With over 30% of adults in the UK living with tooth decay, and around 74% with missing teeth, there are now millions of people turning to dental implants – rather than dentures – to resolve their dental situations.
As long-term, optimal solutions for missing, broken or rotting teeth, dental implants can provide patients with a prosthetic tooth on a dental implant or full jaw treatments, where a bridge of teeth are placed on a precision-engineered bridge and fixed into place with dental implants.
With a large choice available on the UK market today, it’s important that you do your research to ensure you pick the right solution for you. So, let’s take a look at all you need to know about dental implants.
Types of dental implants
Providing stability and stimulating bone growth, dental implants come in many forms, including singular teeth. Ideal for those who have one missing tooth but don’t want a gap, singular dental implants are on a titanium screw, which is then implanted into the jaw.
Multiple dental implants are ideal if you have more than one, adjacent missing tooth, as they can be placed on just one implant. This way you can eradicate any gaps in one, simple step. In the case of both singular and multiple dental implants, you can have them colour matched to the rest of your teeth.
Implant-supported bridges are ideal if you have a whole section of teeth missing or failing, either through gum disease or injury. An implant-supported bridge is an arch – or a bridge – of prosthetic teeth, which can be fixed with just one dental implant into the jaw.
Smile-in-a-day dental implants – otherwise known as all-on-four – are ideal if you are missing quite a few teeth. Available as either bottom or top jaw (or both), there are dental experts, such as EvoDental, who specialise in using up to six implants to secure smile-in-a-day dental implants.
In addition to these types of dental implants, it is also possible to have implant-retained dentures. As suggested, this is when dentures are held in place by dental implants, which makes them more effective than normal dentures as they deliver more stability to the wearer.
Who is suitable?
If you’re wondering if you are suitable for dental implants, then the chances are you will be. Even if you wear dentures or have been told that dentures are your only option by your dentist, you could be an ideal candidate for dental implants.
As long as you are fit enough to undergo oral or extraction surgery and you have missing, failing or rotten teeth, then make enquiries with the dentist of your choice, to deem your suitability.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
So, once you’ve made the decision to have dental implants and you have booked in for the procedure with your dentist, what can you expect the benefits to be?
- Provides you with a mouth of fully-functioning teeth, giving you the confidence to smile and eat what you want
- Restores facial appearance – often with missing teeth, you start to lose the bone in your jaw, which slackens the muscles around your mouth. Dental implants stimulate bone growth, therefore restoring the aesthetics around your jaw
- Improves oral health – any pre-existing gum disease can be eradicated by having dental implants, although it is extremely important to care for your dental implants with regular flossing and daily brushing
- Cost-effective – having dental implants can remove the need for any future dental work, such as bridges and crowns, so the initial investment for the implants is more than worth it
- Durable and long-lasting – if looked after properly, dental implants can last for decades, without losing any efficacy
How much do dental implants cost?
Of course, how much you pay for dental implants depends on how many implants you need.
Single tooth implants can cost anywhere between £1,500 and £3,600 per implant, and multiple dental implants are also costed on the price of a single tooth implant, with a discount depending on how many you require.
Implant-supported bridges cost somewhere between £4,000 and £12,000, whereas implant-retained dentures average between £10,000 and £16,000 for a full mouth. And all-on-four dental implants average somewhere between £11,000 and £24,000.
If you think that dental implants are a great option for you, then make sure you always do your research. You can ring any dental clinics near you to find out what they offer and even attend the consultations on offer – many of which are completely free of charge.
