Is it possible to pay for implants on a monthly basis?

Q. I had an accident in august 2008 where I fell and smashed my two front teeth onto concrete, which obviously broke. I had caps put on and root canal treatment on the teeth, however a year later they started throbbing. I went back to my local NHS dentist and they said I had an infection in my gums and put me forward for a hospital referal where my gums would be opened and the infection cleaned out (acute mucosal infection). The gentlemen doing my operation said I should think about long term teeth rather than having the caps replaced as they won’t last me til I’m 35, I’m 23 at the moment. Basically he suggested implants, and now I want to know about costs, can a dentist do this and have my paying them back monthly, and after my operation how long do I leave it until I sort out the implants? I just want this sorted and finished now as it’s been going on for a year and a half. I hate the waiting game. If you could give me some advice, tips etc… Thanks

A. Hi thanks for your question.

When teeth are damaged through trauma it’s extremely difficult to say what the long term prognosis will be. In many cases root canal therapy and porcelain restorations work well so long as the underlying tooth root remains stable as root canal therapy can weaken the tooth. Crowns and veneers etc don’t last forever unfortunately and may at some point in the future require to be replaced.

It may be that if you are experiencing recurrent infection that the long term prognosis of the teeth is not good and that implants may be a solution for you. Implants vary in price from dentist to dentist but generally budget in the region of £2000 per implant as a guide. Many practices do offer payment plans such as interest free or low cost finance patient loans to help you spread the cost of the treatment.

It would probably be wise for you to have a consultation with an Implant Dentist to discuss your treatment concerns. If you’ve had x-rays taken then it’s often useful to take copies of these for your consultation.

I hope that this helps.

Regards

George Glover