Implant Dentist Checklist

Why the Choice Matters

An implant is surgery, and it's surgery you live with for decades. The difference between a well-planned implant and a poorly planned one doesn't show on the day; it shows years later as a crown that never quite matched, gum that shrank back, or an implant that loosened. By then the practice that placed it may be hard to hold to account, and putting it right costs more than doing it well once.

Every practice in Glasgow calls itself experienced. The questions below get past the adjectives to the facts. Take them to any consultation, including ours.

1. Who Places My Implant?

Any dentist can legally place implants, but implant dentistry isn't part of the basic dental degree. Look for a named dentist with recognised postgraduate training: a diploma or MSc in implant dentistry, and ideally membership of a body such as the Association of Dental Implantology or the International Team for Implantology. Ask how long they've been placing implants and whether they'll do both the surgery and the crown, or hand you to someone else halfway.

For the record: Dr Davinder Kalsi holds an MSc in dental implants and has placed more than 2,000 implants over more than ten years, with a success rate above 99% from our own records.⁵ Check any dentist, including him, on the General Dental Council register at gdc-uk.org: it's free and takes a minute. Note that "specialist" is a protected term; a dentist with a special interest in implants is the honest wording unless they're on a GDC specialist list.

2. Is It Planned on a CT Scan?

An ordinary X-ray shows bone height but not width or density, and it doesn't show the nerve and sinus in three dimensions. A CT (cone beam) scan does. It's how the dentist knows an implant will sit in solid bone, clear of the nerve, before anything is drilled. Ask whether the scanner is on site or you'll be sent elsewhere, whether it's included or extra, and whether you'll be shown the scan.

3. Is a Surgical Guide Used?

A surgical guide is a 3D-printed template made from your scan that fits over your teeth or gum and steers the drill to the planned position, angle and depth. It turns a plan into the surgery as planned. Freehand placement can be done well by experienced hands, but a guide removes most of the variation, and it's a good sign that the practice plans properly. At St Vincent Smile single and multiple implants are placed through a guide made from your CT scan, while for a full arch the custom surgical guide comes with our Premium Guided Zirconia pathway.

4. Which Implant System Is Used?

There are hundreds of implant brands. Established systems have decades of published research, spare parts available worldwide, and quality controls you can look up. Budget copies save the practice money, not you, and if you move or the practice closes, another dentist may not be able to source parts for them. Ask for the brand by name and look it up. Ours is MegaGen AnyRidge, which holds the CleanImplant Trusted Quality seal for manufacturing cleanliness.

5. Who Makes the Crown?

The implant is hidden; the crown is what you and everyone else sees. Ask whether it's made from a digital scan or a putty impression, which lab makes it, what it's made of (zirconia or layered ceramic for front teeth), and whether the abutment is a stock part or made for your case. A practice that's vague about the crown is usually keeping the fee down there.

6. What Exactly Is Included in the Fee?

Quotes aren't comparable until you know what's in them. Go through the list: consultation, CT scan, the implant, the abutment, the crown, a temporary tooth, any bone graft, sedation, the review appointments, and the first year's check. Then ask what would cost extra and what would trigger it. Our implant cost guide shows how a single implant can be quoted anywhere from about £1,800 to £2,900 in Glasgow depending on what's left out.

7. Will I Get the Fee Fixed in Writing?

A written treatment plan with a fixed fee, before you commit, is the minimum. It should list the recommended treatment, the alternatives, the fee for each part, the timeline and the finance options. Be wary of a price that's only quoted verbally, a discount that expires "this month", or a plan that changes once you've paid a deposit.

8. What's the Guarantee?

Most practices offer some guarantee on the implant; the details matter. How long, what does it cover (the implant, the crown, or both), and what conditions apply? Guarantees usually depend on not smoking and on keeping hygiene visits, because gum health is what keeps an implant. Ask for the terms in writing. Ours is a 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months, with the full terms in the consent form.

9. What If It Goes Wrong?

Implants have a high success rate, but not a perfect one. Ask what the practice does if an implant fails to bond, if the crown chips, or if the gum becomes inflamed, and who you'd see. A good answer is specific: they remove it, let the bone heal, replace it, and here's what it costs or doesn't. A bad answer is "that never happens". Ask too whether there's sedation available if you're anxious, and how you reach them out of hours.

10. Can I See Real Cases?

Ask for before-and-after photographs of the dentist's own cases, not stock images, and for reviews that mention implants specifically. A practice that's placed many implants will have both. If you're offered a patient to talk to, take it. Our reviews page has implant patients in their own words and on video.

Warning Signs

• A price before an examination, or a "from" price that doesn't include the crown
• No CT scan, or a scan only if you ask
• The implant brand isn't named, or is "our own system"
• The person who examined you isn't the person who'll place the implant, and they're not named
• Pressure to pay a large deposit at the first visit, or a discount that expires
• Full-arch treatment promised in a week, with no healing period before the final bridge
• No written plan, no written guarantee

None of these means a practice is bad. All of them mean you should ask more questions before you sign anything.

What a Good Consultation Looks Like

You're examined, scanned if needed, shown what the scan shows, and talked through implant, bridge and denture honestly, including doing nothing for now. You're told who will do what and why they recommend it. You leave with a written plan and a fixed fee, and nobody minds if you take it home and think, or take it to another practice for a second opinion. That's what we aim for at St Vincent Smile, and the consultation is free. Our guide to the implant consultation explains what happens.

Questions

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