With more and more patients now seeking treatment overseas for dental implants we thought it would be a good idea to write a blog post about the cost of dental implants and replacing missing teeth.
The true cost of dental implant includes many factors which need to be taken into account before deciding where to go.
Our Hertfordshire-based dentist answers these rather technical and intricate questions in their latest blog post.
How is the cost of the dental implant made up?
The cost of a dental implant is made up of the following components:
- Your dental implants surgeon’s time in preparing all of the diagnostic stages, analytic stages and presurgery preparation work required.
- Training and education for the surgeon themselves and the surrounding terrain.
- The actual dental implant hardware components which are manufactured to exacting tolerances of thousandths of a millimetre.
- The final restoration of the dental implant in the form of the crown/bridge/denture which is fixed to the top of it.
- Postsurgical care to ensure that the healing and integration of the implant into the jaw is as required and comfortable.
- Post fitting dental implants care to ensure that not only the implant is working and healthy but that the surrounding bone and gum are also healthy, thereby reducing the chance of infections and disease in the long-term. This is ongoing care for the rest of your life, much as you would with natural teeth.
Each dental implant restoration is bespoke and custom made to you. Think about the use your dental implant will get, it will be in use 24/7, even when you are asleep many people grind their teeth is slightly, during this teeth grinding process your implant will be taking some load and working. Ensuring that your dental implant and care is of the highest quality will ensure that your implant lasts for many years to come making it a very worthwhile investment.
What is the exact cost of the dental implant?
This is a little like saying, ” How much is a car?” – the answer depends on which manufacturer, which model and which extra features? The same basic rule applies the dental implants. Because they are custom-made each individual, each individual will have a different cost. If you have little bone then you may be required to have bone augmentation or regeneration, if you have a complex clinical situation then a complex restorative option may be required involving more components and more time. All of this adds to the cost.
However, one can normally estimate the following costs to be around:
- £112 for an initial consultation with our oral surgeon. This will not be per tooth but would be the same if you are replacing a single to or all of your teeth with a dental implant.
- £1350 for the placement of a dental implant. To replace a single tooth you would need one implant, but, for example to replace 4 teeth you may only need 2 implants.
- £695 per tooth for the crown/bridge.
Here’s a typical example of a single tooth restoration cost and a multiple tooth restoration cost.
The cost of replacing one tooth*.
- Initial assessment £112
- dental implant placement £1350
- dental crown on top of the implant £695
- TOTAL – £2157
The cost of replacing 4 teeth*.
- Initial assessment £112
- dental implant placement £1350 X 2= £2700
- dental crowns on top of the implant £695 X 4=£2780
- TOTAL – £5592
The cost of replacing 4 teeth then actually works out at £1398 Per tooth, this reducing cost per tooth tends to increase the more teeth you have replaced.
We will also ensure that you have all of these costs and all of the alternatives provided after the initial consultation and before you go ahead with any other treatment, thereby ensuring you are fully informed of all of your options and costs at the beginning.
Can I go to another country for dental implants?
The simple answer this question is yes of course, you could travel abroad for dental implants, however let’s look at this rather tricky subject in a little more detail.
“If you’re considering dental treatment abroad, do your research and be aware of the potential risks.” – NHS CHOICES
As well as providing you with dental implants our dental practice in Watford, Hertfordshire also wants to look after your continuing dental health to ensure that you keep your teeth and actually don’t need to have any more implants in the future.
Having this continuity of care is extremely important and something you may not achieve if you have different dentists do different parts of your treatment.
“You may not get all the information or reassurance you would normally get from your dentist at home.” – PROF DAMIEN WALMSEY
Consider what the NHS website says About going abroad for your dental treatment.
This is backed up by Damien Walmsley, professor of restorative dentistry at the University of Birmingham.
Here is a list of questions that the General Dental Council recommend you consider before going abroad for any form of dental implant treatment.
1. Who will be carrying out my treatment and what qualifications do they have?
An extremely important aspect with dental implants is that you trust your dental implants surgeon. The first stage in this process is getting to know them and ensuring that you like them. This is why an initial assessment with a local dentist, such as our practice in Watford, is important. You need to have someone you can pop in to see, Get to know and ask questions of.
Dentists in the United Kingdom also required to register with the General Dental Council. This gives a level of protection to the general public and ensures that any specialists are also registered. Dental implants are often placed by specialists in periodontics, this is a person that has undergone extensive postgraduate masters level education in managing the gum and bone in your mouth. These periodontist is often perform gum surgery and understand the anatomy of your mouth exceptionally well.
They can also manage the aesthetic contouring of your gum around the dental implant to ensure you get the best looking result at the end. The question to ask now is, we get this same level of trust and education if you go to visit a dentist overseas?
2. Does your dental practice have many reviews from patients that have had dental implants?
Looking for reviews and testimonials on a dental implant website, and indeed in the practice itself, will give you a clear picture as to the quality and assurance provided by your chosen practice. Here is a list of useful links:
3. Is the dentist which will place my implants and the practice that I am going to attend registered and regulated?
Practising dentist’s in the UK must register with the General Dental Council (GDC), the GDC say “We set and maintain standards in UK dentistry. Your dental professional must be registered and must continue to meet our expectations throughout their careers. We can take action if they do not.”
Individual dental practices must also register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and be subjected to regular checks. CQC policies also mean that the practice must have had complaints procedures, cross infection control procedures and many other things designed to help you be assured that the practice you are dealing with is regulated and registered.
If you do decide to travel abroad you need to ensure that your dentist is registered and regulated by organisations such as we are in the UK. You must also check the validity of those organisations to ensure that their regulation and registration processes are worth anything!
4. If I’m not happy with the results of my dental implants who pays the costs in travelling abroad to rectify them?
Whilst we endeavour to ensure that your dental implant is correct the first time, it is a precision piece of engineering and inevitably there may be small tweaks and changes to get it looking perfect in the final stages. Our dental technician works just around the corner from our practice in Watford which means that they can easily visit you whilst you are with us. Visiting a local dentist also means that any return appointments for final adjustments keep the cost to you as low as possible.
Imagine if you had a dental implant overseas and had incurred costs of flights and hotels and when you went to have a dental implant fitted you were not quite happy with the result? Who would pay for you to travel back again once adjustments have been made? Or would you simply have to accept whatever was provided for you if you weren’t 100% happy?
The beauty of using a local dentist who in turn uses a local dental laboratory is that these airfares and hotel costs are eradicated, thereby actually reducing the overall cost of the dental implant.
5. What complaints system you have in place and where can I see a copy of it?
Part of compliance with the CQC, which is compulsory in the UK, is to have a robust complaints procedure. This ensures that you have the means to complain to your dentist if things don’t go right, they then have an obligation to follow-up this complaint. The CQC audit these complaints in the UK and ensure that the procedures are strictly adhered to. If you travel abroad for your dental implants will you get the same level of compliance? Who is going to monitor any complaints? Who will ensure that any complaints are followed up? Here is our full audit with the CQC.
*Not to be taken as an exact cost or an estimate, this is for guidance purposes only and individual treatment prices may vary considerably depending on your clinical situation.
A graduate of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Dental school, Dr Padayachy has been a dentist at the award winning Senova Dental Studios in Watford since 1998 focusing on comprehensive restorative and cosmetic dentistry.
Jay has previously been the president of The London Dental Fellowship.
He has been a member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry since its inception and serves on the Credentialing committee. Jay has lectured widely on all aspects of cosmetic dentistry, dental photography and comprehensive care.
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