South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
Treatment comparison · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Implants or a partial denture: filling a gap when most of your teeth are still there
Losing one or two teeth while the rest remain sound leaves a genuine choice. Individual implants place a titanium post in the bone for each gap and top it with a crown that stays put. A partial denture takes a different route: a slim plate carrying the replacement teeth, held by clasps that hook around the teeth you still have, and removed each night. Both close the space and restore chewing; where they part company is in feel, upkeep, effect on the neighbouring teeth and what you spend, now and later.
Decision guide
Which is right for you?
Choose Dental implants if…
- You have one or two gaps and would rather nothing rested on, or clipped to, your remaining teeth.
- A scan shows enough bone, or you are prepared to have grafting first.
- You dislike the idea of anything removable and want to clean your teeth as you always have.
- You are thinking in decades rather than years and can accept a wait of three to six months.
Choose Partial dentures if…
- Missing teeth are spread across different parts of the same jaw and one appliance could replace them together.
- Surgery is unappealing, or a medical condition or heavy smoking counts against implants.
- You want the gaps filled within a few weeks at a lower starting cost.
- You would like something that could later be swapped for implants once circumstances allow.
At a glance
Side by side
| Feature | Dental implants | Partial dentures |
|---|---|---|
| Type of treatment | Surgically placed post in the jaw carrying a fixed crown | Removable plate held by clasps on the remaining teeth |
| Removable or fixed | Fixed; stays in the mouth at all times | Taken out for cleaning and usually overnight |
| Stability | Anchored in bone, so it does not shift | Relies on clasp grip; can move slightly when eating |
| Comfort | Once healed, feels much like a natural tooth | Some bulk on the palate or gum; most people adapt over a few weeks |
| Effect on neighbouring teeth | None; the implant stands alone | Clasps bear on adjacent teeth and can wear them over time |
| Bone in the gap | Loading through the post helps maintain bone volume | Bone beneath the plate slowly shrinks |
| Expected lifespan | Often 25 years or more; the fixture may last a lifetime | Acrylic and Valplast around 5 to 8 years; cobalt-chrome 10 to 15 |
| Timeline | Roughly 3 to 6 months including healing | Usually 2 to 4 weeks from impressions to fitting |
| Fee at Wimpole Street | From £2,950 per implant including the crown | From £795 acrylic, £895 Valplast, £1,395 cobalt-chrome |
| Daily care | Brush and floss as for any tooth | Remove, brush with a denture brush and soak each day |
| Best suited to | Patients with good bone and general health who want a stand-alone fix | Patients with healthy remaining teeth who prefer a non-surgical or lower-cost option |
In the chair
What the treatment involves
Dental implants
Planning starts with a 3D scan to measure bone height and width and to locate nerves and sinuses. Under local anaesthetic, a small opening is made in the gum and the implant is seated in the bone; a single post typically takes well under an hour. The bone then knits to the titanium surface over three to four months, longer if a graft was needed. Once a check confirms the post is firm, a connector is fitted and a crown, colour-matched to the teeth beside it, is secured on top. A temporary tooth can usually cover the gap while you wait.
Partial dentures
At the first visit the dentist records the shape of your teeth and gums with a scan or impression and chooses the design: an acrylic base with simple clasps, a flexible nylon Valplast plate, or a thin cast cobalt-chrome framework. A try-in follows so the shade, tooth position and clasp fit can be checked before the laboratory finishes the work. Fitting usually happens two to four weeks after the start, with a short review to ease any pressure points. Because nothing is drilled, the remaining teeth are untouched, though they do need to be healthy enough to carry the clasps.
Fees
Cost and longevity at Wimpole Street
At Wimpole Street a single implant with its crown will start from £2,950. Partial dentures begin at £795 for an acrylic plate, £895 for a flexible Valplast design and £1,395 for a cobalt-chrome framework. Replacing two adjacent teeth with implants therefore costs several times the price of a partial that fills the same gap.
Set against that, an acrylic or Valplast partial typically needs remaking after five to eight years and a cobalt-chrome one after ten to fifteen, with relines in between as the ridge changes shape. Implant fixtures frequently pass 25 years. Over two or three decades the totals can move closer together, and many patients also weigh the daily convenience of a fixed tooth against the routine of removing and soaking a plate.
All prices are indicative and are confirmed in a written treatment plan at your consultation. Fees are the same at every Medical & Dental clinic.
Weighing it up
Strengths and trade-offs
Dental implants
Strengths
- Fixed in place; nothing to take out or soak
- Remaining teeth are neither clasped nor reshaped
- Chewing force close to that of a natural tooth
- Helps preserve the jawbone where the tooth was lost
- Longest lifespan of any replacement option
Trade-offs
- Involves a minor surgical procedure
- Three to six months before the final crown, longer with grafting
- Higher outlay per tooth
- Not advisable for some medical conditions or heavy smokers
Partial dentures
Strengths
- No surgery, so suitable for most patients
- Ready within two to four weeks
- One appliance can replace teeth in several areas
- Choice of acrylic, flexible or cobalt-chrome designs
- Can be replaced by implants later if you change your mind
Trade-offs
- Must be removed daily for cleaning
- Clasps may wear or stress the teeth they grip
- Weaker bite than fixed teeth, and may shift while eating
- Bone under the plate continues to recede
- Needs relining or remaking every few years
FAQ
Common questions
Modern partials are made to blend with the gum and neighbouring teeth, and Valplast clasps are gum-coloured rather than metal. A cobalt-chrome design uses small metal clasps that can occasionally show depending on where the gaps are. Your dentist will discuss clasp placement at the try-in stage.
Cobalt-chrome, at around ten to fifteen years, because the cast framework holds its shape and resists fracture. Acrylic and Valplast plates are lighter and cheaper but usually need replacing after five to eight years. All three benefit from occasional relining as the gum ridge changes.
It can. A plate does not load the bone beneath it, so the ridge gradually loses height and width. If you later decide on implants, a graft may be needed first, which extends the timeline. Anyone considering a switch is well advised to be assessed sooner rather than later.
An implant crown is brushed and flossed exactly like the teeth around it, with a hygienist checking the gum margin at routine visits. A partial is taken out, brushed with a soft denture brush and soaked, while the natural teeth are cleaned separately, paying attention to the areas the clasps touch.
Yes, though each gap normally needs its own fixture, so the cost rises with the number of teeth missing. Where three or four teeth are absent in different places, a single partial denture is often the more practical starting point, with implants considered later for the sites that matter most.
Yes. Implant scans and denture consultations are running now at our South Kensington and St Paul’s clinics with the same clinicians. Anything started there can be continued in Marylebone once the diary opens, and fees are identical across the three sites.
Marylebone, W1
Wimpole Street opens 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you when the Marylebone diary opens. If you would rather not wait, the same clinicians can see you at South Kensington or St Paul's now.
Related treatments at Wimpole Street
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
