawbone. So most adults will find them suitable. Do note that if you have gum disease, smoke or have undergone radiotherapy in your jaw, it may mean that dental implants are not suitable right away.

The good news is that gum disease is treatable though, so a few trips to the dental hygienist may be all that’s required to improve your oral health sufficiently to have dental implants.

Some cases of dental implants can be completed in one day and this is known as same-day dentistry. Ask us if you want to find out if this is suitable for you.

5 Steps to Dental Implants

Step 1

Dental Implant Consultation

Before you make any final decision on whether you would like dental implants, we invite you to a 30-minute free dental implant consultation. It’s an opportunity to meet our friendly, expert team and for us to answer any questions you may have. We can talk you through the dental implant procedure and the cost. If necessary, we may take a quick x-ray at this time, so that we can advise you on all your options.

Step 1

Step 2

Preparing your treatment plan

Having had some thinking time after your initial consultation, come back in to meet your implantologist. It is now that a detailed examination of your mouth, teeth and gums is undertaken so a bespoke treatment plan along with timings can be presented to you. It may be the case at this stage that you require one or two appointments with our dental hygienist to ready your mouth for dental implants. It’s essential that your gums are healthy and your mouth clean before beginning treatment.

Step 2

Step 3

Placement of your Dental Implant

At your next appointment the procedure will begin and you will be put under local anaesthetic at the very least. We will check that you are comfortable and that the target area is numb so that you won’t feel any pain.

To secure the abutment in your jaw, your dentist will make a small hole in the bone. The abutment is what the dental crown will be fitted to.

To make the new porcelain tooth that will blend in perfectly with your other teeth, we will take a scan of your teeth to send to the laboratory.

Once this is complete you are good to go. It takes your jaw two to three months to heal around the abutment.

Step 3

Step 4

Fitting your new tooth

When your jaw is healed, we’ll set up another appointment so that your new dental crown can be fitted. It has been especially made for you and is pain free during the fitting, so there is no need for anaesthetic at this appointment.

Step 4

Step 5

Final check

All that is left to do is to have a follow-up appointment to ensure that the dental implant has been accepted into your mouth satisfactorily and that your jaw and gum have healed well.

Step 5

"I Love my New Smile!"

Dental Implants 3
5/5

Single Dental Implant Cost

£ 42 per month
  • Full Price £2,500
  • 60 payments of only £42
  • 36 payments of only £65
  • 12 payments of only £174

Double Dental Implant Cost

£ 62 per month
  • Full Price £3,500
  • 60 payments of only £62
  • 36 payments of only £96
  • 12 payments of only £258

Making your visit Comfortable

We have designed our dental practice to be modern, spacious, comfortable and welcoming.  And the positive feedback we get from our happy patients suggest we have met our goal. But please do drop by and see for yourself.

Dental implants can have a transformative effect on patients’ lives, and Ark-G Dental and Cosmetics Centre is one of the leading practices offering dental implants in Kent.

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We Remain Open

In light of the latest government announcement on the 4th January 2021, we will remain open during lockdown 3.0.

Our patient and staff safety is of the highest importance to us. We continue to follow strict protocols within the practice using the correct PPE.

If you have an appointment already booked, please attend as normal unless you or someone in your household is experiencing any Covid 19 symptoms, then please call us to rearrange.

If you have any urgent questions, please feel free to get in touch with our team who are always happy to answer any of your questions or concerns.