Dental Implants

A dental implant is a small titanium post placed into the jaw, where it acts as an artificial tooth root. Once it has integrated with the surrounding bone, it supports a custom porcelain crown designed to feel and function like a natural tooth. Implants can replace a single tooth, several teeth, or support a full arch of fixed teeth, and they are widely regarded as the modern benchmark for tooth replacement. At our Wimpole Street practice, every stage — from planning to placement to the final crown — is delivered in-house by our experienced implant team.

If you are researching dental implants in London, the most important first step is an honest suitability assessment. Most healthy adults with reasonable bone volume and stable gum health are candidates. Where bone has shrunk after an extraction, grafting or ridge augmentation can often rebuild it, though this adds time and cost. Smoking reduces implant success rates and slows healing, so we will discuss this frankly; many patients use implant treatment as motivation to cut down or stop. Well-controlled diabetes is not usually a barrier, but poorly controlled diabetes and untreated gum disease both increase the risk of complications, so these are addressed first.

Your journey begins with a comprehensive one-hour implant consultation (£80) at our Marylebone practice, near Harley Street. This includes a full clinical examination and, where appropriate, a 3D CBCT scan — a low-dose cone beam scan that maps your bone in three dimensions, showing its height, width and density as well as the position of nerves and sinuses. From this we plan the implant position digitally before any treatment starts, which supports precise, carefully considered placement and helps us anticipate whether grafting will be needed.

Placement itself is a planned surgical procedure carried out under local anaesthetic, usually taking around an hour for a single implant. With modern anaesthesia, most patients report far less discomfort than they expected — commonly comparing it favourably with an extraction — and any tenderness afterwards is typically manageable with over-the-counter pain relief for a few days. Sedation can be discussed for anxious patients. In many cases a temporary tooth can be provided so you are not left with a visible gap while you heal.

After placement, the implant is left to fuse with your jawbone in a biological process called osseointegration. This typically takes 3–6 months, though timescales vary with bone quality, the site in the mouth and individual healing. Once your dentist confirms the implant is stable, a connector called an abutment is fitted and a digital impression is taken. Your final crown is then crafted by a skilled UK laboratory in porcelain matched carefully to your neighbouring teeth, and fitted at a short, comfortable appointment.

Materials and technology matter in implant dentistry. We use reputable, well-documented implant systems in medical-grade titanium — a material with decades of research behind it — together with 3D CBCT planning, digital impressions and laboratory-made ceramic restorations. Choosing an established system also protects you long term: components and compatible parts remain available if your restoration ever needs maintenance years from now.

Treatment starts from £2,950 including the implant, abutment and crown. The final cost depends on how many teeth are being replaced, whether bone grafting or a sinus lift is needed, the type of restoration, and the complexity of your case. Before anything begins, you receive a written, itemised quote so every component and every fee is clear. Flexible payment options can be discussed at your consultation.

How do implants compare with the alternatives? A bridge is quicker and avoids surgery, but usually requires the neighbouring teeth to be prepared and does not preserve the bone beneath the gap. A denture is the most economical option and can restore several teeth at once, but it is removable and some patients find lower dentures difficult to stabilise. An implant is the only option that replaces the root itself, stimulating the jawbone and helping prevent the bone shrinkage that follows tooth loss. Your dentist will set out all three routes honestly, with written prices, so you can choose with confidence.

It is important to be realistic about limitations. Implants are not permanent in the absolute sense — they are a long-term solution that can last decades with good care, but no dental treatment can be guaranteed for life. A small percentage of implants fail to integrate and occasionally an implant can be lost later, most often linked to gum inflammation around the implant (peri-implantitis), smoking or heavy bite forces. We monitor every implant we place at regular reviews so that any early signs are caught and managed promptly.

Aftercare is straightforward but essential. An implant cannot decay, but the gum and bone around it still need meticulous daily cleaning and regular professional maintenance with our hygiene team. Patients who keep the surrounding tissues healthy typically enjoy the longest-lasting results; longevity varies with individual factors such as gum health, smoking status and general health, which is why suitability is always confirmed at an in-person consultation with a GDC-registered dentist.

Nervous patients are especially welcome. Implant treatment sounds daunting, but appointments are calm and methodical: each stage is explained before it happens, local anaesthetic is given gently and tested before we begin, and sedation options can be discussed if you would prefer to feel more relaxed. Many patients tell us afterwards that the anticipation was far worse than the appointment itself.

Choosing where to have implant treatment in central London is a significant decision. Our Wimpole Street practice sits in the heart of Marylebone's historic medical district, and we combine that heritage with modern digital planning, in-house delivery from consultation to final crown, and complete written transparency on price. If you are missing a tooth — or facing an extraction and wondering what comes next — we would be pleased to talk you through your options without any pressure.

Day to day, a well-integrated implant crown behaves very much like a natural tooth: you can chew on it, it does not move, and there is nothing to remove at night. Cleaning takes only slightly more attention than a natural tooth — careful brushing at the gum line plus daily interdental cleaning around the implant, using the brushes or floss your hygienist recommends. We schedule review appointments so the gum and bone around each implant can be checked, and periodic X-rays confirm all remains stable. Patients travel to us from across London — we are a short walk from Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Regent's Park stations — and review visits are quick and easy to fit around a working day.