Our Most Frequently Asked Questions on Dental Implants

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The Most Common Questions People Ask About Dental Implants 

If you’re considering dental implants, you’re not alone. Across Nottingham and the wider UK, implants are one of the most searched for dental treatments and people tend to ask the same key questions before deciding whether they are right for them. Below, we’ve answered some of the most common questions we hear most often from people exploring their treatment options. 

The first and most common asked question is about cost. People want to know how much implants are and what influences the price. At Wollaton Dental Care we explain the full treatment journey, outline every stage and ensure you have a clear written treatment plan before anything begins. Our treatment plans are transparent. Although they obviously vary from person to person as no two treatment plans are the same, there are no hidden ‘extras’. 

Close behind cost is the question of time, how long is this process going to take from initial consultation to final crown? Every case is unique, but we can usually map out a clear timeline at your first visit which could be anything from three to six months. 

Another frequent concern is whether implants hurt. Most patients are pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the procedure is. Thanks to modern techniques and effective local anaesthesia, the procedure itself is pain free. Afterwards, we warn people they may get some pain, swelling and bruising but most of our patients report little to no pain after treatment with only the need for mild pain relief.  

People are also keen to understand how long implants last. With good care, many implants can last decades, sometimes even a lifetime. Regular appointments with the hygienist and dental health checks along with meticulous home care, are a must. We offer a five year guarantee on Wollaton Dental Care dental implants. Dental implants are the closest replacement to your own teeth you can get. 

Suitability is another key topic. Patients often ask whether their bone levels, general health or gum condition will affect their ability to have implants. Understandably people want to know, what their own options are. The truth is, until you have had a detailed assessment, this question can’t be answered with confidence. Many also want to know about alternatives such as dentures or bridges and the risks involved. This will all be discussed in detail at your assessment. 

Finally, full arch or multiple tooth solutions are an area of growing interest. Whether you’re missing one tooth or several, implant options now cover a wide range of clinical needs. 

If you’d like to explore whether implants are right for you, we can guide you through every step clearly, calmly and honestly, with your long-term oral health as our goal. 

 

Keeping Teeth for Life-A guide to looking after your smile as you get older

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How to Keep Your Teeth for Life.  

A Guide to Long-Term Dental Health from Wollaton Dental Care. 

Throughout our lives things change as we age and our teeth are no exception! As we reach middle age and beyond, many of us start to notice changes in our teeth and gums. By this time, several decades of toothbrushing can lead to mild gum recession and for those of us who still have those amalgam fillings placed in our teens and twenties, they’ve done very well but are probably starting to show their age! It’s no coincidence that our patients start to approach us enquiring about services such as tooth whitening. Throughout our life, the coloured part of the tooth the dentine, starts to thicken and our enamel can thin, so our teeth can start to look yellower than they once did. With the right care, it’s absolutely possible to improve your dental health and your smile. 

At Wollaton Dental Care, we focus on helping everyone maintain strong, healthy smiles into later life. We always aim to plan for the future so that we can help you look after your natural teeth right into old age. Regular dental health checks, visits to our hygienists and personalised home-care advice are the foundations for excellent dental health. Prevention is key and bespoke advice on how you care for your teeth at home is vitally important particularly when it comes to preventing and treating gum disease. 

Modern dentistry has moved on. We can now use digital scanners to monitor your teeth, making it possible for us to detect small problems before they become major ones and helping you to stay healthy. For patients with worn, missing or sensitive teeth, today’s restorative treatments such as ceramic onlays, dental implants or even moving teeth with clear aligners offer comfortable, long-lasting and aesthetic solutions. 

Lifestyle choices matter too. Reducing sugar, stopping smoking and keeping gums healthy all reduce the risk of tooth loss as well as other health issues.  

If it’s been a while since your last dental visit, there’s no need to worry and no better time to start. Get it ticked off your to-do list!  

Call our friendly team at our private dental practice in Wollaton, Nottingham and book your next dental health check. We’re here for you and would love to help! 

May Newsletter

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Practice Update.

Welcome to the May edition of our newsletter. At the time of writing, it is bank holiday weekend. There are such a plethora of bank holidays at this time of year and the extra time to be able to spend with friends and family seems such a treat. We hope our patients and team are able to enjoy some rest and recuperation. The sun shining all week has also been a huge bonus. Rest assured our surgeries and reception area are all air conditioned so you will not overheat at the practice should you have an appointment coming up! We invested in air con a few years ago and we are always so grateful of it as temperatures start to rise at this time of year.

 

Below you will find an update of all that has happened at the practice in the last month along with upcoming events. We consider our team to be our biggest asset and truly believe our people are what set us apart from other practices, so I hope that you find our regular updates of interest to you.

 

On March 25th we had our Care Quality Commission Inspection. The CQC is the regulator for health and social care services in England and one of the regulators in dental practice that we need to work with to ensure that we deliver safe and effective care.

 

The CQC use key lines of enquiry to investigate if they deem a service to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. At the time of our last newsletter the report had not been published but we are pleased to now be able to share this with you. It goes without saying that we passed in all areas.

 

We would like to offer congratulations and extend our thanks to our whole team but particularly to our practice manager, Hayley James. Hayley has been working at WDC for many years but has only recently been appointed as our registered manager. To have navigated through her first CQC inspection so diligently and so well, is a huge achievement and tantamount to the high standards she sets as our manager. Well done.

 

Click here to read our 2025 CQC Report.

 

Toothbrush and Toothpaste Recycling is back at WDC.

 

A while back we offered a very popular service for recycling toothbrushes & toothpaste tubes at the practice. This was funded by Colgate and run by Terracycle. Unfortunately, Colgate stopped funding this and so we were unable to continue to offer this service. We were astonished however, to find that recycling these products elsewhere was notoriously difficult and found it virtually impossible to find anywhere we could recommend for oral care product.

 

Boots do offer a limited service but there are caveats placed on how to recycle in exchange for advantage points. Otherwise, we have been unable to find anywhere else that can take these products! We have therefore invested in our own oral care products recycling service right here at the practice. The cost of this will be funded by the business. It is personally important to us to ensure that facilitate responsible recycling in our industry.

 

Please use the box provided in the waiting area. It is for toothpaste tubes and caps, electric toothbrush heads (those not containing RFID microchips), plastic toothbrushes, floss containers. Interdental brushes are also now accepted and even dental aligners.

 

 

Join Us and Get Active with GoVida!

 

In September this year our team will set out to climb Scotland’s highest peak Ben Nevis to raise money for Footprints Conductive Education Centre, Reverse Rett & B.R.I.L.L. at Nottingham University Hospital. All of these charities have a connection to pat ients at the practice.

 

In the run up to this, we need to get going with our training and so we have partnered with GoVida Well Being app to embark on a challenge! Between May 9th and September 19th we are going to try to walk the equivalent distance of walking from Bramcote Lane to Ben Nevis! This is 337 miles in just over four months. This time we’re throwing in a bit of a curve ball – our patients, friends and family can join us on this virtual challenge as well!

 

Our team have used the GoVida app for over a year now to help encourage healthy habits and get active. We would love it if our patients got involved in this challenge with us and it would really help motivate us to train for the real deal! It’s free of charge, there are no catches and no pressure. Simply sign up using the link below, download the GoVida app and link it to your phone or fitness tracker and away you go. If you are feeling charitable and would like to help us hit our fundraising target by donating to our JustGiving page as well, this would be very much appreciated by us and the charities, but even just joining in is worthwhile. It will help raise awareness of these charities and our fundraising and you will almost certainly increase your daily activity and well-being in the process.

On average, our team’s daily activity increases by a third every time we take part in one of these challenges so it really is worthwhile. Please click the link below or scan the QR code and join in!

 

Click to join our virtual walk to Ben Nevis.

Don’t feel up to joining in with a walking challenge or just don’t fancy it, but would still like to support us? You can donate to our fundraising for these three amazing charities below. Our current total sits at £693 but we’d love to have raised at least £1000 for each of these charities by the time we set out to conquer the beast that is Ben Nevis in September!

 

Click to donate to our fund raising!

 

The Magic of Composite Bonding!

Composite bonding is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure where a tooth coloured resin is applied to the teeth to improve their appearance. It’s great for fixing chips, closing small gaps or helping with discolouration and the resin is carefully shaped to blend in naturally with your smile and preserve your natural tooth structure. The technique for placing this sort of restoration is extremely technique sensitive and done well it can be a brilliant treatment to improve your smile easily and safely. This month one of our practice owners, Anna Lawson, travelled to Manchester to take part in an additional two full days training on this technique. She was taught by the team from The Fresh Dental Institute, receiving additional hands-on training from one of the experts in this field, Monik Vasant.

 

 Team Celebrations.

 

Our team celebrated our recent CQC success with an afternoon out in town. We went to Roxy Ballroom, (highly recommend it!), for curling and darts! We followed this with a fabulous meal at Bistro Pierre and a game of Yankee Gift Swap!

 

Kaylee (right) and Kirsty (left) on our recent team outing to Nottingham!

Kaylee (right) and Kirsty (left) on our recent team outing to Nottingham!

We also congratulated Kaylee Ferguson (pictured here on the right with Kirsty Ellis, on our recent team afternoon in Nottingham), on being promoted to our Decontamination Lead. Kaylee has worked at the practice in her role as a dental nurse for over seven years and is a massive asset to us. She really is the epitome of a team player! During COVID Kaylee stepped up and worked alongside our dentists at the Urgent Care Centre which was a difficult thing to do. Kaylee also played a large role during our recent inspection, being inspected and questioned on our decontamination processes and HTM01-05 (a huge document from the UK Department of Health about decontamination in primary dental practice). Kaylee now leads our team on all the cross infection and decontamination processes. A hugely important role in running the practice safely. Congratulations Kaylee.

 

 

Local Events.

 

 

On June 8th this year The Nottingham Motor Show returns to Wollaton Park! This is a free event apart from parking charges. There are food and exhibitors, music and entertainment. A great family day out

 

click to link to more information on the Nottingham Motor Show 2025

April Newsletter

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This month’s edition of our newsletter is a little later than normal landing in your inbox and that is because it’s been an incredibly busy month at WDC!

Early on in the month we got a call which we knew must be coming soon, that we were going to have our Care Quality Commission inspection. For those who don’t know what this is, think, Ofsted for healthcare! It wasn’t a big surprise to us as we haven’t had an inspection for some time now so we knew our time must be coming soon! Needless to say we passed our inspection with flying colours and although these things are always a little nerve wracking, overall it was a very positive experience for us. The report has not yet been published but we will share a link to it when it is available.

It was no-secco alcohol free by the way!!

A Big Well Done!

A big shout out goes to Hayley James our practice manager. Hayley took over the role of registered manager just last year when Sam Fletcher stepped down. Being a registered manager with the CQC is a big responsibility. The CQC inspects healthcare services to ensure that they are safe, effective, well led, responsive and caring and the registered person oversees all of this. We met all of the standards in each of these areas. A great start to Hayley’s career as our practice manager. Well done to all of our team as everyone pulled together to support each other.

Outreach Projects.

At the start of the month, Monica and Hayley carried out another school visit, this time to Arnold View Primary School. They had a fun morning talking to the children about keeping their teeth healthy and visiting the dentist! The children loved it and I think Monica and Hayley did too!

 

Anna and Monica were also due to start their journey volunteering with Dentaid this month. Dentaid is a charity which provides mobile dental units and volunteer workers to provide outreach dental clinics to people experiencing homelessness, harm, poverty and abuse. Sadly due to a lack of funding one clinic was cancelled and then the next due to a problem with the mobile van! We are undeterred so will sign up again and keep you posted on our volunteering experience!

March also saw us signing up to be a Unity Partner for Bridge2Aid. We have sponsored Dental Therapist Magreth Jeremiah Mbukwa to enable her to undertake additional training in order to upskill and undertake more complex work in the Serengema district in the Mwanza region of Tanzania. The Mwanza region as a whole has a population of 3.7 million and has just 4 dentists and 30 dental therapists so there is a huge need for the additional help and skills that Magreth will bring.

Many of our patients will know that for some time now we have supported the work of Gold for Kids. This is a really innovative charity which recycles the scrap metal from dental restorations (such as old crowns) by refining it so that it can be repurposed. The money raised is then donated to children’s charities. We have recently been interviewed by Gold for Kids and the interview was published in Dentistry Magazine. You can read the article by clicking the link below.

Click to read our interview with Gold for Kids

Practice Changes.

This month we have made the difficult decision to give our notice to the local commissioning board that from 1st August 2025 we will be no longer be providing NHS services at our practice. All of our dentists have worked in the NHS for over 20 years and so this decision brings mixed feelings for us. Providing NHS has become increasingly unsustainable. We tried to negotiate with the ICB to allow us to continue to see children and those on lower incomes on an NHS basis but sadly this was declined.

We want to reassure our patients that this change has been made with the long term interests of the practice and our patients in mind. We prioritise a good, compliant and safe service which delivers high quality dentistry to each and every one of our patients. One of our main drives as business owners is also to be good employers and look after our team, always striving to provide them with a great place to work. We have several alternative options for continuing your care with us at the practice. You can read more about this by clicking the link below.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our patients for their support over the years.

Click to read more about our practice changes from 1st August 2025.

Sponsorship.

We were approached by Wollaton Cricket Club with a sponsorship opportunity and our now proud sponsors of Asif Riaz

Local Events

Foodies Festival, Wollaton Hall & Deer Park, NG8 2AE.

Great food, great music, great fun. 27th, 28th, 29th June 2025.

Click for more details

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you again at the practice soon. Best wishes, Team WDC.

March Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly round up of practice news & oral health advice.

Thank you for reading our March Newsletter. At the time of writing, it really feels like Spring has sprung, the sun is shining and dare we say it, it even feels warm! There is a sensation of optimism in the air that Spring brings and the anticipation of new beginnings.

With our newsletter we aim to keep you updated on the latest news and developments from the practice as well as share with you oral health advice and tips. Whether you’re a long-standing patient or new to our practice, we’re committed to providing you with the best possible care and service. We always welcome feedback, so please let us know if there are areas you think we are doing well or where we can improve.

Please support our fundraising for 2025!

This month we continue with our commitment to raise funds for our three designated charities Footprints Conductive Education Centre, Reverse Rett & The B.R.I.L.L. (Brain Injury Living Life) Team at Nottingham University Hospital Charity. In September our team will set out to climb Ben Nevis in a bid to raise vital funds for each of the charities. Our total currently stands at £568.

 

We are starting a raffle this month to win a 10th generation iPad. Our practice is part of a buying group where local practices join together to receive better deals on certain products and materials and the buying group at The Campbell Academy has kindly purchased the iPad for our raffle prize. Tickets are priced at £1 each. Please call in to reception to purchase.

If you’re still feeling generous after buying a raffle ticket or two and you can spare another couple of pounds then please click the link below to donate and sponsor our Ben Nevis climb. Please select which charity you would like to donate to, we would like to be able to have split the fund raising equally by the end of the event! Thank you in advance from us and the charities, we really do appreciate your support.

Click here to donate & support our team, don’t forget to select your chosen charity!

This Month’s Training.

This month has seen our team upping their training game in dental photography and an update on sterile surgery set ups. We have also travelled to Manchester to receive more training on giving our patients the best experience and on customer service. We have attended the first local study club from the International Team for Implantology to further increase our knowledge about dental implant complications.

 

Protecting your Smile with Exceptional Standards of Cross Infection Prevention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At our practice, safety is a top priority which is why we uphold the highest standards of cross infection prevention. After every patient, our team follow strict protocols of cleaning of the environment and all instruments go through extensive cleaning and sterilsation. Your health matters to us and we’re committed to delivering exceptional treatment with uncompromising standards of cleanliness.

Regular Dental Health Checks hold one of the keys to a healthier you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every dental health check you attend is bespoke to you. We follow a system to ensure every aspect of your oral health is checked.

  1. We update our admin and have the opportunity to check that the details we hold for you are correct.
  2. We listen to any information about your general health by updating your medical history. We ask about medications and allergies but this is also the time to update us on any underlying conditions that you may be receiving care for, as well as any impending operations or procedures.
  3. We will try to find out a little about you, your social circumstances, family and support network and any habits such as alcohol intake and smoking.
  4. We will ask you for your opinion on how healthy your mouth is and if you are aware of any problems that may be present.
  5. We will check your jaw joint and make a record of any problems here.
  6. We will check for any lumps or swellings on your head and neck.
  7. We check your cheeks, lips, bottom and top of your mouth and tongue for any abnormalities. Steps 5 and 6 form your oral cancer screening. This is done at every dental health check.
  8. It is only now that we check your teeth! We check teeth for evidence of decay or fractures and fillings for signs of chips or breakages. We check for signs of infection.
  9. We check for evidence of acid erosion or damage to your teeth due to habits such as teeth grinding and clenching and regular wear and tear!
  10. We check that your bite is working as it should and any discrepancies in the position and arrangement of your teeth.
  11. We check your gum health for signs of gum disease and if present, then we will grade and stage the disease as soon as we can.
  12. We check your level of oral hygiene and give any tips and advice that you might need. We discuss and give dietary advice when it is needed.
  13. We may recommend X-rays and other special tests that are needed to make a diagnosis. We may also take a digital intra-oral scan of your teeth.
  14. We create a bespoke treatment plan for you.

Click for an A-Z of oral health conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At WDC we are great believers in getting and staying active to improve well being and health as a whole. Our team have access to Go Vida. This is a well being platform in the form of an app. We’ve been using this for over a year now. We regularly partake in step challenges which encourage our team to increase their daily steps and be more active when they can. You’ll often see one of our team ‘walking up the hill’ on Bramcote Lane or round the block at lunch time, getting some fresh air in their lungs and movement in their legs! On our run up to our ‘big hike’ in September we are planning a big virtual walking challenge with a difference. This time we intend to invite our friends, families and WDC patients along on the virtual challenge by logging their steps and trying to increase their level of activity. This is a virtual challenge, so all steps are logged on your smart phone as individuals. We hope to launch this within a month or so, so watch this space for more details!