Single Tooth Implant Costs for 2026 (What You'll Actually Pay)

You've lost a tooth. Maybe it cracked on a popcorn kernel, maybe it finally gave up after years of root canals. Doesn't matter. What matters is the quote sitting in front of you: £2,500 for a single dental implant.

That number probably came as a shock. But here's what you've already discovered if you've called around: single tooth implants in the UK cost anywhere from £1,500 to £3,500. The average patient pays £2,200-2,500. Those are the real numbers for 2026.

What You're Actually Buying

A dental implant isn't one thing. It's three things, and clinics price them differently.

First: the titanium screw that goes in your jaw (£400-800). Second: the abutment that connects everything (£200-400). Third: the crown that looks like a tooth (£600-1,200).

Some clinics bundle everything at £2,200. Others quote £1,500 for the implant and surgery, then hit you with another £800 for the crown later. Same total, different psychology.

The surgery itself takes 30-45 minutes. The healing takes 3-4 months. Then another appointment to fit the final crown. That's the timeline nobody mentions upfront.

Why Prices Vary by £2,000

Here's what actually drives the spread:

Location kills your wallet. Harley Street charges £3,000-3,500. Same implant, same technique, but you're paying for the postcode. Manchester runs £2,200-2,600. Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle – they hover around £2,000-2,400. Small towns can drop to £1,500-1,800 if you find the right practice.

The implant brand matters less than clinics pretend. Nobel Biocare (the Swiss one) adds £300-400 to your bill. Straumann (also Swiss) adds £200-300. Korean brands like Osstem or Megagen work identically but save you £400-500. The success rates are within 1-2% of each other.

Specialist markup is real. An oral surgeon or periodontist charges £2,800-3,500. A general dentist with implant training charges £1,800-2,400. The specialists have fancier degrees. The outcomes? Virtually identical for straightforward single implants.

The Hidden Extras That Double Your Bill

That £2,200 quote? It assumes you have enough bone. You might not.

Bone grafts add £400-800. Happens in about 30% of cases. They pack cow bone or synthetic granules where your tooth was. Sounds worse than it is.

Sinus lifts for upper teeth add £800-1,200. Your sinuses drop when you lose upper teeth. The surgeon needs to push them back up and pack bone underneath. Happens in 20% of upper implants.

Sedation adds £300-500 if you can't handle the thought of someone drilling into your skull while you're awake. Most people are fine with local anesthetic. The drilling sounds worse than it feels.

CT scans add £150-250 unless they're included. Most clinics include them now. Some still charge separately because they can.

The Extraction Problem

Still got the dead tooth in there? Add £150-350 for extraction.

Here's the kicker: some clinics want you to extract, heal for three months, then place the implant. Others extract and place simultaneously. Same long-term success rates, but immediate placement saves you three months and a surgery.

Not every case suits immediate placement. Infections need clearing first. But if you're suitable, why wait?

What Three Months of Healing Actually Means

After they drill the implant in, you wait. Three to four months. The bone grows into the titanium surface – they call it osseointegration.

You're not toothless during this time. They give you a temporary solution: a flipper (basically a retainer with a fake tooth), a temporary crown on the implant (if the bone's solid enough), or you just live with the gap if it's not visible.

The temporary crown on implant option adds £300-400 but means you look normal immediately. Worth it for front teeth. Back teeth? Save your money.

Payment Structures and Finance Reality

Nobody expects you to have £2,500 lying around. Here's how people actually pay:

Most clinics split it: £1,500 for implant placement, then £800-1,000 for the crown three months later. Natural payment plan, no interest.

Finance companies offer 0% for 12 months on amounts under £3,000. After that, it jumps to 9.9% APR. A £2,500 implant over two years at 9.9% means £111 monthly payments.

Some clinics do in-house payment plans. Usually 50% upfront, rest over 6 months. No interest but they'll want good credit.

The Cheaper Alternatives and Why They're Not

A bridge costs £1,200-1,800. Sounds cheaper until you realize it destroys the healthy teeth either side. Those teeth fail eventually. Now you need three implants instead of one. False economy.

Dentures for a single tooth (a flipper) cost £400-600. They move when you eat. They feel like plastic in your mouth because they are. They need replacing every few years. Twenty years of flippers costs more than one implant.

Doing nothing costs nothing financially. But the other teeth drift into the gap. Your bite changes. Your jaw bone disappears where the tooth was. The adjacent teeth take more force and fail faster. The free option becomes the expensive option.

Geographic Price Reality

Location	Price Range
London Zone 1-2	£2,800-3,500
London suburbs	£2,400-2,800
Manchester	£2,200-2,600
Birmingham	£2,000-2,400
Leeds	£2,000-2,400
Liverpool	£1,900-2,300
Newcastle	£1,900-2,300
Glasgow	£1,800-2,200
Edinburgh	£1,900-2,300
Cardiff	£1,800-2,200
Belfast	£1,700-2,100
Small cities/towns	£1,500-2,000

These aren't random. They track commercial property costs and local wages perfectly.

Turkey Teeth and Why People Risk It

Turkey offers single implants for £400-700 including the crown. Hungary charges £800-1,200. Poland runs £700-1,000.

The implant components cost the same worldwide. They're saving on labor and property costs, not materials. The surgery's usually fine. The problems come later.

When that £500 Turkish implant fails two years later, UK dentists charge £3,000+ to fix it. They need to remove the failed implant, graft bone, wait six months, then place a new implant. You've saved negative money.

But 80% of dental tourists have no problems. That's the gamble. Good odds, catastrophic downside.

Same-Day Implant Claims

Some clinics advertise "tooth in a day" for single implants. They can do it, sometimes.

If the bone's perfect and the implant locks in tight (35+ Ncm of torque for the technical types), they can put a temporary crown immediately. Looks normal, feels okay, but you can't bite properly for three months.

Most cases don't suit immediate loading. The implant needs time to integrate without force on it. Clinics pushing same-day teeth on everyone are pushing their luck and yours.

Quality Differences That Actually Matter

The implant surface treatment affects integration speed. Modern surfaces (SLA, SLActive, TiUnite) integrate in 6-8 weeks versus 12-16 weeks for older machined surfaces. Faster integration means faster final crown. Worth asking about.

Digital versus analog impressions matter for crown fit. Digital scanning creates better-fitting crowns with fewer adjustments. Clinics with scanners usually charge the same as those using goop impressions. Why suffer?

The crown material matters long-term. Porcelain-fused-to-metal costs less (£600-800) but can show metal at the gum line eventually. All-ceramic or zirconia costs more (£900-1,200) but looks natural forever. Front teeth deserve zirconia. Back teeth, your choice.

Maintenance Costs Nobody Mentions

Implants need professional cleaning every 6 months, just like real teeth. £100-150 per visit. The crown lasts 10-15 years before needing replacement at £800-1,200. The implant itself should last decades if you don't get gum disease.

Some clinics include lifetime cleaning in premium packages. Costs £500-800 more upfront but saves money if you stick with them.

Making the Decision

Single implants make sense when you've lost one tooth and the adjacent teeth are healthy. They preserve bone, feel like real teeth, and last decades.

The £2,200 average UK price sounds insane until you math out the alternatives. Bridges wreck healthy teeth. Dentures feel like dentures. Doing nothing wrecks everything else.

Most patients who get implants say the same thing: "I wish I'd done it sooner." Not because they love spending £2,500, but because living with a proper tooth again is worth more than the money.

The real question isn't whether £2,500 is too much for a tooth. It's whether you can afford not to replace it properly. Your jaw bone is disappearing by the month. Your other teeth are taking extra force. The price only goes up as the bone disappears and complications mount.

Get the consults. Get the quotes. Understand what's included. Then make the call. The longer you wait, the more bone you lose, the more the eventual fix costs.