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Dental implants · Addiscombe, Croydon
If you, or someone in your family, has been told there isn’t enough bone for an implant, this guide explains what that means in everyday language: why it happens, how a 3D scan checks it, and the choices you have, including ones that need no graft at all.
An implant is a small titanium post that sits inside the jawbone, a little like a tooth root. To hold firm, it needs a wall of healthy bone all the way around it. If the ridge where the tooth used to be has become thin or shallow, the implant could end up partly uncovered, which is not a stable foundation. That is all “not enough bone” means. It is a measurement, not a verdict, and there are often ways around it.
Step 1 shows a narrow ridge that could not cover an implant. Step 2 shows the ridge widened with graft material that has healed. Step 3 shows an implant, abutment and crown sitting securely in bone. Illustration only.
Teeth keep the surrounding bone busy. Once a tooth has gone, the body slowly reabsorbs bone it no longer needs, mostly in the first year.
Grandparents who have worn a plate for a long time often have a flatter ridge, which is also why dentures can feel looser as the years pass.
Untreated gum disease can quietly eat away at the bone that holds teeth in, so it is checked and treated before any implant work.
A knock to the mouth or an abscess around a tooth can leave a dip in the bone where the tooth once sat.
Every implant plan here is made with a 3D cone beam CT (CBCT) scan. Unlike a standard X-ray, it shows your jaw from every angle, so Dr Anti can see the width and height of the bone and where important structures sit, such as the nerve in the lower jaw and the sinus above the upper back teeth. She will go through the images with you, so you can see for yourself whether bone is thin and where.
| Type of graft | What it is for | When it may come up |
|---|---|---|
| Socket preservation | Filling the socket with graft material straight after a tooth is removed, to help keep the ridge in shape | When a tooth is being taken out and an implant may be wanted later |
| Ridge augmentation | Adding material to the side or top of a thin ridge so it is wide or tall enough | When a gap has been there for some time |
| Sinus lift | Gently raising the sinus floor above the upper back teeth and placing bone material beneath it | When the bone under the sinus is too shallow for an implant |
These are general descriptions to help you follow the conversation. If extra bone is needed, we explain the options, which may include grafting, and include it in your written quote. Some procedures may need to be arranged elsewhere, and if so we will tell you clearly.
Not always. Even with some bone loss, implants holding a denture, or angled implants, may still be possible. The scan gives a clear answer.
Implants are normally placed only once the jaw has finished growing, usually in early adulthood. Until then we can talk about temporary ways to fill a gap.
Most people are back to normal routines within a day or two. Swelling tends to peak around the second or third day, then settles.
Implants are very rarely available on the NHS, and grafting for implants is usually private too. NHS alternatives are bridges and dentures.
| All-on-4 | Bridge | Denture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A fixed full arch on four implants, angled to use the firmest bone | A fixed tooth supported by the teeth beside the gap | A removable replacement for one or more teeth |
| Needs a graft? | Often avoids one | No | No |
| Things to weigh | For people missing most or all teeth in a jaw | Neighbouring teeth are usually shaped | Can move when eating |
| Guide price | From £6,495 per arch | From £550 per unit | Quoted at your visit |
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Implant consultation (deducted if you go ahead) | £75 |
| New patient examination with X-rays | £65 |
| Single implant – Snucone | From £2,250 |
| Single implant – Straumann | From £2,750 |
| Bone grafting, if needed | Shown separately in your written quote |
*Finance through Tabeo, including 0% interest for up to 12 months on selected private treatments, is available subject to status.
The area is numbed with local anaesthetic first, so you should not feel pain while it is done. Expect some swelling and tenderness for a few days afterwards. We do not offer sedation, but we will go at your pace and explain each step.
Soft, lukewarm foods such as soup, scrambled eggs, pasta and yoghurt are ideal for the first few days. Chew on the other side and avoid very hot drinks until the area settles.
It varies with the type and size of graft, but it is often a few months. Small amounts of bone can sometimes be added on the same day as the implant.
If a tooth needs removing and you are thinking about an implant in future, ask about socket preservation at the extraction appointment. It is easier to plan ahead than to rebuild later.
Your written quote lists every stage, including any grafting, so you can see the full cost before you agree to anything.
Croydon Dental Practice is at 202 Lower Addiscombe Road, Addiscombe, Croydon CR0 7AB, a short walk from Addiscombe tram stop and close to East Croydon station. Patients visit us from Addiscombe, Shirley, South Norwood, Selhurst, Purley, Beckenham and across Surrey.
Related: Dental implants in Croydon · Single tooth implants · All-on-4 · Tooth extraction · Bridges · Dentures · Implant costs
Book a £75 implant consultation (deducted if you go ahead) at 202 Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon CR0 7AB, near Addiscombe tram stop.
