How to Get Free Dental Implants: UK

Sturdy, lasting and unnoticeable, dental implants are a great way for people to plug any gaps in their teeth or replace any that need it, allowing them to show their smiles more confidently again. The procedure is a surgical one, where the oral surgeon will have to place a metallic component into your gum, after which an artificial crown tooth cap is fixed on top, hiding the fitting under it.

Having missing or damaged teeth can make people suffer in various ways, from reduced self-esteem to trouble eating. So, because it’s such an effective procedure, many people are keen to know if they can get their dental implants free. UK patients in particular wonder about what the NHS can do for them in this regard.

How to Get Free Dental Implants Through the NHS?

The NHS has been helping people get the medical treatment they need for decades, courtesy of the state. However, as is the case with a lot of national outlooks on health, dental health is often treated as an extra - an outlier of one’s general health, with many treatments exempt due to being deemed cosmetic. This can seem like a daunting hurdle when looking for free dental implants - for low-income UK patients especially. But there are always exceptions.

It comes down to what the NHS sees as clinically necessary, which is limited to a few circumstances: patients whose faces have been damaged in an accident or who have suffered the effects of cancer can qualify for free dental implants, with further reasons such as genetic conditions causing missing teeth also being allowed.

However, it’s important to note that approval tends to firstly follow whether or not the patient’s missing teeth can be bettered by dentures or a dental bridge. These are preferred by the health service as they’re cheaper and less intensive, although they aren’t as robust and long-lasting as implants.

In short, the question of how to get free dental implants will lead you to some significant hurdles. With a focus on the cause of your oral issues rather than how they actively affect you, it’s unfortunately not easy to qualify for the specifically severe cases that the NHS looks out for.

How Can I Find Free Medical Trials for Dental Implants Near Me?

The next step for lots of patients is to try getting implants through a medical trial, but the reality is that this isn’t a very widespread prospect for most. Firstly, finding an active trial is difficult; resources like the NHS’s Be Part of Research can help you find one, but it’s no guarantee that it’ll be in your area. This leaves researching universities and dental schools near you, but even if you do find a medical trial for implants, you’d have to then be chosen from a pool of other applicants.

Though it has happened that clinical trials have given patients their dental implants, free UK-based procedures are ultimately more likely through the NHS, despite this option also being inaccessible for many. Medical trials are not only too rare, but also selective if they do occur.

What to Expect if I Don't Get Tooth Implants for Free?

If you don’t qualify for free implants, you should familiarise yourself with the prices of paying privately. These actually vary from country to country, and it’s worth noting first of all that if you have them done at home, you’ll have to contend with a high tooth implant cost; UK dentists are on the pricier end of the spectrum, with more than ₤2,000 per tooth as a standard.

We have a dedicated price guide for dental implant prices around the world, and on it Turkey and Croatia rank as the top two destinations for the procedure, with average prices being over ₤1,000 cheaper. They have plenty of highly qualified dentists that offer quality work at a far lower price to international patients all the time, so it’s worth considering travelling for your procedure if you find yourself having to pay.

If I Can’t Get My Dental Implants for Free in The UK, Where Can I Get Them Instead?

We work with a lot of renowned clinics abroad that perform dental implant surgery regularly. They receive many patients that are caught in the struggle of not qualifying for free dental implants but also not being able to afford them privately in the UK. This is simply because they offer expert treatment at a much lower price.

If you’re in this position too, then there’s really no need to feel like you’re out of options already. Join the thousands of patients who travel for their treatment and come back with totally rejuvenated teeth. If you reach out to us, we’ll get you seen by an exceptional dentist whilst avoiding the extortionate costs you’d otherwise be left with by staying in the UK.

References:

NHS guide: dental treatments (last accessed on 12.12.2022)

Bupa dental care, treatments: 'Cost of Implants: NHS Dental Implants' (last accessed on 12.12.2022)

Mint Dental: 'How to Get Free Dental Implants' (last accessed on 12.12.2022)