Are Dental Implants Affordable?

Initial Consultation

The first time you meet with Dr. Koplon and our team is critical. Much of the planning for the rest of the treatment will be done during the first consultation. Our team will assess the health of your teeth and jaw bone, and you will also need diagnostic imaging during this visit. We use the latest technology – a 3D cone beam xray scanner – to create a 3D replica of your mouth and plan where each implant will specifically go.

Surgery

After the initial consultation, you are scheduled for surgery implantation, where the dentist will place the actual dental implants, and the new teeth are fitted and adjusted. While these won’t be your final prothesis, you will leave our offices after this visit with beautiful and functional teeth.

Follow-Up Appointment

After 3-6 months, when the implants are fused to the natural bone, the dentist will take new impressions of your mouth and prepare a final, stronger, permanent set of teeth adjusted to a perfect fit. This process helps ensure that the teeth will last for decades and provide maximum support, beauty, and function to the patient.

Specialist Care

Dental implants fall into the category of restoration dentistry and have their own category called implantology. Implant surgery can be done by a periodontist, an dentist, or a dentist with advanced training in implantology. Because of the specialist training necessary to perform the procedure, it’s common for the dental professional to charge a higher fee than other services.

General Anesthetic

Some patients may choose to undergo a general anesthetic during the dental implant procedure, meaning the patient is asleep for the whole procedure. This approach is more expensive and requires an anesthesiologist to be present for the entire surgery.

It’s more common to perform the procedure using a local anesthetic, meaning the areas the dentist is working on are numbed but the patient is awake. Some patients might be too nervous during the procedure if they are awake. If this is a problem, you should consider asking for a sedative to ease your anxiety if you’ll be under local anesthetic.

Bone Grafts

Patients who have lost a lot of bone may also require bone grafts. Bone grafts are performed in a separate procedure, several months before the implant is placed, and will require several months to heal and for the graft to fuse into the normal bone. This extra procedure will, of course, mean additional costs. This technique also means you won’t be able to have the procedure done in one trip since the graft will take time to grow into the bone, and you need to allow tissues to heal.

Material

The type of material used in the crown can make a big difference. Crowns made of acrylic resin are the most affordable but don’t look nearly as natural as ceramic crowns or porcelain crowns. Porcelain and ceramic also tend to be stronger, which is another reason they’re preferred for visible teeth. Resin crowns are also much less durable and will need to be replaced much sooner than other materials. 

Overall, the best quality starts with a solid block of Prettau® Zirconia, which is hand-colored and polished to match natural teeth and gums and anchored to the implants. Zirconia bridges achieve a bite and smile that is virtually indistinguishable from healthy, natural teeth and gums and can withstand significant pressure and resist chipping, fractures, and wear.

Teeth Location

The teeth being replaced also influence the cost of treatment. Front teeth are much more challenging for the surgeon to work on and require more skill to make the implant look like a natural tooth. As a rule, visible teeth tend to be more expensive, and the surgery tends to be longer.