Need Dental Implants? 3 Things To Know

Posted on: 5 August 2019

Losing a tooth or multiple teeth can feel devastating. Not only can it have a major impact on your appearance, it can also impact the way you speak and even eat. If you have lost a tooth or multiple teeth, it's more common than you may realize. Around 120 million Americans are missing at least one tooth and 36 million have no teeth at all. The good news is that there are various tooth replacement options to choose from, including dental implants. Implants are considered to be one of the most natural feeling and natural looking options. Here's what to know before getting dental implants.

How They Work

If you are looking into dental implants as a tooth replacement option, it's important to know how this procedure works in order to determine if it's right for your needs. Dental implants do require surgery and are not for everyone. Dental implants are brackets or screws, typically made out of titanium, that are surgically inserted into the jaw bone in order to act as replacement tooth roots. An abutment, or connector, is then attached to the implant and a dental crown is connected to act as a replacement tooth. In order to support the implant properly, you may need additional procedures such as bone or tissue grafting.

How Much They Cost

Of course, your budget will likely play a major role when it comes to tooth replacement options. Dental implants can be rather pricey, especially if you are having multiple put into place. On average dental implants cost between $2,400 and $3,000 per tooth. If additional procedures are required, such as bone grafts or tissue grafts, your costs may be closer to $4,000 to $10,000 per dental implant. While implants are pricey, they are very long lasting compared to other tooth replacement options.

How Long The Process Takes

If you are looking for tooth replacement as soon as possible, it's important to note that dental implants take time. Since it's a surgical procedure, healing is needed in between putting the implant in place and adding the abutment and crown. If additional procedures are needed, the entire process can take even longer. It can take as little as a few months to put a dental implant in place for simple cases to upwards of a year for more complex cases. 

If you are thinking about dental implants, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it is a surgical procedure and it's important to make sure that it is right for your needs. Typically, implants cost a few thousand dollars so you will want to make sure that they fit into your budget. Implants can also take a while. From start to finish it can be just a few months to upwards of a year to have your implants put into place.

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