Is there such a thing as Affordable Dental Implants?

In the old days, when people lost their teeth due to decay and gum disease, they went into the dental office and walked out with dentures.  At the time, this was the best care possible.  Subsequent generations lost fewer teeth and those were replaced with crown and bridgework.  At the time, this was considered the “state of the art” care.  

Then along came dental implants.  These are basically Titanium screws that are placed into the old jaw socket of the missing tooth.  Upon the screw is placed a new tooth – a crown.  Thus we have an implant in the jaw attached to a crown which is the part you see in a person’s mouth.  It is generally considered the preferred treatment option for missing tooth replacement today.

The problem with early dental implants is that they were expensive.  The process was confined to a few area Oral Surgeons and affordable dental implants were nonexistent.  Today, dentists everywhere seem to be offering affordable dental implants.  Dental Implants still seem to be a mystery to many people, so hopefully this article will cut thru some of the confusion concerning affordable dental implants.

As stated earlier, dental implants are today’s choice for single missing tooth replacement.  Typically, a patient has a tooth that is non save-able because of fracture or gum disease and the tooth needs to be removed.  The tooth is removed and the dentist performs a bone graft (which typically fills the void left in the jaw where the old tooth root was) and the area is allowed to heal for three months.  After the healing period is finished, a dental implant is placed in the previous extraction site and allowed to heal for three months.  After this second healing period is complete, a crown is attached to the implant and the procedure is officially complete.

It takes 3 dental visits, 2 surgeries and 1 year to finish the dental implant/crown procedure.  Further, the specialized parts and laboratory expertise to fabricate your new tooth are costly.  However, affordable dental implants are obtainable. 

Here’s how:

Let us do a cost comparison of a tooth replacement with a 3-Unit Bridge and an Implant/Crown:

As you can see, the cost is the same.  The biggest difference between a bridge and an implant/crown is the implant/crown conserves the adjacent teeth.  This is a Big Deal, a REALLY BIG DEAL!!  When you conserve the adjacent teeth, you don’t open the possibility for future treatment on those teeth.  This alone decreases your cost.  The implant/crown takes longer to complete, but in the bigger picture of life, its not really that big of a deal.  

Related Article: Dental Implants to Support Dentures

So, is there really such a thing as affordable dental implants? 

The answer is Yes.  Affordable dental implants are the modern treatment of choice for replacing missing teeth.

We hope this helps you determine if affordable dental implants are the best option for you to replace a missing tooth.  At Thomas L. Anderson and Associates, we look forward to meeting with you and making sure you receive the best dental treatment possible. Please call one of our three convientent locations to schedule an appointment.