Single Tooth Dental Implants I Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon

Single Tooth Implants

The most common dental implant treatment in Australia is the replacement of a single missing tooth. If you have a missing tooth or need an extraction and would like an implant and tooth replaced in a day it is certainly possible with Dr John Webster at the Oral Facial & Implant Centre and this process is known as immediate dental implants. In many cases due to other medical conditions or lack of adequate quality and quantity of bone, the implant may need to be placed over a specific timeframe (delayed manner) after tooth extraction or grafting of the site with bone graft materials. You would be required to return in 2-6 months for placement of the implant depending on your individual needs at your desired site.

What are immediate implants?

Immediate implants mean you want the implant placed in the site on the same day the tooth is extracted. Dr John Webster can provide immediate implant surgery and often fit a temporary crown/tooth replacement on the same day. Whilst this sounds fast and easy the process does require accurate planning prior to the day of surgery with a digital oral scan and CT scan to define the optimum location for your implant and tooth replacement crown. If you have not undertaken a CT scan prior to consultation, one of our team will be able to arrange for a CT scan referral for you to arrange prior to attending on the day of your consultation.

The recent evidence suggests fully guided dental implant placement with a surgical guide/stent is producing more accurate results which are important to the long-term success of your implant. The success rate of immediate implants is 95% which is slightly less than those that are placed in the traditional delayed way at 98-99%. The site you want the immediate implant placed must have optimum conditions in order to facilitate the high success rate of 95% for immediate single tooth implants, however, many patients turn up with a gap in their teeth present for many years. The bone in the area is often resorbed away and as such will most often need implants placed in the traditional method. We all want excellent long-lasting results so Dr John Webster will discuss if immediate implant placement is the optimum solution for you at your initial consultation, after your scans are completed.

What are the traditional methods for single tooth implants?

The large majority of single tooth dental implants are placed in a delayed way (over a specific time period). This is because in many cases there may be inadequate bone present for placement of the implant and a grafting procedure may be required first, allowed to heal and turn into good quality natural bone in 3-6 months, before returning for dental implant placement.

If grafting is not required, then traditionally the dental implant is placed and buried under the mucosa (gums) for 3-6 months to allow implant fusion to the bone (osseointegration) while you wear a temporary tooth replacement option. After the healing time you return for abutment placement and then the permanent customised crown can be fitted.

For people with a medical condition, such as diabetes, post cancer therapy and osteoporosis, it is recommended that they have implants applied in the traditional method. In these scenarios and many others, traditional implant placement is advised to achieve the high long-term success rates of 98-99%.

Either way, whether you are advised to have immediate or traditional delayed placement of your dental implant it is a minimally invasive procedure which can be completed under local anaesthetic (awake) or general anaesthetic (asleep). The type of anaesthesia is usually your personal preference and results with feel most like having a natural tooth back in your mouth (blended look with your existing teeth).

How are single tooth implants maintained?

Upon treatment completion you are advised to maintain your dental hygiene through regular flossing and cleaning. Regular check-ups with your usual Dentist is required for the continuing health of natural teeth. The long-term success rates will not be achieved if this new implant and tooth are not cared for in a regular way. Check our Dental Implant Maintenance section of the website for further information.

A single tooth implant and crown is a highly successful and often permanent solution to the problem of a missing tooth.

What are the costs of single tooth implants?

A single tooth implant and crown is a highly successful and often permanent solution to the problem of a missing tooth. The treatment and associated charges will depend on the following surgical site needs and your personal preferences:

Do you need a separate grafting procedure before the implant can be placed?
Do you need the tooth removed prior to implant placement?
Do you want immediate implant placement or traditional delayed?
Do you want or need a temporary tooth replacement during healing phase?
Do you want local anaesthetic or general anaesthetic treatment for each step?
Do you want fully guided surgery to improve the accuracy of placement and success?
Do you want a specific brand of implant?

Many patients find answering the above questions difficult without the information provided by Dr John Webster at the initial dental implant consultation after digital oral scanning and CT scans have been completed. Similarly, the answer to how much will my single tooth dental implant and crown cost is hard for our team at the Oral Facial & Implant Centre to answer over the phone until all the information and your preferences are collated.

As a general overall industry standard, a single dental implant will cost $2000-2500 for the implant buried in the bone and the permanent crown will cost $1500-3000 depending on who makes it and what materials are used to manufacture it. All the other options like temporary crowns/tooth replacement, general anaesthetic treatment, bone or soft tissue grafting, need or desire for surgical guides can all add cost.

How can the costs of single tooth implants be reduced?

Private health insurance with hospital and extras can greatly offset these costs as many parts of your procedure can be rebated by private health funds through extras and some parts if treated in an accredited day surgery or hospital if you have hospital cover.

As Dr John Webster is a Specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, he is dual qualified as both a medical and dental specialist and therefore he can provide you Medicare and Health Fund Gap Cover schemes for medical procedures such as bone, soft tissue and sinus lift grafting procedures in many cases increasing the implant success without increasing your out of pocket costs. Other general Dentists and Dental Specialists such Prosthodontists and Periodontists do not have access to Medicare or Health Fund Gap Cover schemes for medical procedures hence cases where grafting is required the costs have to pass on to you.

After your initial consultation with Dr John Webster your treatment fees will be clear because we do a lot of dental implant treatments and can reduce costs where unnecessary steps can be avoided. At the Oral Facial & Implant Centre the desire is to achieve the high success rates above with predictable techniques in the most cost-effective way. We also offer a comprehensive guarantee in place to safeguard your dental implant treatment and investment in your oral health and smile. Dr John Webster has had the opportunity to help many people over the last decade and has many satisfied clients across Australia.

From bone grafting to complete aesthetic zone anterior dental implants our Toowoomba Oral Facial & Implant Centre provides the best in prompt and expert specialist care. If you would like to know how we can help you further, or to book a no obligation dental implant consultation please phone 07 4580 4733 or alternatively request an appointment now online.