Should You Consider Dental Implants?
Many people have missing teeth, but thanks to continuing advancements in cosmetic dentistry services, more and more procedures are becoming available to the general public. One popular cosmetic procedure to replace missing teeth is dental implant surgery. If you are missing a tooth, check out these three questions to help you determine if dental implants are the right choice for you.
Do You Have Gum Disease?
If you want dental implants, you need a healthy jawbone to support the implants, making them durable enough to withstand strong pressure. Unfortunately, tooth loss is often caused by gum disease. If you have gum disease, your dentist won't recommend a dental implant because it can become infected too, causing peri-implant disease. Even if it doesn't develop this disease, however, the gum disease can weaken the gums and jawbone, causing the implant to loosen. Before getting dental implants, you must work with your dentist to treat and manage your gum disease.
How Long Have Your Teeth Been Missing?
It's not just gum disease that affects your jawbone. When you lose teeth, the jawbone atrophies because the tooth no longer stimulates it. If this happens, you can't get an implant until the dentist adds volume to the jawbone with a bone graft. The bone graft procedure uses bone from another part of your body, synthetic bone, or something similar to promote new bone growth. Once the implant is placed, it stimulates the jawbone, so it doesn't atrophy again. For this reason, if your teeth have been missing a long time, treatment for dental implant surgery may be long, complicated, and expensive.
Can You Afford the Procedure?
Dental implants are a major investment in your smile, and the price can vary drastically, depending on many factors, such as the overall health of your mouth and number of missing teeth. On average, however, you can expect to spend $2,400 to $10,000 for a single implant, depending on what other procedures are needed (extraction, bone graft, etc.). If you choose an implant-supported bridge, you may pay up to $30,000, and a full set of implant-supported dentures may cost anywhere between $7,000 and $90,000. Insurance may pay some cost like extraction, but the actual implant is not usually covered.
If you are sick of missing teeth, it's time to consider tooth-replacement options. Dental implants are only one option to get a more beautiful smile. For more information, contact a cosmetic dentist in your area today and schedule a consultation.
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