A dental implant is a replacement for a natural tooth root made of titanium metal. The implant is surgically placed into the jawbone beneath the gums in two steps over several months. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for seniors to experience tooth loss and dental decay. There are many reasons this can happen, such as gum disease and lack of sufficient dental care. Dental implants offer a solution: dental implants replace missing teeth by surgically placing an artificial tooth in the jawbone. A detailed explanation of what you’ll need to know about getting a dental implant is below.
1. What Is A Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a titanium screw surgically placed in the jawbone to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants will treat your need for an artificial tooth, but they can do more than just function as a sturdy tooth replacement. The key attachment of the implant helps prevent other teeth from shifting out of position, and it allows you to eat almost anything you want again.
2. How Does A Dental Implant Work?
Before getting an oral implant, it’s important to have a detailed examination by a dentist who specializes in this type of surgery. This dentist can inform you about what kind of implants are available and recommend the best option for your needs. During your consultation, expect to discuss:
- The number of missing teeth and whether they’re all in one area or spread out.
- What you can afford and how much your dental insurance covers for implants.
- Whether there’s enough jawbone to support an implant, if there isn’t, a bone graft may be necessary to rebuild the surrounding jawbone.
If you smoke, you’ll probably need to quit before surgery and during recovery because smoking interferes with blood circulation and healing.
Any medications you take, including supplements such as anticoagulants (blood thinners) or anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen).
Your dentist will ask if: You’ve had any oral surgeries before, such as wisdom tooth removal in the past three years.
You have any allergies, including sensitivities to local anesthetics or other medications.
Your dentist will also ask about your medical histories, such as heart problems, diabetes, and HIV status.
It is vital to undergo surgery with a skilled and experienced dentist. Therefore, if you are looking for the best dental implants in Mexico, this is the place.
Why Choose A Dental Implant Over Other Tooth Replacement Options?
People of all ages can benefit from a dental implant. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons notes that more than a million implants have been installed in the last 20 years, with an 80 percent success rate. And unlike dentures or bridges, which rely on neighboring teeth for support, implants are extremely stable as they fuse directly to the surrounding bone even if patients have lost weight or had their gums shrink due to age or disease. There’s still plenty of healthy jawbones in some cases, even after the outer tissue has receded from gum disease or malnutrition.
Dental implants also require much less maintenance than other tooth-replacement options; you may need to come into your dentist’s office for a quick cleaning and general checkup every six months or so. You’ll also need to replace your implant’s crown once in a while, but this usually won’t require more than minor surgery, which you can even do right in your dentist’s office. The implant-and-crown combination should last 20 years or longer.
How Does The Process Work – What Happens At Each Appointment And Why?
Dental implants are titanium posts that are surgically inserted into the jawbone under your gums. To begin the implant process, you must first have healthy gum tissue covering your jawbone.
After getting your gums back in shape, you’ll need to undergo surgery to install the implants. The whole process may take three visits — one for numbing and preparation, one for surgery, and a third to place the implants and crowns.
Implant Procedure
First, your dentist gives you an “osseointegrated implant,” which means it attaches directly to the bone with tiny posts that are visible on X-rays. Then, when the surrounding tissue has healed around the posts (usually after three months), your dentist places a porcelain tooth atop each post to create a sturdy foundation for restoring one or more of your teeth missing.
You’ll start by meeting with your dentist to discuss the procedure. You may get a set of X-rays and an oral exam before you head off to surgery. Next, your dentist will numb your gums and then insert implants into your jawbone, four in the front of the lower jaw and two in the back. Drilling tiny holes through your jaw requires precision because even minor mistakes can damage important areas such as nerves or blood vessels, which could lead to severe complications. After inserting each implant, your surgeon will cover it with gum tissue taken from inside your mouth; this moves gum tissue out of the way while retaining its ability to heal.
6-month mark: Once the implants are secure, your dentist will attach permanent posts to them, which will serve as anchors for your replacements. Your implants should last forever if you take care of them properly. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss at least once daily.
Who Should Get One And How Much Will It Cost?
Dental implant surgery may cost about $5,000 per jaw. The American Dental Association estimates that you’ll pay another $1,500 over the next two years for replacement teeth. An average price is $3,500 to $4,500 for a single dental crown (the cap covering the entire implant post’s visible surface). Dentures can vary in price depending on whether they’re part replacement teeth or full dentures, but you can expect to pay about $2,000 for them.
Dental implant surgery costs: Dental implant costs are typically the same no matter where you live since a dentist, not a doctor, installs them. A dentist will charge between $1,500 and $4,500 per jaw. The American Dental Association (ADA) estimates that your single crown will cost between $3,500 and $4,500 on average; replacements usually run between $1,750 and $2,100 each. You may find lower prices at dental schools or with discount plans offered by dental implant manufacturers.
Dentures: Depending on the material used to make your dentures — plastic-resin is the least expensive — you can expect to pay between $800 and $3,000 for partial dentures. Complete sets are more expensive, with prices ranging from $1,500 to $5,000.
Complete upper or lower implant-supported bridges: A bridge is a fixed dental restoration that replaces one or more missing teeth with adjacent crowns on natural teeth. A complete upper or lower implant-supported bridge would include four implants costing about $4,500 each per jaw plus the abutment cost of about $2,100 per jaw. You’ll also need an abutment screw in every tooth next to the space where an implant will go. We call these “teeth adjacent.”
New technologies improve low price options: The latest generation of dental implants comes in a variety of styles and prices. For example, you can select from highly reliable titanium implants that cost $1,500 per screw on the top or on the bottom.