Dental implants are paramount when it comes to natural and functional replacements for missing teeth, but that excellence comes at a price. Replacing missing teeth can have a positive effect on your health, appearance, and self-confidence for years to come, so we think it’s a worthwhile investment no matter what, still many of my patients often ask this question and we have explore many time the subject.

To make things easier I broke it down to 3 very simple reasons why it may seem costly to invest into a dental implant.

Skill

Luckily, as the popularity of dental implants has risen, so have the numbers of dentists who have become trained in dental implant placement. Many dentists already have years of experience placing dental implants to create long-lasting smiles. You want to make sure your smile is in good hands. Remember, this is a surgical procedure, and as such, requires a trained medical professional to perform.

Materials

While the dental implant itself may look like a bolt or a screw, it is not something you could pick up at your neighborhood hardware store. Dental implants are made from titanium alloy or zirconium. These durable materials are bio-compatible and bond with bone (in a process called “osseointegration”). This is what helps the implant anchor securely in your jawbone, just like a natural tooth’s root would. The exact formulations of titanium alloy or zirconium used in dental implants today are the result of years of clinical studies and trials. The implant material affects the cost of the procedure, but if you are going to have a ‘screw’ in your month for many many years, wouldn’t you want it to be a good quality one?

The second part of an implant is the crown. This is the part that looks like an actual tooth at is visible above your gum-line. These crowns just like regular dental crowns used to treat decayed or broken teeth. They are made from special kinds of ceramic or porcelain that are made to look and feel like your natural teeth.

Time

When we think about the time needed from diagnosis to the final teeth or tooth replacement being complete, let’s be hones, compared with other procedures, dental implant treatment isn’t the quickest. This procedure takes a several  appointments to complete, with healing time required between appointments. The cost of dental implants includes the time commitment of the dentist and the dental staff.

The treatment planning process will involve x-rays and scans to give me a detailed idea of what’s where in your mouth. For example, some people who have been missing a tooth for a long time have started to lose bone thickness in their jaw. When this happens, bone grafting may be required to build the bone back up before an implant is placed.

No worthwhile investment in your health should ever be considered too expensive. And no other tooth replacement option compares to the durability, usability, and comfort of dental implants.