Dental Implants

What is it?
An implant is a fantastic way to replace missing teeth and give you back a good smile and better chewing and speech. It is an artificial tooth root made of titanium. It can be used to hold a crown replacing a single tooth, to support a bridge, or to anchor a denture. We have good experience in all of these applications.

What are the benefits?

Confidence to smile wide again without gaps showing or your denture falling out!
Enjoy your food again – whatever you choose to eat
Improved speech
Looks and feels perfectly natural
Keeps you looking youthful by preserving the structure of your face and preventing the caved in look
Slows down bone loss and shrinkage of the jaw bone
Improved comfort – can eliminate need for bulky denture base fighting for space with your tongue, rubbing on soft gums, getting food trapped beneath, the need for adhesive, movement of the dentures
Preserves nearby healthy tooth tissue
Can anyone have implants?
There must be enough bone to support the implant. Our implant surgeon will assess the amount and quality of the bone, usually with a CT scan, and discuss options. We can often add bone where there isn't quite enough.

Why come to us for your implants?
Dr Kevin has undergone specialist training in this area and as always works to meticulous standards
We use an implant company which is one of the top 5 companies in the world, thus ensuring manufacturing quality, reliability and backup are extremely high.

The surgical procedure is carried out by one of a few colleagues who are highly trained internationally and who have extensive experience. Dr McKelvey will then fit the crown or bridge on top of the implant.

How long do they last?
Due to the high reliability and quality concerned our implants are expected to last a life time if they are well looked after. Obviously though they can still be damaged by trauma or poor oral hygiene. Implants carry a 95% success rate which is directly related to the quality and quantity of the bone, the patient's oral hygiene, the skill of the dentist fitting them and the quality of implant used.

How long does it take?
This varies for individual cases, but generally 4-6 months start to finish is a good guide.

Will it hurt?
The fitting of the implants is done under local anaesthetic. You won't feel anything during the procedure, but as there are a few stitches it may be a bit uncomfortable later on, but paracetamol or ibuprofen will control this.

What can I expect to pay?
How long is a piece of string? Because there are so many varying applications this is a difficult question to give a precise answer to—we have provided treatments from £2,000 to £30,000. Your individual treatment plan is estimated before you proceed.

What next?
If you are interested to find out more, why not give us a call and arrange to come in for a chat to get some more detailed information specific to your needs.