What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is a titanium cylinder which is attached to the jaw bone. It allows single or multiple teeth to be attached to replace those which have been damaged or removed. They are not new or experimental.

Is a dental implant suitable for everyone?

Most patients can be treated with a dental implant. Providing growth has stopped, age is not a factor. The oldest patient I have placed an implant for was 84 years old. Available bone heights and widths will be measured assisted by x-rays and study casts. We have an in-house CT scanner. If bone widths and heights are borderline, further scanning x-rays will be taken. We may still be able to treat you using graft augmentation, but we will discuss this with you at your consultation.

I am considering an implant. Where do I start?

Contact us and we will arrange an initial consultation for you. We will discuss the options with you, then carry out a thorough assessment of your needs and your oral health. A full recommendation will be drawn up and you can ask any questions you have before proceeding. In the meantime, why not read Jonathan Ziff's patient-friendly ebook about dental implants?

What does the treatment involve?

Following your consultation, we will book an appointment for your treatment. This will be to place the implant. It can take Jonathan Ziff as little as 20 minutes to place a new implant,as his experience is vast. The treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic. Depending on a number of factors, such as where the implant is being placed and whether another tooth has just been extracted, it may be possible to add the new tooth or teeth to the implant on the same day. In most cases, a healing time of between two and six months is recommended to allow the implant to settle into the jaw, before the tooth is attached. Temporary crowns and caps can be used during the healing period to improve the appearance until the treatment is completed.

How many implants will I need?

This varies according to the size of the space involved and the number and length of implants that can be placed. A single missing tooth requires one implant and three missing teeth require two implants (a bridge). A full upper denture replacement requires five to eight implants and a lower denture is replaced with four to five implants to provide bridges. We will discuss our recommendations with you during your consultation and will produce a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs.

Is having an implant painful?

While the placement of an implant is a surgical procedure, we do all we can to keep any discomfort to a minimum. Local anaesthetic is used to numb the area being treated. Additional sedative techniques, such as a medicated drink or intravenous sedation, can also be used to reduce any apprehension. The procedure does not take long – from 20 minutes for a single implant to one hour for multiple placements – so is comparable to other dental treatments.

Will it be painful afterwards?

There may be some swelling and discomfort for two to three days immediately after the treatment. This is controlled with effective painkillers prescribed by the dentist. Patients rarely experience prolonged discomfort. The oral tissues heal very rapidly, and the implants are placed gently which encourages rapid healing.

How long will my implants last?

A very long time! Dental implants are not new. The first implants were done in the early 1970s in Sweden and most of the patients still have their implants today, almost 50 years on. Years of research have resulted in success rates of 95% and there is no reason to suspect this will not continue. In fact, the newer implant surfaces are raising the prognoses for implants in patients with softer bone, grafted bone and in patients who smoke – all areas where success rates have been less predictable in the past.

How much will it cost?

Each case is different, so the cost of each treatment will be calculated according to the patient's needs. However, the following can be used as a general guide:
Single implant with crown from £2,500
Three-tooth bridge on two implants from £4,800
Full lower denture replacement with four to five implants from £9,000
Clip down dentures from £4,500
Full upper denture replacement with six implants from £11,000
Denture replacement with a fixed acrylic option from £13,000
Your full initial assessment will be £85, including the necessary x-rays for bone measurement to decide on your suitability for implants. Additional diagnostics such as a Ct scan will be required for most cases at £120, direct bone measurements and study models may also be required. Following the assessment, you will receive a full written treatment plan outlining exactly what we recommend and what the costs will be.

Are there any new treatments available that might be better for me?

Implant dentistry is one of the most widely research and successful parts of modem dentistry. We keep up with the latest developments to offer our patients the best possible treatments. However, we are also careful to use only those procedures which have been thoroughly researched and are backed up by high quality, multi-centre studies. This means the treatments we offer to our patients are reliable and will last for many years.

Why should I choose Jonathan Ziff?

Jonathan Ziff has placed and restored thousands of dental implants over the course of more than two decades. Jonathan has attended a vast amount of post graduate educational courses throughout Europe and America, studying with leading implantologists. Our practice is a teaching centre for dental implants, where dentists attend to learn from Jonathan about the placement and restoration of dental implants. He is amongst Dentsply leading implant users and is part of their teaching programme, demonstrating, lecturing and teaching the use of their implant system.

Patients can therefore be confident that they will receive a high level of implant care from a leading expert in the field.

What next?

An implant consultation can be arranged by telephone at either of our two centres:
Coalville 01530 832392
Oadby 0116 2714792

or email : Irdpcoalville@gmail.com
To see a map of our centres, click here.