A lot of patients ask me about the implant options in replacing their missing teeth. I can see that a lot of people heard about implants, but still there are a lot of unknown sides of implants.
In this article I’m going to make it more clear for patients in a layman’s language what dental implants really are, how they work, what the fees are and how long they should be expected to last.
First of all, they are phenomenal ways to replace missing teeth. The service which a patient gets from a well done implant is great and long lasting(approx. 30 years).
Dental Implants are manmade devices, made of Titanium, which are implanted(screwed) into the jaws in the same fashion as the roots of natural teeth.
There are two major components of a dental implant: implant root and implant crown.
The implant root is the part which is the equivalent of a root of a natural tooth. It is placed completely into the jaw bone. So it is not going to be seen in the mouth. It just serves the purpose of retaining the tooth in the mouth.
The implant tooth is the white part, looking,feeling and functioning like a natural tooth. It is attached to the implant root sitting in the bone.
So in order to replace a missing tooth with an implant there are two phases: first is the surgical one where the implant root is placed into the bone, followed by the restoration phase where the implant tooth is added to the implant root. This two phases can be done in the same time or 3-6 months apart depending on the individual case.
The first phase is performed by a periodontist or oral surgeon. Also some general dentists perform it. The second phase is performed by general dentists or prosthodontists.
There are many dental implant companies on the market. Some domestic and some international. How to choose the right and the best dental implant brand ? The best way to do it is to use reputable companies which were involved with implants for a while and their implants last long, long time. There are few companies like that : Straumann(www.straumann.com), Astra Tech(www.astratech.com), Nobel Biocare(www.nobelbiocare.com), 3I(www.biomet3i.com). All these companies have been manufacturing implants for over 20 years and their implants last longer than any other company’s implants.
In the past Nobel Biocare used to be the most popular brand worldwide. Now, Straumman and Astra seem to be the most popular because of the special type of surface they provide for their implants. In this way their implants integrate better than any other brand in the jaw bone.
Fortunately, most periodontists and oral surgeons in our area use Straumman or Astra.
Fees: in our areas the surgical phase fee is around $1600-$1850 and the restorative phase fee is around $1600-$1700 depending on individual case. Total cost ot replace a missing tooth with an implant is around $3200-$3800.
You see a lot of ads in the newspaper: Dental Implants $795. That promotion is half true. They mean Implant Root for $795 or just the surgical phase and only if the pacient agrees to have the restorative phase done in the same place for approx. $2600. So, overall the patient ends up paying the same fee as going to another dentist, periodontist or oral surgeon.
Please call my dentist office serving Washington Township, Turnersville, Glassboro NJ areas at 856-582-2220 for a free consultation regarding dental implants or any other issues with your teeth. I will be happy to meet you and answer all your questions in an honest and straightforward way.
If you need more info visit our Dental Implants Page or Dental Health Online page.
Also please read the article Implants on ADA’s website .