Dr Tomás Rivera
Implant dentist
Tomás places the implants and fits the crowns, so the plan he shows you at the assessment is the treatment he carries out. He works Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Book an assessment with Tomás →Treatments Dental implants
Dental implants
A missing tooth replaced properly: an implant sits in the jaw like a root, and the crown on top is made to match the teeth around it. You eat, talk and clean it like your own tooth.
- Whole treatment
- 3–6 months
- Appointments
- 4–5 visits
- Complete fee
- £2,450 per tooth
- Assessment
- £95, credited
What an implant actually is
An implant is a small titanium post, about the size of a tooth root, placed in the jaw under local anaesthetic. Over the following weeks the bone grows onto it and holds it as firmly as a healthy root. A connector and a porcelain crown are then fitted on top — the crown is the part you see, shaped and shaded to sit unnoticed next to your own teeth.
Because the implant replaces the root as well as the tooth, it does the three things a gap or a denture cannot: it keeps the neighbouring teeth from drifting, it keeps the jaw bone underneath from slowly shrinking, and it takes biting force properly, so you can eat on that side again.
An implant is not a quicker or cheaper option than a bridge or a denture — it is a longer-lasting one. At your assessment we will show you all three side by side, with the figures, and you can take as long as you like to decide.
Who implants suit — and who they may not
An implant may suit you if…
- You have one missing tooth, or several, and the teeth either side are healthy — an implant leaves them untouched, where a bridge reshapes them.
- Your denture moves when you eat or talk and you want something fixed.
- You are happy for treatment to take a few months, done in stages, in exchange for a tooth that should last decades.
- Your gums are healthy, or can be made healthy first — we treat gum problems before placing an implant, not after.
We may suggest something else if…
- You smoke and are not able to pause around the surgery — smoking is the biggest single reason implants fail to bond with the bone.
- The bone in that spot is very thin and you do not want a bone graft first — a bridge may serve you better.
- You need the gap filled this month for an event — the healing stages cannot be rushed, and a temporary bridge is the honest answer.
- Your budget is better spent on several weaker teeth first. We will say so at the assessment, with the reasoning — an implant is a poor use of money if the teeth beside it are failing.
The five steps, and how long each takes
Most of the calendar time is healing, not appointments. Your actual time in the chair across the whole treatment is roughly three hours.
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1
Assessment and 3D scan
We examine the gap, take a 3D scan of your jaw and check the bone is deep enough. You see the plan on screen, with the full fee, and take it home to think about. Nothing is placed at this visit.
45 minutes · £95 (taken off the fee if you go ahead)
-
2
Placing the implant
Under local anaesthetic, the implant post is placed in the jaw. Most patients tell us it aches less afterwards than a filling — expect mild swelling for two or three days, and take the next day gently.
About 60 minutes in the chair
-
3
Healing
The bone grows onto the implant and locks it in place. You wear a temporary tooth or your adjusted denture meanwhile, so the gap never shows. One short review visit sits in the middle of this stage.
Usually 8–12 weeks · 1 review of 15 minutes
-
4
Making your crown
We take a digital impression — a wand scan, not the old mouthful of putty — and match the shade against the teeth either side, in daylight, with you holding the mirror.
30 minutes
-
5
Fitting, then living with it
The crown is fitted and your bite checked. From then on you brush and floss it like a natural tooth, and we check the implant at your ordinary six-month check-ups.
30 minutes
What an implant costs, in full
| Stage | Fee |
|---|---|
| Assessment with 3D scan | £95 * |
| Implant placement, incl. anaesthetic and temporary tooth | £1,250 |
| Healing reviews | Included |
| Connector (abutment) | £350 |
| Porcelain crown, shade-matched | £850 |
| Complete, per tooth | £2,450 |
* The £95 assessment is deducted from the placement fee if you go ahead within six months. Fees checked for November 2026.
Two things can change the figure, and both are settled at the assessment, before you commit: a bone graft, if the scan shows the bone is thin (£380), and sedation, if you would like it (£240). If either applies to you, your written plan includes it in the total.
Paying in stages
Because the treatment itself happens in stages over months, so does the bill: the assessment first, the placement fee at step 2, and the crown fee at step 5. Monthly plans are also available — ask at your assessment and we will go through the figures with you.
Our promise on the implant
If an implant fails to bond with the bone in the first year and we placed it, we replace it once at no charge for the surgery. The assessment is where we check the few things that make failure more likely, and we will tell you plainly if your chances are worse than usual.
The doctors who place implants here
Dr Priya Nair
Lead dentist
Priya does many first assessments and looks after nervous implant patients through the healing stage, including the next-day calls and reviews. She works Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Book an assessment with Priya →Implant questions, answered
The placement is done under local anaesthetic, and we check you are fully numb first. Afterwards, expect an ache like a bruise and some swelling for two or three days; ordinary painkillers are enough for most people, and most are back at work the next day. Fitting the crown does not need anaesthetic at all.
The wait is the treatment: your bone needs 8–12 weeks to grow onto the implant and hold it strongly enough to bite on. Loading it sooner risks the whole thing. You are not left with a visible gap meanwhile — you will have a temporary tooth or an adjusted denture from the day of placement.
With ordinary brushing, flossing and six-month check-ups, the implant post itself should last decades — it cannot decay. The crown on top works hard and may need replacing after 10–15 years, at the cost of a crown alone. Gum health matters more than anything else; we will show you exactly how to clean around it.
Yes — come and hear the whole picture first. Smoking makes bonding less reliable, especially in the first weeks. Many patients pause for the weeks around placement with our support, and we will be straight with you about your odds before you spend anything beyond the assessment.
Then you have paid £95 for a 3D scan, a clear picture of the gap, and our honest view of your options — including a bridge or a denture, which we also provide. The plan and the figures stay valid for six months if you change your mind.