Dental implants: when they are the answer

What a dental implant is

A dental implant is a titanium or ceramic cylinder that we place in the jawbone where the missing tooth root used to be. Once it has healed we attach a crown to it, which replaces the original tooth in both shape and function.

Unlike a bridge, an implant does not require the neighbouring teeth to be ground down — it stands on its own and transfers load directly into the bone, much as a natural root does.

When an implant is recommended

An implant is an option for the loss of a single tooth, of several teeth in a row, and also as an anchor for a removable denture that otherwise will not stay put.

The most common reasons patients consider an implant:

• a missing tooth, without wanting to grind down healthy neighbouring teeth for a bridge
• an unstable removable denture that moves when eating or speaking
• a tooth missing for a long time, where the bone is gradually receding

How the examination and the procedure itself work

The first step is an implantology consultation together with an assessment of the bone — with us it is free. A 3D X-ray for 40 € can be added to it, which shows the height and thickness of the bone more precisely than a conventional X-ray.

We place the implant itself under local anaesthetic. A healing period then follows, during which the implant bonds firmly with the bone — it usually takes several months, and its length depends on the particular situation in the mouth. Only then do we fit the abutment and the crown.

Differences between implant systems

We work with two systems: a MegaGen implant costs 350 € with us and a Straumann implant 650 €. The difference in price reflects above all the manufacturer, the material and the surface treatment of the implant, not a different course of the procedure. We charge for the crown and the abutment separately — a zirconia crown on an implant is 350 €, and the abutment that joins the implant to the crown is 150 €.

Which system suits a given case is a question for the consultation — it depends on the state of the bone and on where in the mouth the tooth is missing.

When an implant is not suitable, and what if it fails

An implant is not automatically suitable for everyone — too little bone, uncontrolled general illnesses or heavy smoking can reduce how successful it is. In such cases we deal with the cause first, or else look for another solution, for example a bridge or a removable denture.

If an implant cannot be kept for any reason, it can be removed — explantation of an implant costs 180 € with us. It is a rare step, but a routinely manageable one.

Whether an implant is the answer in your case can only be shown by an examination in person with an X-ray or 3D scan.