Dental Implants in Wells
Why the implant team at Priory Dental?
At Priory Dental we have built a team of dental professionals with a specific focus on providing advanced dental implant solutions. These include complex cases that may not be able to be treated elsewhere including sinus lift procedures and full-mouth implant rehabilitation cases (sometimes known as ‘full-arch’ or ‘all-on-4’ dental implants). But we are also perfectly qualified for providing simpler implants for missing front or back teeth.
Dr Ryan Hughes leads the implant team and is qualified in both dentistry and medicine. He has master’s degrees in both Dental Implantology and Oral Surgery (both with distinction). He is a Fellow of the faculties of Dental Surgery at both the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Ireland as well as a Fellow of the College of General Dentistry (UK). He now dedicates most of his clinical time to implant dentistry and oral surgery procedures.
Dr Ewan Davidson also provides dental implants alongside general dentistry and has been involved in dental implants for twenty years giving him extensive experience in the field.
Dr Christopher Burt also recently completed his master’s degree in dental Implantology and provides dental implants alongside general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry and clear aligner treatments.
Together the implant team is known as Wells Implants at Priory Dental.
I think I need an implant? – How can I find out more?
We like to get to know you well before undertaking any advanced treatment. We therefore start your journey with an Implant preliminary assessment appointment. This is an initial appointment at the same cost as a normal checkup to explore whether dental implants might be the right option for you and to give you an idea of what might be involved.
The pre-assessment appointment is a low-cost, no-obligation way to discuss your options without any pressure to proceed. If you wish to take things further, we then arrange an hour-long full assessment appointment following which you receive a bespoke treatment planning letter and estimated costs of your proposed treatment.
If you would like to book a pre-assessment appointment you can do so via the following link:
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is a screw-like fixing which can be inserted in order to replace a missing tooth or multiple teeth. The surface of a dental implant allows the bone of your jaw to grow around and integrate with the implant, a process known as osseointegration. It is this process that gives the implant stability and strength. By placing dental implants in different ways means that dental implant solutions are incredibly versatile, from the replacement of a single teeth, to multiple teeth or even all the teeth in one or both jaws. The fact that dental implant solutions do not rely on remaining teeth for support and are fixed (don't need to be removed like dentures) means that dental implants are often considered the gold standard for replacement of missing teeth amongst dentists. Despite this we always explore all of the options available to you in order to select the option most suited to you and in some cases decide against dental implants where they offer fewer advantages.
Why might I need a dental implant?
At Priory Dental we work hard to prevent you from losing teeth. Unfortunately at times teeth still cannot be saved and need to be extracted. This may be due to decay, infection, gum disease or trauma amongst other reasons. Traditionally, these teeth would be replaced by partial or full dentures or bridges connected to other teeth. We still offer these options but dentures have to be removed for cleaning and the teeth that bridges are connected to, are often compromised by being part of a bridge. For these reasons we often consider dental implants as an alternative.
A single tooth replacement
Where only a single tooth is missing, one implant can be inserted. This is the closest possible replacement for a single tooth. The implant itself replaces the missing root of the tooth and a crown is later placed on top to give the appearance of a tooth. Modern dental implant techniques can be used to make the new implant supported crown appear very similar to the natural tooth it replaced or can sometimes be combined with dental work to the other teeth including crowns, veneers or composite bonding to improve the overall appearance.
Replacing multiple teeth
Where multiple teeth need to be replaced it is sometimes unnecessary to have one implant for every tooth but instead the appearance of multiple teeth can be supported by smaller number of implants in the right circumstances. This is known as an implant supported bridge. Typically two implants would replace three or four missing teeth. Replacing all the teeth in the upper or lower jaw where all the teeth are missing in one or both jaws, multiple implants can be used to support a fixed solution known as a full arch. Typically four or six implants are used in each jaw and a type of bridge known as a hybrid is then placed on the implants to replace the teeth. This is sometimes known as ‘all-on-4’ or ‘teeth in a day’, in the latter case because a provisional set of teeth can be fitted on the same day that the implants are placed in appropriate cases.
In other cases where all the teeth are missing, implants can be used to help stabilise a denture which ‘clips on’ to the implants. In these cases the denture still has to be removed for cleaning but is much more stable when being used for eating or talking.
Planning Implant treatment
Implant dentistry often involves complex planning in order to get the best result possible. This involves detailed examinations, impressions and photographs and often a need to get 3D scans of the Jaws known a CBCT scan. Because of the complexity, all implant treatment is quoted for on an individual basis following this planning process.
In order that you can explore implant options with us before progressing down the planning process, we offer and strongly encourage you to come for an Implant pre-assessment appointment. We charge our normal dental examination fee for this making it a very cost effective way to explore your options. This is an opportunity for you to ask us questions about dental implants and for us to discuss what dental implant treatment would be likely to involve in order to give you an idea of what might be possible and the likely cost.
Following a pre-assessment, if you wish to proceed we then get you to return to a implant planning appointment and/or arrange for you to have a CBCT scan. Following your implant planning appointment you are provided with a full written treatment plan including a detailed estimate of the costs involved to consider before you move forward into the treatment phase.
How to start your implant journey
If you would like to discuss your options with us book an Implant preliminary assessment via the following link:
Alternatively give us a call on 01749678040 during working hours. Pre-assessment appointments are usually undertaken by Dr Ryan Hughes but if you have a particular preference for who you would like to see, please do let us know.