Cost Of Dental Implants

So you need a dental implant and need to know some details about the cost of dental implants. Your dentist has told you all the advantages of how dental implants are the best solution for replacing a missing or damaged tooth. You go over all the benefits and advantages of dental implants, how long the treatment takes and  finally the overall cost of the dental implants treatment !!

The cost of dental implants can vary from dentist to dentist but it is important to understand some differences between the cost of dental implants. The costs can vary greatly and it is important to understand the basics of what an implant is and what you are paying for.

What is a dental implant?

Right first of all lets make this real simple. We are going to describe a simple scenario of having just one single tooth missing like an upper front tooth missing. To add to the simplicity lets consider that you have had this tooth missing for at least one year and simply have a gap in the area. ( ie no tooth present )

In order to replace the tooth you will need an implant, an abutment (optional) and a crown. The complete cost of dental implants in the UK will start from £995 for dental clinics in the UK.

However the price does vary as the treatment available for such a scenario can vary greatly from one clinic to the other.

Why does the cost of dental implants vary between clinics?

Operating costs

Some clinics will offer premium implant brands which are more expensive than other implant brands. Price does not always equate to quality and the type of implant used will not usually affect the success overall of an implant. In other words a poorly skilled surgeon placing ‘expensive’ implants will not be saved by better implants.

Complexity of treatment

Is there sufficient bone for implant placement. Before carrying out dental implant surgery it is very important to make sure that there is enough volume for an implant to fit properly in the area where a tooth is needed. A CT scan will allow the surgeon to measure accurately the exact height, width and thickness of bone available for an implant to be placed safely. If there is insufficient bone, a grafting procedure may be required. This will add to the overall cost of dental implants treatment.

Abutment or no abutment?

Is an abutment going to be used. Some dentists prefer always to use an abutment in order to make the connection between the implant and the crown above the gum tissue. An abutment in principle will allow for simpler impression taking and in cases of some implant designs will lead to less bone loss. It is sometimes possible to attach an abutment at the time of surgery and this will prevent bone loss in the appointments that follow as the abutment will not be removed and replaced more times than is necessary. Some dentists may prefer to use no abutment at all. This can be due to cost savings however this is not always the best solution as it can lead to bone loss around the head of the implant. Not using an abutment will reduce the overall cost of dental implants treatment.
Type of abutment. There are different types of materials. Pre-fabricated abutments can be purchased in different heights and widths and tend to be cheaper than customised abutments. The material of abutment also plays a role in abutment costs. For example there are some materials like Zirconia which are used for certain cases where aesthetics is particularly important like anterior teeth. Zirconia abutments tend to be more costly than titanium abutments.  The materials used will affect the overall cost of dental implants.

Provisional crown

Will a provisional crown be made? It is recommended that a provisional or temporary crown be made before the final crown is finalised. The provisonal crown will allow the dentist, technician and patient to see the effect of how the new implant crown is going to look like. The provisional crown will also help the surrounding gum tissues to grow around the provisional crown and form a neat shape around the crown that resembles a natural tooth contour. Provisional crowns will provide a better end result! Even though a provisional crown will add to the over cost of dental implants, the result will be far superior.

Materials

Material of final implant crown. Again the material of the final crown will affect the cost of dental implants. The most affordable type of crown which can be used on a dental implant is a porcelain bonded to metal crown. This type of crown has been used for many years and is generally strong and hard wearing. Zirconia crowns are more expensive and can provide a better aesthetic result than porcelain fused to metal crowns since they contain no metal. Zirconia crowns are metal free and extremely biocompatible with the tissues.

Practice overheads

Some dental clinics will charge more as they are located in different geographic areas for example overheads in central london are more expensive than Inverness? The overal cost of dental implants will vary in different parts of the country.

 Some facts about dental implants in the UK

Question – Cost of dental implants NHS?

Answer – Dental implants are not available on the NHS in general dental practice. There are certain cases where dental implants are provided in training dental hospitals for patients that have been affected by oral cancers or trauma. Patients that are also born without teeth may be treated by this way.

Question – Cost of dental implants abroad?

Answer – Many patients travel abroad for dental implant treatment. There are many clinics abroad that offer more affordable dental implant treatment compared to prices in the UK. More recently dental implant prices have come down. Brighton Implant Clinic is an example of such a clinic which offers affordable dental implants.

Question – What is the approximate cost of dental implants.

Answer – Dental implants in the UK start from £995 per tooth. Brighton implant clinic offers a full dental implant for £995. This includes the price of the titanium implant, an abutment and the final porcelain ceramic crown.

Question – What is the cost of full dental implants?

Answer – In order to replace a full arch of missing teeth it is not necessary to replace each missing tooth with an individual implant. It is common practice that a minimum number of four implants are needed to replace a full arch of missing teeth. More implants can be used if there is sufficient bone. Usually the maximum number of implants needed to replace a full arch of missing teeth are 8.

For more information read about the cost of dental implants at our website