May 13, 2022
If you’re missing a tooth, you may be considering a dental implant. Dental implants can replace the lost tooth or teeth and are a long-lasting option that many patients opt for. However, not everyone is qualified to undergo dental implant surgery. Your health and habits are significant factors in whether or not you are eligible for dental implants. Here are three things you need to know before getting a dental implant:
Dental implants are costly, and they typically aren’t covered by insurance. Dental implants can be at least $1,000 depending on how many teeth need replacing. Schedule a consultation with a periodontist (specialist in periodontal disease and dental implants) to determine how much your dental implants may cost. There are often payment plans available so you don’t have to worry about paying a hefty sum all at once.
Talk to your insurance provider and ask them about dental implants. They typically aren’t covered by insurance, but there may be some ways to get some coverage. You may be able to get up to the cost of dentures covered by the insurance agency.
There are a few significant factors to go into whether or not you can receive dental implants. Your health is one of them. People with diabetes are more likely to develop an infection, so healing a dental impact may be a bigger risk than it’s worth. If you have periodontal disease (gum disease), you may not be able to have dental implants. Healthy gums are needed for dental implants as the gums help keep the implant in place.
If you don’t have adequate bone in the jaw area, the periodontist may not be able to get the implants to stay in place. If you have inadequate bone in the area, you may be able to undergo bone grafting or filling of the area.
If you don’t have enough bone for in-bone (endosteal) implants, you may be able to get bone grafting or on-bone (subperiosteal) implants. Instead of screwing into the jaw bone, the subperiosteal implant sits on top of the bone and uses metal wires throughout the gum to keep it in place.
It takes multiple surgeries to get dental implants. It takes at least two: one surgery to insert the implant body (the screw) into the jaw bone and another surgery to put the actual restoration (the “tooth”) on the screw. It can take months for the whole process to be complete, and up to a year of time for healing post-surgery. There is healing time between each surgery so the process can take quite a while.
You’ll need more surgeries before the actual dental implant surgeries if you have additional prerequisites that need to be met. If you need a tooth removed beforehand, that’s another surgery. If your jaw bone isn’t sufficient or too soft, you may require bone grafting surgery to make the area ready for an implant.
If you’re considering dental implants, schedule a consultation with one of the dentists at Sinquefield today! Your dentist will be able to work with you to discover what implant will be best.
Volunteers for
