A Patient's Guide to Dental Implants

‘The Campbell Clinic exists to positively improve the lives of as many people as possible through the work that we do and the example we set.’

A dental implant is essentially a screw which is very carefully inserted into a patient’s jaw to allow connection to an artificial tooth/denture. At The Campbell Clinic, we use the Straumann Dental Implant system.

The vast majority of dental implants are metal (titanium) which is a similar technology to artificial hips and knees. Other materials can be used to manufacture dental implants, but these are rare and less well proven.

In essence, the dental implant is inserted carefully into the patient’s jaw and generally allowed to heal. Once the area has healed properly the clinician can attach a crown (a single tooth), a bridge (multiple teeth) or attachments for a denture which can include either a press stud, a custom constructed bar or even magnets in specific cases.

The dental implant itself remains under the gum and the piece that the patient sees is the artificial tooth/denture that is constructed.

Generally, between an implant and a crown there is a specific and often custom constructed device called an abutment which connects the two together.

Although dental implants can be a fantastic method for replacing missing teeth, they are not necessarily for everyone.

There are many options for replacing missing teeth for individual patients. These are generally bespoke (specifically to the individual) which is why it is so important to be assessed by a well-trained and experienced clinician to offer you all the possible options for treatment.

Generally, when a patient attends, they’re looking to replace the tooth. Although they may think that they wish to have a dental implant, it may be much more beneficial (and often less expensive) to provide another form of treatment if that is appropriate.

A full clinical assessment with a well-qualified and experienced practitioner is essential.

The placement of dental implant is a surgical procedure that falls within the discipline of oral surgery. As with all surgical procedures there can be some minor pain and discomfort associated with the surgery, which is generally well controlled with pain relief and the appropriate reassuring advice.

Although patients can become bruised and swollen following implant treatment, with the proper advice, instructions and excellent support from the clinical team after the procedure, these are generally straight forward procedures to undertake with excellent long-term results.

Multiple options exist where dental implant treatment is appropriate for an individual patient following a full clinician assessment.

Dental implants can be used to support single teeth (single implant crowns) or to support multiple teeth (dental implant bridges). It is rarely, if ever necessary, to replace individual teeth with individual implants.

Dental implants can also support or retain dentures using different designs including press studs and custom-designed bar restorations. It is also possible, in well-assessed cases to provide immediate dental implant placement for the replacement of individual teeth on the same day. This is most safely done for replacing all the teeth in one or two jars simultaneously.

Dental implants can be carried out under local anesthetic (freezing) or local anesthetic with intravenous sedation for patients who are more nervous or during larger cases.

The best way to assess your suitability for implant treatment is to discuss this with a well-qualified and experienced team. This can be discussed with a treatment coordinator in the first instance, but a full clinical assessment, taking into consideration your oral/dental health and overall medical health, together with your personal circumstances are required to decide whether you’re suitable for treatment.

Suitability for treatment then becomes a discussion between your clinician and yourself to assess the risks and benefits of the treatment overall.

It is rarely necessary in larger cases to place a single dental implant for each individual tooth. The number of implants required can be discussed with your clinician as all treatment should be an open and honest discussion between patient and clinician, discussing the risks and benefits associated.

If suitable for dental implant treatment the benefits can be huge. The ability to have a replacement of an individual tooth without wearing a denture can be massive for patients.

Being able to replace a tooth without cutting down teeth on either side of a gap to provide a bridge can afford excellent benefits for patients too.

The longevity of implants, if provided properly and looked after properly, is generally likely to out weight the longevity of any type of dental restoration. The security of dental implants, when done properly, is huge and can afford excellent functioning restorations over long periods of time.

Implant guarantees vary from provider to provider and around the UK. Dental implant guarantees of 1 year, following the time of implant placement, 5 years and 10 years are possible to access depending upon the type of implant practice and the type of treatment undertaken.

Each individual dental implant case for a patient is bespoke and no two cases are ever the same.

It is for this reason that it is very difficult to place an exact cost on an implant treatment before a patient is assessed. This is similar to asking “how much would it cost for an extension on my house?”. You would be required to see an architect and a builder to discuss what you would want before a price was able to be provided. In dental implant treatment, it is very much the same. Providers will be able to give you the cost of a dental implant with a crown associated, but diagnostic treatment, proprietary treatment, and potential bone grafting treatment are the requirements that will alter the cost depending on individual patients.

At The Campbell Clinic, we do also provide some slightly cheaper implants if you are deemed a suitable case for one of The Campbell Academy's dental implant courses.

This can be discussed fully with your clinical team.

Research shows that dental implants should be cared for very carefully by a well-qualified team following the provision of care. If you wish to retain your implants for a long period of time specific hygiene treatment, x-rays and oral health instruction should be carried out regularly following treatment; the frequency of this varies depending on individual patient requirements and the complexity of treatment provided.

There are many dental implants provided in Nottingham. When choosing a dental implant provider, it is wise to ask the following questions:

1. Which dental implant system do you use and why?
2. How many years have you been placing dental implants?
3. How many dental implants have you placed, both individually and as a team?
4. What do you suggest for aftercare for my implants?
5. Are my implants guaranteed?
6. What will happen if things go wrong? It is also important to ask your provider for dental implants how often the implant surgeon is available as many implant surgeons travel around the country to individual practices and are only there infrequently.