£995 dental implants

cdbe11

I have just returned from my NHS dentist after having had my main upper front tooth post crown re-cemented for the fourth time in a year. I realize now (I have to say probably due more to my own research on the web than anything the dentists have advised in the first three visits) that it is likely that the root is fractured. Brief history - tooth snapped as a child, crowned at 15, replaced at 32 (with longer post due to root decay), fine(although aesthetically not brilliant) till age 45 when stated regularly coming loose as detailed above. No other health/dental health issues, non smoker. At today's visit the dentist agreed that root fracture was likely, re-cemented it in with a stronger cement, advised that the prognosis was poor and I would need to consider options; principally a bridge (as I am an NHS patient).
I am an NHS patient for financial reasons, but believe that an implant would be a better option than a bridge - I am worried about the long term impact of having the healthy adjacent teeth crowned and any affect on the bone around the extraction. As the title suggests I am therefore potentially in the market for a £995 implant. Without broadcasting my financial situation this is pretty much my limit given that I expect this may be a starting point - but it is a lower starting point than my own dentist (their website states £100 consultation and from £1750). As a middle-aged man rather than a super model I am looking for something safe and functional (the two crowns I have lived with most of my adult life have not been perfect - the wrong shape, too long and slightly protruding in front of my adjacent teeth). I would be grateful for any advice/experience/recommendations about these "budget" implants, especially from those who have had one. I live in the Manchester area and am looking at the Poynton Dental Practice- they are on a groupon deal and are an NHS practice as well. Thanks, and while I would dearly love to "invest in my smile" and hope to be in a position to do so in the future, at the moment I really just need something that will work.

gregg1

cdbe11 wrote: »

I have just returned from my NHS dentist after having had my main upper front tooth post crown re-cemented for the fourth time in a year. I realize now (I have to say probably due more to my own research on the web than anything the dentists have advised in the first three visits) that it is likely that the root is fractured. Brief history - tooth snapped as a child, crowned at 15, replaced at 32 (with longer post due to root decay), fine(although aesthetically not brilliant) till age 45 when stated regularly coming loose as detailed above. No other health/dental health issues, non smoker. At today's visit the dentist agreed that root fracture was likely, re-cemented it in with a stronger cement, advised that the prognosis was poor and I would need to consider options; principally a bridge (as I am an NHS patient).
I am an NHS patient for financial reasons, but believe that an implant would be a better option than a bridge - I am worried about the long term impact of having the healthy adjacent teeth crowned and any affect on the bone around the extraction. As the title suggests I am therefore potentially in the market for a £995 implant. Without broadcasting my financial situation this is pretty much my limit given that I expect this may be a starting point - but it is a lower starting point than my own dentist (their website states £100 consultation and from £1750). As a middle-aged man rather than a super model I am looking for something safe and functional (the two crowns I have lived with most of my adult life have not been perfect - the wrong shape, too long and slightly protruding in front of my adjacent teeth). I would be grateful for any advice/experience/recommendations about these "budget" implants, especially from those who have had one. I live in the Manchester area and am looking at the Poynton Dental Practice- they are on a groupon deal and are an NHS practice as well. Thanks, and while I would dearly love to "invest in my smile" and hope to be in a position to do so in the future, at the moment I really just need something that will work.

I have just had a dental implant. I went through my dentist and it cost me £3,300 (although £500 of that was for a bone graft). Whilst I appreciate I could possibly have had mine done a little cheaper, I went with my dentist as I knew someone who had had an implant done with him and had excellent results.

i would suggest be very wary of anyone charging such a low price. It is a complicated procedure and I am not sure what they mean by a budget implant. An upper front tooth will cost more than a lower tooth so I suspect the lower starting point will possibly be higher when you actually start getting into it

sorry I can't be more help but I hope you get it sorted.

welshdent

Lots of practices are "NHS" but none of them are actually NHS in the sense you are probably thinking. i.e. we are ALL independent and just see patients on a contractual basis. So all the NHS do is agree a contract of money for X amount of dentistry. Unlike hospitals none of the practices are in any way owned by the NHS. It is in effect, a brand in the same way that someone may have a franchise for a larger company.

It is unlikely that you would get an implant for £995. That may pay for "the implant" but it wont cover the crown on top if it. If you needed 2 of them then it most certainly wont cover it. The components are close to that cost for the initial purchase price. Also indemnity for implants is now around £8000 a year and to do a decent training course will be upwards of £30000. Any dentist doing them at a loss wont be doing them very long. There is also long term maintenance. They are not place and forget about devices. They need more lookinug after than natural teeth in some instances. also Unless your own dentist has done courses in maintenance of implants it is unlikely they would be able to offer you this so you would need to see the person placing them for follow ups and hygiene care to it.
regards groupon. I am always suspicious of people offering a medical procedure on a sales website. I mean would you want someone to do a heart bypass on you if they were offering it on groupon?? (in an imaginary world of no NHS!). Surely you would want the best person doing it??" Cheap" can often be a false economy.

lisyloo

Check what the situation is with follow-on care.
welshdent can confirm but your own dentisit almost certainly won't touch it because of liabillity issues.

I've had some implants with my local dentist that I trust.
£2K a pop and I know they will look after me for on-going dental work.
The implants are great and I agree a much better solution than the bridge.

Toothsmith

Get an implant from a dentist you have been recommended to - do not get these thinks on price or 'deals'

I would go as far as to say that any dentist that needs to resort to Groupon can't be attracting enough patients via skill or reputation!

welshdent

speaking for myself I wont do anything with implants. If you start getting involved with them it doubles your indemnity (insurance) and I am only just shy of £4K a year as it is. Just not worth the hassle.

bobfromlondon

I am actually always impressed by the dentists who give their time to answering questionson this forum. Sometimes for no thanks. But on the subject of implant quality - given that success rate with implants is proportional to the number the dentist has done - I find it very difficult to identify the most experienced person to do the work. They all claim to be experts and specialists. If you can spot the chap who has done a few hundred implants then perhaps paying a bit more is worth it. But how?

Nile

bobfromlondon wrote: »

I am actually always impressed by the dentists who give their time to answering questionson this forum. Sometimes for no thanks. But on the subject of implant quality - given that success rate with implants is proportional to the number the dentist has done - I find it very difficult to identify the most experienced person to do the work. They all claim to be experts and specialists. If you can spot the chap who has done a few hundred implants then perhaps paying a bit more is worth it. But how?

Toothsmith gave good advice (as always) by saying 'Get an implant from a dentist you have been recommended to - do not get these thinks on price or 'deals'.



There is an expert in my region who has 'a referral service for restorative and implant dentistry, receiving referrals from colleagues throughout East Yorkshire.'


If you are referred by your dentist, you can ask your dentist these questions and be reassured that you are making the right choice.


If you live in East Yorkshire, send me a private message and I will give you the details of the expert I know.


Having dental implants on the cheap isn't something I'd risk. I'd want to know that my dentist (refers me) recommends an expert to ensure that I have the best dental care possible.


Regards


Nile

Toothsmith

bobfromlondon wrote: »

I am actually always impressed by the dentists who give their time to answering questionson this forum. Sometimes for no thanks. But on the subject of implant quality - given that success rate with implants is proportional to the number the dentist has done - I find it very difficult to identify the most experienced person to do the work. They all claim to be experts and specialists. If you can spot the chap who has done a few hundred implants then perhaps paying a bit more is worth it. But how?

Having an implant is an advanced dental proceedure.

It's not something to just run out and get because you fancy one - like a flat screen telly or a drone!

An implant needs just as good care, if not better, than a real tooth.

So, there needs to be a few things in place before you begin.

Primarily, you need to have good dental habits in place, and things like fresh decay and gum problems should all be things of the past. You should have good diet habits and good oral hygiene and be happily visiting a dentist and possibly hygienist who you trust and feel are well worth the money you pay them (Which might well be more than NHS fees!)

You should be confident that this team will know how to look after your new implant on an ongoing regular basis, and be able to quickly detect any problem and either fix it or refer you back to the specialist who provided it for him/her to look at again, before it becomes a major problem.

If you don't have a general dentist like this, then it should be something you should make as priority to find.

If you do have a dental team like that, then it is a really easy step just to ask them who they would recommend to provide the implant!

It's fine to get dental care on the cheap if that's all you want. Everyone has different priorities. But the cheap replacement for a missing tooth is a denture. Not an implant.

If you get an implant on the cheap, and don't look after it, it will fail spectacularly and be hugely expensive to get fixed, leaving you in a much worse condition than if you'd gone for a simpler option for tooth replacement (or left a gap!).

cdbe11

Thanks for the helpful replies, certainty food for thought. I mentioned that the practice in question was also NHS only as I assumed that this means they are at least real dentists!! It is one tooth I need (it's on its second crown in 30 years). I have a consultation, without commitment, next Friday but at a more local practice, again also NHS and around the £1000 headline price. I will ask him what's included; aftercare, warranty etc and how he does it for the money and report back. He is local enough for me to become an ongoing patient which should help with any future care issues.

Toothsmith

cdbe11 wrote: »

Thanks for the helpful replies, certainty food for thought. I mentioned that the practice in question was also NHS only as I assumed that this means they are at least real dentists!! It is one tooth I need (it's on its second crown in 30 years). I have a consultation, without commitment, next Friday but at a more local practice, again also NHS and around the £1000 headline price. I will ask him what's included; aftercare, warranty etc and how he does it for the money and report back. He is local enough for me to become an ongoing patient which should help with any future care issues.

Sounds sensible enough.