Losing a tooth can be pretty traumatic, often having a major impact on both your looks and confidence. Luckily, dental implants can provide an excellent solution, with a permanent and natural-looking tooth replacement to help restore your smile. A small titanium screw is implanted into the jawbone, and once the metal and bone have fused, a porcelain crown is placed on top for a secure and long-lasting solution.
Dental implants go beyond the remit of most other cosmetic treatments. This type of procedure involves specialised surgery, which requires the expertise of an implantology expert. Given the skill level involved and the time it can take for the osseointegration (fusing) process to come to fruition, dental implants are a major investment of your time and money.
This makes it vital to understand the cost of dental implants before committing to going ahead with such a treatment. Various factors can influence the cost of a dental implant procedure, including your dentist’s experience level, the number of implants required, and whether a bone graft is needed to strengthen your jaw’s bone density.
Keep reading to learn more about the cost of dental implants and why your budget alone should not be the defining factor when choosing the right dentist for you.
What Are Dental Implants, And Why Are They A Popular Tooth Replacement Option?
Dental implants act as strong, secure, and permanent replacements if you are unlucky enough to lose a tooth. Whether through a sporting injury, tooth decay, or old age, many of us will lose a tooth or several teeth during our lifetimes. Losing a tooth or teeth can impact your bite, facial features and self-esteem. But dental implants can plug that gap (quite literally!) by providing a natural, looking and long-lasting replacement tooth.
So What Exactly Is A Dental Implant?
Well, a dental implant typically consists of the implant itself, which is a small titanium screw, a porcelain crown (essentially a man-made tooth) and an abutment post that joins the two together. Dental implants have become increasingly popular in recent years because they provide a tooth replacement solution that is far more secure and comfortable than removable dentures, for example.
Essentially, dental implants are the closest thing to having your tooth back.
What Factors Can Affect The Cost Of Dental Implants?
Various factors can affect the overall cost of dental implants, including the following:
The Number Of Dental Implants Needed
Of course, the most obvious cost factor is the number of dental implants you need. A single dental implant starts from £2,400 here at Ollie & Darsh, which you can use as your baseline figure to multiply upwards according to your needs.
If you need to replace a full arch of teeth, our All-On-4® dental implants offer an economical ‘best of both worlds’ solution, with a full dental bridge, supported by just four dental implants, starting in the region of £X.
The Type Of Dental Implants
The type of dental implants you choose will affect the cost. There are several types available, including:
- Endosteal – These are the most common variety, featuring the screw-like implant, abutment and crown.
- Subperiosteal – These sit above the jawbone but under the gum tissue, ideal for lower bone densities.
- Zygomatic – This rarer type of implant is placed in the cheekbone rather than the usual jawbone.
- All-On-4® – This system provides a full dental bridge, supported using just four endosteal implants.
Dental implants are also made up of specialised parts. High-grade titanium, zirconia, gold or stainless steel may be used for the implant itself (which essentially mimics the root of a tooth) and abutment post. These metals are chosen for their excellent biocompatibility, durability and corrosion resistance.
The crown is handmade to fit the exact dimensions of the gap and is colour-matched to the surrounding teeth – so making crowns is a bit of an art form in its own right.
Your Dentist’s Experience And Qualifications
Your dentist’s experience and qualifications will likely be a major part of the fee. Dentists specialising solely in implants carry out hundreds, if not thousands of implant procedures each year, honing their expertise and dealing with every case imaginable.
With such an in-depth and specialised surgical treatment, you want to ensure you are getting the best possible care available, as this can make or break the success of your implant and prove invaluable if anything were to go wrong.
The Density Of Your Jawbone
The chewing and biting that our teeth perform daily help stimulate bone growth and maintain the density of the jawbone. However, certain factors can negatively impact that process, with missing teeth being the major culprit. No tooth root means no jawbone stimulation, which can lead to jaw deterioration in that area (and surrounding areas if left untreated).
Other risk factors for bone loss include chronic gum disease, trauma, misalignment, certain medical conditions (such as osteoporosis), and smoking. If your X-rays reveal some bone loss, then it might be necessary to perform a bone graft to rebuild the density of your jawbone.
Naturally, this process takes time and skill, adding to the overall cost.
Are There Any Additional Costs Like Consultations Or Follow-Up Appointments?
Here at Ollie & Darsh, your initial consultation is always free. So you will have the opportunity to speak with the team about the procedure, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of what is involved.
Some additional costs to consider include the price of X-rays and the multiple clinic visits required to install the implant, place the abutment and replace the crown. Not to mention hygiene sessions and aftercare medication.
Are Dental Implants The Most Cost-Effective Tooth Replacement Treatment?
This is an interesting question…
Are dental implants the cheapest tooth replacement treatment? No. Cheaper alternatives exist, such as dental bridges and dentures. However, dental implants are the most effective method for replacing missing teeth.
So while there are various options to suit all budgets, the cost of dental implants is worth the investment if you want a long-term, secure and convenient solution to missing teeth.
How Much Are Dental Implants, And How Do Similar Treatments Compare In Cost?
As we mentioned earlier, our dental implants typically start from £2,400 per implant. In comparison, we can provide partial or full dentures from £1,100, while our dental bridges (which use the surrounding natural teeth for support through neighbouring crowns and a replacement ‘pontic’ tooth to fill the gap) start from £695.
Book Your Free Consultation With Ollie & Darsh Today
We hope this blog has given you a better idea about the cost of dental implants – what is involved with a dental implant procedure and how much you should budget for such a treatment. While dental implants are a major investment, they are the premier tooth replacement method, helping to restore confidence and reduce the likelihood of bone loss.
Of course, we appreciate that the cost of dental implants can seem prohibitive at first glance. But when you have undergone the trauma of losing a tooth, the last thing you want is to feel priced out of finding the ideal solution. This is why we offer 0% finance on all our dental implant treatments, with a range of interest-free dental plans that can help you to spread the cost of your dental implants over 10, 12 or even 24 months.
If you have lost a tooth or several teeth, and think dental implants might be a good fit for you, don’t delay. Get in touch with the friendly and knowledgeable team at our award-winning Liverpool clinic, and we will be only too happy to discuss your options and help restore your smile to its former glory.
For more information about dental implants or to book your free consultation, please feel free to contact us on our website or call 0151 236 6578.