How SureFix® works.
"From the first phone call to your new smile."
A free consultation, then a written treatment plan, then your treatment. Most of that treatment is healing time, while you get on with normal life. Here's what each phase looks like, in detail.
Four to six months, with most of it spent letting your implants integrate.
Your SureFix® treatment plays out over four to six months, with most of that time spent letting your implants integrate while you get on with normal life. Here's what each phase looks like.
- Surgery dayMorning
You arrive
You arrive at the practice and are settled in by the team. We'll go through the day's plan with you, you'll meet your surgeon, and there's plenty of time to ask any final questions before things get going.
- The procedure
Implants placed and same-day teeth fitted
Treatment takes around two to four hours per jaw and is carried out under local anaesthetic, the same kind used for a routine filling, so you feel pressure but not pain. If you'd prefer to be more relaxed, conscious sedation is available, and is arranged in advance. Any failing teeth are removed, your implants placed and your same-day fixed teeth fitted, all in the one appointment.
- Afternoon
You leave with teeth
You leave that afternoon with your new fixed teeth in place. You'll need someone to drive you home, particularly if you've had sedation. We send you home with written aftercare instructions, painkillers, and a number to reach us on if anything's bothering you that evening.
- The first weeksWeeks 1 to 4
Settling in
You'll be on a soft food diet while everything settles, and we'll see you back at the practice a couple of times to check on healing and make small adjustments where needed. Most patients are eating and talking comfortably from very early on.
- HealingMonths 1 to 6
Integration
Your implants gradually fuse with your jawbone, a process called integration. Your same-day fixed teeth stay in throughout this period, so you don't go without teeth at any point and life carries on as normal.
- Final teethMonths 4 to 6
Fitting your final teeth
Once integration is complete, we fit your final teeth, which is the set you'll keep long-term. Some treatment tiers include the final teeth as part of the fixed fee, and your treatment plan will set out exactly what's covered.
- AfterLong-term
Aftercare
Two years of professional aftercare is included as standard, covering everything routine. After that, regular maintenance appointments keep your teeth and your investment in good condition for years to come.
Does it hurt?
Most people are more anxious about pain than they need to be. This is what to actually expect.
During the procedure
SureFix® is carried out under local anaesthetic, the same kind used for routine fillings. Once you're numb, you feel pressure but not pain. A surgeon talks you through what's happening as it happens, and we stop and check on you regularly through the procedure.
If local anaesthetic alone doesn't suit you, conscious sedation is available. With sedation, you stay awake and able to respond to instructions, but you feel relaxed and tend not to remember the procedure clearly afterwards. Sedation needs to be arranged in advance, not decided on the day. You'll need someone to drive you home and stay with you that evening.
Either way, SureFix® isn't a procedure that "hurts" while it's happening. What some patients find difficult is more about emotional adjustment than physical sensation.
In the days after
The most uncomfortable stretch is usually the first 48 hours. Expect mild to moderate soreness, well managed by over-the-counter painkillers; some swelling around the jaw and cheeks, peaking on day 2 or 3; and a general "tender" feeling rather than sharp pain.
By the end of the first week most patients are off painkillers entirely. By the end of week two, the soreness is gone. We see you back at the practice during this stretch to check on healing.
If something doesn't feel right, call us. Pain getting worse instead of better, swelling spreading, anything you're not sure about. We'd rather hear from you and tell you it's fine than have you sit on a worry.
If anxiety about treatment is what's holding you back, we have a dedicated approach for nervous patients. Read how we look after them.
The largest implant team in North Wales.
Your SureFix® treatment is delivered by our implant team, currently the largest in North Wales. Several clinicians contribute to your care across the course of treatment, each bringing their own area of focus.
Dr Mark Gibson
BDS, MFGDP (UK) RCS (ENG), MJDF RCS (ENG), DIP REST DENT RCS (ENG), MSC (RESTORATIVE), FFGDP (UK), DIP LM RCS (ENG), P.C.T.L.C.P.
Implant dentistry, complex restorative care and periodontal care
Dr Trevor Ferguson
BDS, DGDP (UK), MGDS RCS (EnG), DIP IMPLANT DENT RCS (ENG), FFGDP(UK)
Diagnosis and implant dentistry
Dr Adithya Madhavan
BDS
Implant dentistry, complex restorative care, prosthodontics and general dentistry
Dr Gwawr Roberts
BDS
Implant dentistry and general dentistry
Dr Juraj Kocis
MUDr, PGc Endo
Implant dentistry and sedation
Dr Sandra Moreno
LIC ODONT, PGDip Ortod, DIPIMPLANTDENT RCS(ENG)
Implant dentistry and oral surgery
Dr Saumil Khamar
BDS, MJDF RCS(ENG), MCGDent
Implant dentistry, complex restorative care and general dentistry
Dr Stepan Bagdasarian
MDDr, MSc, PG DipImplantDent
Implant dentistry, complex restorative care, orthodontics and general dentistry
Questions people often ask about the day itself.
Around two to four hours per jaw, depending on complexity. If you're having both upper and lower jaws done, the day will be longer. We'll give you a precise estimate at your consultation.
If you've had local anaesthetic only, you can drive, though most patients prefer not to. If you've had sedation, you'll need someone to drive you and stay with you for the rest of the day.
You'll eat soft food for the first few weeks while your gums heal. Once your implants have integrated, usually three to six months, you can eat normally again. Most patients tell us they end up enjoying foods they hadn't been able to manage for years.
Ready to take the next step?
A free consultation is the next stage. We'll go through your scan, agree what's possible, and put it in writing. No commitment, no pressure.