When one tooth is missing
Losing a single tooth is more common than you'd think — a bike accident, a cracked root, a failed filling that finally gives up. And it matters more than people let on. A front tooth changes how you feel about smiling; a back tooth changes how you chew; either one quietly changes the teeth around it, which begin to drift and tip into the space.
An implant replaces the whole tooth, root and all. A titanium post takes the place of the root, and a porcelain crown — colour-matched to your own teeth — takes the place of the tooth. Nobody needs to know it isn't yours.
Why an implant rather than a bridge?
The traditional fix for a single gap is a bridge: a false tooth glued to crowns on the two neighbouring teeth. It works — but it means grinding down two healthy teeth to act as anchors, and those teeth carry the load ever after. If either anchor ever fails, you've gone from a one-tooth problem to a three-tooth problem.
An implant stands on its own. The neighbouring teeth stay exactly as they are, the bone beneath the gap is preserved rather than left to shrink, and you can floss around it like a natural tooth. That's why, where the bone allows it, an implant is usually our recommendation for a single missing tooth — though we'll always lay out all your options, including the bridge and the denture, with honest pros and cons.
What it involves
Treatment starts with the £90 consultation, which includes a CBCT (3D) scan of your jaw. Jon checks the bone, plans the exact position of the implant, and gives you a written plan and fixed quote. If you go ahead:
- Placement — a single visit under local anaesthetic, typically under an hour. Most patients compare it to having a filling, and need only ordinary painkillers for a day or two afterwards.
- Healing — two to four months while the implant fuses with your bone. If the gap shows, you'll have a temporary tooth for this period.
- The crown — made to match your teeth in shade and shape, then fitted by Jon. One final check, and you're done.
Sometimes the implant can go in on the same day a failing tooth is removed; sometimes the socket needs to heal first. The scan — and nothing else — decides which is safer for you.
What it costs
From £2,750, including the implant, the abutment, the surgery and the final crown. The £90 consultation (with CBCT scan) comes first, and your written quote is fixed before treatment begins — no surprises mid-course. If extras such as bone grafting are needed, they're in the plan from the start. Full details and the bridge/denture comparison are on the cost page. A single implant at £2,750 falls below the £3,000 threshold for Tabeo patient finance on its own; plans combining other treatment may qualify.
Implants aren't suitable for everyone — suitability is always assessed at your consultation before anything is recommended.
