According to the American College of Prosthodontists, about 120 million people have no teeth and about 36 million have at least one missing tooth. There are many reasons why people lose teeth but the most common cause is tooth decay and gum disease. The traditional methods to replace the missing teeth included a dental bridge, a partial denture, or full denture.
A dental bridge is secured using two existing natural teeth on either side of the gap that is ground-down. A denture is a custom made set of fake teeth that are not permanent. They are meant to be taken out each night and require extra care. With advances in dental technology, patients who are missing one or more teeth have a more permanent option; dental implants.
A dental implant is actually a cylinder-shaped titanium post that is surgically placed into the jaw bone for a permanent placement. After allowing the post to fuse with the surrounding bone, a dental restoration will be attached to the implant(s) for a more durable and secure replacement option.
Leading Baltimore dentists for restoring smiles, Dr. Doroshenko and Dr. Lazer will always recommend dental implants to their patients who are missing teeth because they are the most natural solution. The biggest deciding factor in choosing implants is the cost.
The Cost of Dental Implants
The total cost of dental implants is considerably more than other teeth replacement options. The reason for this is the process to get implants is more invasive, requires surgery, involves months of healing time, and many visits will be made to our Baltimore, MD dentist office.
This can seem overwhelming for many people who are faced with missing teeth. There are many factors that add to the total cost of your treatment.
- The location and size of the implant
- Number of implants being placed (a single tooth, multiple teeth or all of your teeth)
- Need for bone grafting
- The need for extractions
- The need for other oral health treatments (like gum disease treatment)
- If you have dental insurance and how much it will cover
Because these factors can vary greatly from patient to patient, it is very hard to estimate the cost of implants. A single implant secured dental crown can run up to a few thousand of dollars while an implant denture can run up to tens of thousands of dollars.
At your consultation and after your thorough examination at our Baltimore dentist office, we will do our best to present you with an estimated cost. Visit our payment and financing page to learn more about these options.
Comparing the Cost to Other Options
Now that you know implants are not cheap, it’s time to explain why. When an implant is placed in your bone, it will fuse with that bone and act as a replacement tooth root. This will actually prevent bone loss in your jaw that is associated with tooth loss.
Dental implants are the only option that will replace the tooth root. If you choose a dental bridge or denture, you will most likely suffer from some bone loss over the years. Bone loss can lead to many issues including looking much older than you really are, diet restrictions, and further tooth loss.
Despite costing less, dentures and dental bridges may need to be replaced, realigned, or rebased over time. These maintenance and replacement costs will add up over time and may even exceed the cost of implants. Also, your quality of life is much higher with teeth implants and this must be considered when comparing costs.
With dentures, you will have about a 30-40% normal chewing function. Dental implants will deliver a 100% normal chewing function. With dentures, you risk them slipping around in your mouth or even falling out. Implants secured dental restorations are permanently secured and have no chance of moving around in your mouth.
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