What are dental implants?
Dental implants are titanium or titanium alloy screws that are placed in jaw bone. They serve as roots for reconstructions. Dental implants with reconstructions may be used instead of bridges or false teeth. The most common use of dental implants and reconstructions is to replace missing or severely damaged teeth.

What can dental implants do?
Dental implants allow patients who are missing teeth to have a functional and cosmetically appealing reconstruction.

How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants may occasionally fail, but are generally considered permanent dental work. If a dental implant does not attach to the bone properly, if it breaks, or if causes infection, it may have to be removed or replaced. It is very important for a patient to seek out a dentist who has extensive training and experience with implants.

How do dental implants work?
Under local anesthesia, the patient’s gums are cut open and the bone is drilled into so that the implants can be placed. Patients without sufficient bone in the jaw or with uncontrolled diabetes or certain other medical conditions may not be good candidates for implants. However, in many instances bone grafts can be taken from the patient or from cadavers to build up the bone for implants if necessary. Although it is becoming more common to place the restorations in the implants immediately, the appropriateness of doing so depends on individual circumstances and it is still generally considered best practice to wait for a few months to allow the implants to become thoroughly attached to the bone before building crowns or other restorative work attached to the implants. The restorative work varies according to patient need and is generally not considered permanent. Just as ordinary crowns may not last forever, crowns on top of implants also may not last forever.

How much do dental implants cost?
The national average cost for dental implants is around $1,600-2,000 per implant, but your costs could be significantly more. Full mouth implants can cost even as much as $80,000. Cost is not necessarily equated with quality, however; so place make sure to investigate thoroughly before deciding on treatment. A patient may consider researching dentists even in other states to find the best treatment for the best price.

How do I get dental implants?
The ideal practitioner to get implants from is a highly trained and experienced prosthodontist. A prosthodontist is a dentist who has specialized in prosthetics. Prosthodontics is one of eight specialties recognized by the American Dental Association and is a highly competitive and sought-after specialization. If you think dental implants may be right for you, you can talk to a dentist for more information.