Choosing an Implant Dentist

Start with the Register

Before anything else, search for the dentist by name at gdc-uk.org, the public register kept by the General Dental Council. There's no charge, and it shows whether they're registered to practise in the UK, their registered qualifications, and whether they sit on any specialist list. If you can't find them, ask why.

Two points worth knowing. First, the GDC doesn't keep a specialist list for implant dentistry, so implants are placed by general dentists with extra training, as well as by specialist periodontists, prosthodontists and oral surgeons. Second, only dentists on one of those lists can call themselves a specialist. "Special interest in implants" is the honest phrase for everyone else, including us.

Who Does the Work, Start to Finish?

Implant placement isn't taught in depth in the basic dental degree, so ask the dentist directly what further training they've done, how long they've been placing implants, and roughly how many cases like yours they've treated. A confident clinician will answer without fuss.

Ask too whether the same person will plan the case, place the implant and fit the crown, or whether you'll be handed between a visiting surgeon and another dentist. Either can work. You just want to know who is responsible for the result. At Hamilton Smile Studios, Dr Nikhil Sharma plans every implant on a CT scan and places it himself.

Is It Planned in 3D?

A flat X-ray tells the dentist how tall the bone is. It doesn't show how wide it is, how dense it is, or exactly where the nerve and sinus sit. A cone beam CT scan does all of that in three dimensions, and it's the standard way to plan implants well.

Useful follow-up questions: is the scanner on the premises or will you be sent elsewhere? Is the scan included in the fee or charged separately? Will you be shown it and given a copy? We scan on our own machine in Hamilton, and the fee is £160 for single and multiple implants.

Is a Surgical Guide Used?

A guide is a custom template, 3D-printed from the scan plan, that sits over your teeth or gum and controls the angle and depth of the drill. It means the implant ends up where it was planned rather than where it looked right on the day. Skilled dentists can place implants freehand, but a guide takes out most of the variation and usually allows a smaller opening in the gum. Ours are made from your CT plan and used with MegaGen's R2 guided system.

Which Implant, by Name?

Hundreds of implant brands are sold worldwide. The established ones have years of published research behind them and parts that any dentist in the UK can order. Lesser-known copies cost a practice less, but if you move house or the practice closes, a new dentist may struggle to find a matching crown screw or abutment.

Ask for the brand and model, write it down, and keep it with your records. We use MegaGen AnyRidge implants. The implant itself holds the CleanImplant Trusted Quality seal, which is awarded to implants after independent checks for surface contamination. That seal belongs to the product, not to our practice.

What's Inside the Price?

Across Lanarkshire, practices that publish a single implant and crown price advertise roughly £2,275 to £3,000, and many don't publish one at all. A low figure isn't a bad sign by itself, but you need to know what it includes before comparing. Go through the list with each practice:

• Consultation and CT scan
• The implant, the abutment and the crown
• A temporary tooth for a front gap
• Any bone graft
• Sedation, if you want it
• Review visits during healing

Our own fees are in the Hamilton implant cost guide: from £2,605 for one implant with its crown, before any graft.

Is the Fee Fixed in Writing?

You should leave the consultation with a written plan showing the treatment recommended, the other options, the fee for each stage, the likely timeline and how you can pay. It should be yours to take away and think about. Be cautious of a price only given verbally, a discount that runs out at the end of the week, or a plan that changes once a deposit is paid.

What Does the Guarantee Ask of You?

Most implant guarantees come with conditions, and they're worth reading closely. How long does it last? Is it the implant alone that's covered, or the crown as well? What do you have to do to keep it valid? Common conditions are not smoking and attending regular hygiene visits, because inflamed gum is the main thing that loosens an implant over time.

Ours is a 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months, set out in full in the consent form you sign before treatment.

Where Will Your Aftercare Be?

This is easy to overlook when comparing practices across the county. An implant needs looking after for life: a hygiene visit every few months, dental examinations, and a quick appointment if a screw loosens or the gum gets sore. If the practice is a long drive away, those visits become a chore, and missed visits can void a guarantee.

For many people in Hamilton, Blantyre, Bothwell, Larkhall or Motherwell, a practice nearby makes the long-term part much easier. Wherever you choose, ask who carries out the hygiene visits, how often they recommend them, and what happens if you need to be seen quickly. Out of hours, NHS 24 on 111 is the fallback across Scotland.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

Implants succeed far more often than not, but no dentist can promise every one will. Ask what happens if an implant doesn't bond, if the gum around it becomes inflamed, or if the crown chips. A good answer is concrete: who you'd see, what they'd do, and what it would cost. "It doesn't happen" isn't a good answer. Our guide to failed dental implants explains what's normally involved.

Seeing the Dentist's Own Work

Ask whether you can see before-and-after photographs of cases the dentist has treated personally, shown with the patients' written consent. Every mouth is different and results vary, so treat them as a guide to the dentist's approach rather than a promise. Be wary of glossy stock images that could have come from anywhere.

Signs to Slow Down

• A firm price given before anyone has examined you
• No CT scan, or one offered only if you push
• No implant brand named, or "our own system"
• Nobody can tell you who will place the implant
• Pressure to pay a large deposit on the first visit
• Final full-arch teeth promised within days, with no healing period
• No written plan or written guarantee

Any one of these is a reason to ask more questions, not necessarily to walk away.

A Good Consultation, in Short

You're examined, scanned if an implant is realistic, and shown what the scan means. You hear about implants, bridges, dentures and leaving the gap alone, with honest pros and cons. You know who'll be doing the work. You go home with the plan and its fee on paper, free to show it to another practice if you want a second view. Our implant consultation page explains how ours runs. It's free, with a £40 booking deposit returned after you attend.

Questions

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.