TDC Smile in a Day Dental Implant Procedure and Process

With Total Dentalcare (TDC) Smile in a Day same-day dental implants there are three simple stages to regaining fully functioning teeth and your beautiful new smile. An advanced and clinically-proven technique, the months of treatment time required with traditional implant methods are reduced into a single day – without the need for bone graft surgery.

This page lets you know what to expect at each step along the way.

Step One – Consultation, Analysis and Planning

Your initial consultation will be held at one of our three UK-based dental implant centres that are conveniently located in Harley Street in London, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire and Folkestone in Kent.

This is your chance to talk about your dental problems with one of our highly experienced implant dentists, and to discuss your needs, preferences and possible solutions. We’ll ask you about the issues you have with your teeth, any health problems we should be aware of, and what sort of solution you are looking for to replace your loose and missing teeth, or dentures.

Your dental implant dentist will also examine your teeth and your gums and take some photographs to assess if Smile in a Day, sometimes referred to as Teeth in a Day or same-day teeth, is likely to be the best dental option for you.

We encourage you to ask as many questions as you wish – whether about the Smile in a Day implant procedure, the TDC team or the benefits of dental implants generally– it is important to be well informed so you can select the right dental team for you, and one that you can trust to give you the very best results.

You can watch our video, “Your First Smile in a Day Consultation” to learn more.

We know that some people can feel nervous or anxious when they attend a dental consultation. You can be sure that we will never rush you or make you feel judged.

Our patients find themselves in need of dental implant treatment for many different reasons – lifestyle, genetics, accidents – and we are here to help restore your teeth and your smile, and to boost your confidence.

Reading some of our independently verified patient reviews may help re-assure you that you are in the best possible hands.

Patient safety is the number one priority at TDC Implant Centres. We are very proud to have won the Private Dentistry Best Patient Care (London) Award in 2019, as well as winning the My Face My Body Best Patient Care category for the last two years.

Confirming that Smile in a Day same-day dental implants are suitable for you

After your consultation, if you and your dentist agree that TDC Smile in a Day dental implant treatment is likely to be suitable for you and that you would like to progress to the next stage, the next step is to have a computerised 3D CT scan.

Your CT scan provides our dental implant team with detailed X-ray images of your jaws and teeth, enabling them to look beneath the surface of your gums and to measure the amount, location and quality of bone in your jaw.

We can then confirm that Smile in a Day same-day teeth are definitely a suitable treatment option for you.

In the majority of cases, our Smile in a Day implant placement treatment is suitable even for people with extreme gum disease and bone loss, without the need for bone graft surgery.

However, if we feel this isn’t the right treatment for you, we’ll discuss alternative solutions.

Creating your personal treatment plan

After your consultation and CT scan, our team will formulate a detailed dental implant care plan for you, known as your Treatment Plan. This will summarise the findings from your consultation and CT scan analysis, along with the recommended treatment options that we have discussed together.

The Treatment Plan will also confirm your dental implant costs. At TDC, our Smile in a Day prices are fixed and all-inclusive so you can be assured that there will be no unexpected extra charges during the course of your treatment.

Booking your treatment date

Once you’ve decided to go ahead with your Smile in a Day dental implant procedure, and you have returned your signed Consent Form, we will book your implant surgery date. We will always do our best to accommodate your preferred timings.

We also book in the appointments you will need pre and post-surgery e.g. for taking impressions. Your personal Patient Coordinator will stay in regular contact to re-assure you that everything is on track for your implant surgery and to make sure you are fully informed at every step of the process.

If required, we will maintain contact with your own doctor or dentist to ensure your care is totally seamless.

Before your TDC Smile in a Day procedure, we run a virtual surgery to make sure we’re fully prepared for your treatment, including creating a 3D printed model of your jawbone so we can plan your surgery in more detail.

We plan for every eventuality so that you can have total peace of mind. Patient health and safety is our priority.

Step Two – Smile Restoration Day

This is the single surgical appointment in your TDC Smile in a Day treatment – and the day that you get your smile back!

Loose and missing teeth are now a thing of the past!

On this one day we remove any remaining teeth, as required, place your dental implants and fit your fixed, natural-looking provisional same-day teeth.

Conscious sedation

Smile in a Day implant placement begins with sedation if chosen, followed by a gentle numbing of your mouth. This will ensure that you feel absolutely no discomfort during the procedure.

Most of our patients choose conscious sedation as it keeps them pain-free, relaxed and comfortable. The patient remains awake throughout the procedure; they feel like they are in a dream-like state and usually have no recollection of the procedure afterwards.

Conscious sedation is extremely safe, without the risks and side effects often associated with general anaesthetic. The sedation is carried out by one of our highly trained anaesthetists, who stays with you for the duration of your surgery.

Where patients opt to not be sedated, the implant placement procedure will still be pain-free.

Placing the dental implants

We usually place four implants in each jaw (hence the term All-on-4). Each implant is placed at a precise angle to maximise the use of available bone, and this gives the perfect fit and maximum stability for the bridge of bespoke artificial teeth.

We use an advanced dental implant system with a built-in angle that provides a stronger base for your new fixed teeth.

Creating and placing your new teeth

After your implant surgery, we take precise measurements and you rest comfortably while your bespoke teeth are crafted by our expert laboratory technicians. They make your teeth on your treatment day as this is generally acknowledged to be the best way to obtain customised excellence.

The teeth are designed to enhance your appearance while restoring ideal bite and chewing function, and also help to speed up the healing process.

Your implant dentist will place your new teeth, so they are securely retained and supported by the dental implants.

This is the moment when you can look in the mirror and see your beautiful new smile for the first time!

So, within hours of arriving for your treatment you can say goodbye to loose and missing teeth or dentures. You’ll have a full set of fixed teeth and your smile back!

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Your take-home implant aftercare pack

Before leaving, your implant dentist will give you a specially prepared take-home implant care kit containing essential medication and oral hygiene products, along with full written instructions of what to expect and what to do to once you leave us.

This letter will include our after-hours telephone numbers so that you can call us any time with questions or concerns.

Feel free to bring someone along with you on Smile Restoration Day for moral support – the majority of our patients do, and we will take as much care of them as we do of you. We do request that someone should accompany you home if you have opted for sedation.

Step Three – The Healing Phase, and your Permanent Smile

Immediate aftercare

Most of our patients are amazed at how pain-free the implant process is, both during and after surgery.

As with any dental surgery, some minor discomfort, bruising and swelling can be expected. Any discomfort can be managed with over the counter pain-relief such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.

We do advise you to take things easy and to avoid strenuous physical activity for a couple of days afterwards.

The dental implant healing phase

Your new teeth will remain fixed in your mouth, night and day, whilst your bone integrates with your implants.

About three months later we exchange them for your permanent set of new teeth at a non-surgical appointment.

Looking after your implants and new teeth is straightforward.

However, it is important to remember that, in the first two months of function, failure to follow the dietary recommendations and to perform adequate oral hygiene each day can affect implant healing and the success of the overall treatment.

We will provide you with all the information and advice that you need.

What can I eat and drink with my new teeth?

Your new temporary fixed teeth are strong enough for you to eat normal foods as soon as they are placed – even including crunchy apples – but we advise that you only chew food that you can cut with a fork for the time you are wearing the provisional prosthesis (new teeth).

This will help you to take things slowly and build up gradually from soft to harder foods as you get used to your new teeth.

Once your permanent teeth are fitted, you will have the confidence to eat totally normally.

All types of food will be back on the menu – nuts, steaks and crunchy bread included! You’ll be able to eat without worry, and denture wearers find their sense of taste is restored as there is no longer a plate to cover your palate.

But remember that your new teeth are not bionic! Just like natural teeth, they are subject to wear and tear when you bite and chew; any small chips are quickly and easily repaired.

Can I drink alcohol and / or smoke?

Drinking alcohol, smoking or using tobacco products can disturb coagulation, delay healing and cause post-operative pain, so we strongly advise that you refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol for at least two weeks after your implant placement surgery.

Your permanent smile

Around two to three months after surgery, your bone will have fully integrated with the dental implants.

During this time, you can expect some shrinkage of the gums below the teeth. This is due to healing resorption of the bone in these areas and is entirely normal.

So, this is the time to take a new set of dental impressions to make your new, permanent set of teeth.

We will work closely with you to make sure every detail of your final teeth is perfect, from the bite function to the colour. You will have a try-in appointment to make any final adjustments for fit and colour.

Your provisional teeth are exchanged for your final, permanent set at a non-surgical appointment about ten days later.

Aftercare – keeping your new teeth looking great

We use only the highest quality materials in the planning and construction of your same-day dental implants and new teeth.

Just like with natural teeth, your dental implants can last a lifetime if they are consistently well cared for.

Most dental implant failure is caused by the lack of a really good at-home dental hygiene routine, so you must commit to looking after your new teeth. This is crucial to the long-term success of your implants and new teeth.

We will provide you with instructions and guidance on how to brush and clean.

We will subscribe you to our Maintenance Programme and recommend that you come back to see the TDC Smile in Day implant team regularly so we can monitor and maintain the health of your teeth and gums and keep your implants in the best possible condition.

If you live too far away to visit one of our implant centres, we will provide detailed instructions for you to give to your dentist.

Continued care of your new teeth will assure their continuing health, aesthetics and function, just as with natural teeth.

Procedure