Over 7% of adults in the UK have at least one missing tooth. Some don’t even have any natural teeth at all. In these situations, dental implants are the best way for them to restore the natural appearance and functionality of their teeth.
Dental implants are a permanent tooth replacement procedure where a dentist surgically inserts a small titanium post into your jawbone to replace the root that supported your missing tooth. This titanium post will now support the new artificial tooth you will receive from a particular dental prosthesis, such as a denture, bridge, or crown.
Although the initial dental implant surgery may seem scary, people like it because the post eventually fuses to the jawbone to establish a durable and stable foundation that supports the artificial tooth. You can also get dental implants to help replace multiple teeth if necessary.
The Costs of Dental Implant Surgery
One of the biggest concerns about dental implant surgery is the cost. People assume it will be an expensive procedure since it involves surgery.
The cost ultimately depends on the location of the dentist and the number of implants needed. It will cost much less if you only need one implant to support one artificial tooth rather than multiple implants for your entire mouth. The other factor affecting the cost is whether you need additional dental treatments or services, such as bone grafts that replace damaged bone tissue.
Overall, the average single-tooth dental implant procedure costs between £1,500 and £3,000. This price should cover everything from the insertion of the titanium post to the artificial crown or tooth. Remember that you may need to pay for numerous surgical consultations, imaging scans, and post-surgery checkups.
What about those who need to replace a full arch of teeth on the top or bottom of their mouth? On average, a full top or bottom arch implant will cost between £12,000 and £14,000, or about £26,000 for both arches.
Again, every dental office sets its prices. The best thing to do is request an initial consultation with your nearest dental office and find out more information, including the estimated cost of their dental implant surgical service.
The Benefits of Dental Implant Surgery
There are many legitimate reasons to replace missing natural teeth with artificial ones. After all, living with missing teeth can negatively impact your appearance and how well you speak and chew food. Worst of all, leaving a gap between your teeth for too long will cause your gums to shrink, ultimately changing the shape of your face and the alignment of your teeth.
Here are the top benefits of receiving dental implant surgery to avoid these issues:
1) Maintain Your Natural Appearance
Dental implant surgery will preserve your jawbone health and gum mass to prevent misaligned teeth or jawbone. In fact, the dental implant will increase the growth and density of your jawbone to ensure you do not lose any bone mass. The sooner you receive the surgery, the better your chance of saving your bone.
2) Restore the Full Function of Your Mouth
Your dental implants will help you do everything that your natural teeth allow you to do, such as talk and eat. You’ll be able to chew your food without any problems, just like you did with your natural teeth before you lost them. Also, your voice will no longer sound unusual or distorted once your new artificial teeth are inserted.
3) Long-Lasting Results
Dental implants can support your artificial teeth, crown, or dentures for at least 20 years or longer with basic maintenance and care. However, if you don’t use implants for your crowns or dentures, their lifespan won’t last longer than 10 years before replacement. Plus, the crowns and dentures are much more likely to slip and become loose if they remain unsupported by permanently implanted posts.
What to Expect During the Procedure
A dental implant procedure is not a quick process. It may take a couple of months or more to perform all the necessary preliminary steps before the dental implant surgery occurs.
Here is a basic rundown of all the steps involved before, during, and after the dental implant procedure:
1) The Initial Consultation and Assessment
The first step is to make an appointment for a consultant and dental assessment with a licensed dentist in your area. They will comprehensively evaluate your oral health by examining your teeth up close and using X-rays and 3D scans to analyze the condition of your roots and bones. Based on the results, the dentist will provide an estimated price for the dental implant procedure that you need.
2) Preparatory Dental Procedures
Some patients may need a tooth extraction and/or bone grafting before receiving their dental implants. A tooth extraction is where the dentist removes an existing damaged or decayed tooth before replacing it with an artificial one. A bone graft replaces damaged bone tissue to ensure your jawbone is strong enough to support the implants.
The recovery time of such procedures can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Of course, if you’re lucky enough not to need either one, your dental implant surgery date will come much sooner.
3) Bespoke Dental Design
The dentist will create bespoke crowns and dentures to match your missing natural teeth as closely as possible. The objective is to restore your voice, appearance, and chew functionality to satisfy your health needs and personal requirements.
4) Dental Implant Surgery
When your mouth fully heals from any preliminary procedures, you will be ready to receive the primary dental implant surgery. The dentist will administer a local anesthetic to numb your jawbone so you don’t feel anything. For more complex implant surgeries, they may choose to administer general anesthesia to put you in a sleep-like state during the entire procedure.
5) Recovery Period
Your dental implants may take about 3 to 6 months to integrate completely into your jawbone. In the meantime, the dentist may give you temporary teeth for eating and talking until you are ready to receive the permanent crown or denture placement.
6) Crown or Denture Placement
When your jawbone has fully healed from the implant surgery, you will be ready to receive a permanent fixture of your crown or dentures onto the implanted titanium posts. After that, you should be able to return to your typical daily activities after a few days. Your dentist will advise you further on this.
Conclusion
Dental implants in the UK are a permanent solution to replace one or more missing teeth with artificial ones. Not only will it restore your smile, voice, and chewing ability, but it will also improve your confidence and oral health. That will have a profound impact on your quality of life moving forward.
