Single Implant After
Front Tooth Trauma
A 34-year-old male patient presented to Tower Dental Blackpool following a sports injury that knocked out his upper-left central incisor (UL1). The avulsed tooth was non-viable for re-implantation. This case study sets out the assessment, treatment plan and outcome of his single dental implant restoration with Dr San Chatterjee, GDC 84643.
Patient profile and presentation
The patient is a 34-year-old male in good general health, a non-smoker, with no known systemic disease. He attended Tower Dental Blackpool 48 hours after a rugby tackle dislodged his upper-left central incisor. The tooth was lost on the field; reattachment was not attempted and was not clinically viable by the time he reached the surgery.
Initial presentation: empty socket UL1, mild residual swelling, no fracture of adjacent teeth or alveolar bone on clinical examination, mild but settling soft-tissue laceration to the upper lip. Mouth opening, occlusion and TMJ examination were all normal. Adjacent teeth UL2 and UR1 were vital on cold testing, with no mobility or percussion sensitivity.
Patient priorities (recorded at consultation): a fixed (not removable) replacement, natural-looking aesthetics for a public-facing professional role, and the shortest realistic treatment timeline given his work commitments. Cost was a consideration but not the primary driver.
Clinical assessment and decision-making
A CBCT scan was taken at the £40 consultation appointment. Assessment confirmed adequate alveolar bone height (15.2mm from crestal bone to nasal floor) and width (7.8mm buccolingual at the implant site) for primary implant placement without bone augmentation. Adjacent root anatomy was favourable, with no impingement on the implant axis.
The three realistic options were discussed at consultation, in writing:
Option 1 — Single dental implant + crown. Most predictable long-term outcome (10–15+ year survival in the published literature). Treatment time 4–6 months. Estimated cost £2,380. No impact on adjacent teeth.
Option 2 — Conventional 3-unit bridge from UL2 to UR1. Faster (~3 weeks). Lower upfront cost (£1,700–£1,850 at Tower Dental). Requires preparation of two healthy adjacent teeth, which the patient was not keen on given they were untouched.
Option 3 — Removable partial denture. Lowest cost (~£600). Patient declined immediately on lifestyle grounds.
The patient elected Option 1 — the dental implant — for the long-term predictability and the preservation of adjacent teeth.
Treatment provided
Visit 1 — Consultation and CBCT (£40). Full clinical examination, photographs, CBCT 3D scan, written treatment plan with three costed options. The £40 consultation fee was credited against the implant treatment cost.
Visit 2 — Implant placement (week 4). Dr Chatterjee placed a 4.3 × 13mm titanium implant at the UL1 site under local anaesthetic. The procedure took 55 minutes from anaesthetic administration to suturing. Primary stability achieved at >35 Ncm insertion torque. A temporary acrylic Essix retainer was provided for aesthetic coverage during the integration phase. The patient was given written post-operative instructions and a follow-up appointment was booked for 7 days.
Visit 3 — Suture removal (week 5). Healing as expected, no complications. Sutures removed.
Visit 4 — Integration check (week 16). Resonance frequency analysis confirmed osseointegration (ISQ 76). Healing abutment placed; full-arch impression taken for the laboratory.
Visit 5 — Crown try-in (week 20). Zirconia crown try-in with screw-retained design. Shade match assessed under multiple lighting conditions; minor occlusal adjustment.
Visit 6 — Crown fitment (week 22). Final screw-retained zirconia crown torqued to 25 Ncm and access cavity sealed with composite. Final occlusal check; lateral and protrusive movements verified to be free of interferences.
Outcome and measurable data
Total chair time: 4 hours 15 minutes across 6 visits. Total elapsed time: 22 weeks (5.5 months) from initial consultation to final crown. Implant primary stability: >35 Ncm insertion torque. Osseointegration confirmed at ISQ 76 (resonance frequency analysis at week 16). Aesthetic outcome: patient-reported satisfaction 10/10 at the 12-month review; clinically the gingival margin was within 0.4mm of the contralateral UR1 (target was ≤0.5mm). Functional outcome: full occlusal contact in maximal intercuspation; no lateral interferences. Patient reflection at 12 months: "It feels like my own tooth. No-one I've told about the rugby story can guess which one was replaced."
This case is consistent with Tower Dental's broader implant outcomes: of approximately 200 implants placed at the practice between 2024 and 2025 by Dr Chatterjee and the implant team, recorded osseointegration success rate is approximately 99%, in line with the published literature for single-tooth implants in non-augmented sites in healthy adults.
Aftercare and long-term plan
The patient was enrolled on the Tower Dental adult plan (£19.60 per month) which provides two routine examinations and two hygienist appointments per year, alongside 15% off any future treatment. For an implant patient, ongoing professional cleaning is the single most important factor for long-term implant health — peri-implantitis is the dominant cause of late implant failure and is preventable with good hygiene.
The crown carries a 5-year manufacturer warranty against material failure. The implant body itself is supported by the manufacturer's lifetime guarantee subject to the patient maintaining recall appointments. Patients on the Tower Dental adult plan automatically meet the recall criterion.
A 12-month, 3-year and 5-year recall programme is in place, with periapical radiographs at the 12-month and 5-year reviews to monitor crestal bone levels.
Cost breakdown
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Initial £40 consultation (credited against treatment) | £40 |
| CBCT 3D scan | included |
| Implant placement (4.3 × 13mm titanium) | £1,800 |
| Healing abutment | included |
| Final screw-retained zirconia crown | £580 |
| Total before plan discount | £2,420 |
| Less consultation credit | -£40 |
| Final paid by patient | £2,380 |
The patient elected to spread the cost over 10 months at £238/month interest-free via V12 Finance, subject to status approval which was confirmed at the consultation visit.
Talk through your own case
If you have lost a tooth — whether through trauma, decay or extraction — and are weighing up the options, the £40 consultation at Tower Dental Blackpool is the right starting point. You will leave with a clinical assessment, a CBCT scan where indicated, and a written treatment plan with all realistic options costed.
Dr San Chatterjee, GDC 84643, holds the MID from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh — the gold-standard UK implant qualification — and has been placing implants for over 15 years. The full Tower Dental clinical team is GDC-registered and CQC-regulated.
To book a consultation, call 01253 353759 or use the online contact form. The £40 consultation fee is credited against any treatment booked.
Talk through your own case
A £40 consultation includes a full clinical assessment, treatment plan and CBCT or digital scans where indicated. The fee is credited against any treatment booked.
Find Tower Dental Blackpool
302a Devonshire Road, Blackpool FY2 0TW. Free on-street parking directly outside. Open Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm and Saturday 9am–2pm. Call 01253 353759.