The main problem facing people that are looking strictly for dental implant insurance is that on a large scale, it doesn’t exist. A dental implant is seen as a cosmetic improvement much like having a nose-job or tummy tuck, not as a necessary medical operation that would often be covered by regular insurances. Simply having a good dental insurance plan does not guarantee that you will have any coverage whatsoever when it comes to getting dental implant surgery. Often times within a dental insurance plan it will be expressly stated that dental implants are not covered, and this is something that you should research before seriously considering dental implant surgery, unless you are prepared to cover the costs yourself.

While there are relatively few companies that offer dental implant insurance explicitly, it is possible that some dental insurance plans will cover some of the costs associated with the work pertaining to the implant and possibly some of the aftercare, only not the implant itself.

It’s important to note that even though dental implant insurance is not widely available, it is possible that you can obtain it, to a degree. In some instances dental insurance offered for a fee or provided by employers may have the possibility of dental implant insurance coverage available; if you foresee the need for dental implants in your near future, obtaining dental insurance that covers implants to a greater extent is well worth considering. Currently there is no dental implant insurance that offers 100% coverage for dental implant services, but with the right plan you may be able to get your tooth implant surgery for considerably less money out of pocket if you just do a little digging.

Aside from dental implant insurance, there can be found numerous discount dental plans that will often times include lower rates on everyday dental procedures as well as lowering the cost of dental implant surgery significantly. Dental discount plans are not insurance, rather they offer percentage based or flat rate discount amounts on certain procedures and operations in exchange for a monthly or yearly fee. While not every implant dentistry professional will accept dental discount plans, some plans may be a solid option for you if dental implant insurance coverage is not.

Also worth mentioning are discounts that are sometimes offered by implant dentistry professionals. When considering dental implant surgery it is hard to find a suitable discount dental plan and insurance coverage for dental implants is nowhere to be found, seasonal or new customer incentives offered by implant professionals will go a long way to saving you money on your dental implants.

While dental implant insurance is a rare find, at least presently, consultation with an implant dentistry professional and your dental insurance provider can significantly increase your chances for finding a suitable insurance plan or discount plan that can help make your dental implants affordable.

Now, it’s not so much that dentures can’t be a possible solution; only the constant and ongoing care that accompanies the use of dentures is more of a nagging chore than anything else. With dentures also comes the uncertainty that they might fall out or “slip” at the most inopportune moment, leaving you embarrassed in a populated social gathering, such as at a crowded restaurant or even amongst your closest loved ones, just spending some quality time with friends or family.

In the USA, anyway, it’s almost a cliché that a person from an older generation would succumb to the use of dentures. This seems to be the common answer; it’s just what is normally done when someone from an older generation is faced with the necessity to replace teeth that have not been properly maintained. However, those traditions were practiced by older generations and don’t have the norm for today.

In newer generations, starting with Baby Boomers, dentures just aren’t seen as a real option anymore. In today’s world with 60 being the new “45”, you are noticing that many Baby Boomers simply are living life to its fullest. It’s not so common anymore to see granny sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair, whittling the day away knitting a crochet scarf or sweater for her grandchild; you’re more likely to see “grandma” and “grandpa”, who usually opt for different monikers such as “nana” and “papa” and the like, taking lengthy and lavish vacations, sailing on their boats, going on cruises and buying fancy cars; simply enjoying the well deserved fruits of their life.

Now, if someone, regardless of their age, is living life to the fullest, do you really think that dentures are a likely option for this individual? To help you out with that, no, it’s not a likely option. Dentures represent the old world, an older generation; tooth implants are for someone who is living life, yearning to stay young and simply doesn’t want to be held back by the hassles of dentures or the thoughts that indeed, they are getting older. Dental implants are not only for the older individual, no matter what your age, if you’re facing the real possibility of needing tooth replacement, dental implants might just be the best solution for you as well.

If you’ve come to the point in life where the decision sits at choosing between dentures or dental implants, in many cases the best choice is to opt for the dental implants. However, this decision should be made after consulting with a trusted dental health professional as there may be special circumstances that need to be considered regarding your personal situation. For many in your shoes, though, dental implants are seen as the only way to go when dentures just aren’t an option.

For instance, let’s say you’re a young individual, in your 20’s or possibly 30’s; heck, let’s say you’re 50 or younger. 50 is still young, right?  For one reason or another you have the need of removing a tooth, several teeth, or you already have lost teeth due to one of life’s general mishaps. Being so young, you really want to maintain full functionality of your mouth, not to mention the emotional scarring that can take place due to missing any number of your oral digits. What are the options available to you?

You could just say, “c’est la vie” and live out the rest of your life with missing teeth. While this is a definite option, if you are in any way missing your front teeth, this in itself could take a large toll on you, not only emotionally, but financially as well. If you think you would be saving money by simply walking around toothless, chances are you’re sadly mistaken. Missing prominent teeth can lead to a poor self-image, which can have a negative effect not only in your personal and social life, but in your professional life as well. Poor job performance, depression and anxiety are all real-world possibilities of a bad self-image due to missing teeth.

You could decide to go with dentures, caps or a dental crown. Caps and crowns are unfortunately not permanent solutions to problematic teeth. While the dental crowns are a viable answer if you simply have broken teeth, or a tooth that is not so far damaged that it can’t be salvaged: feel free to ask anyone who has dealt with a cap repeatedly falling off or the long term dental crown user that has to report back to the dentist every few years due to the crown adversely affecting the surrounding teeth. Dentures, well, they have their own set of problems, mainly the constant care and the underlying fear of slippage at the worst possible time.

You could get dental implants. Dental implants are often times considered a permanent solution to the missing teeth problem. Comparatively affordable, dental implants have a documented long term success rate of over 75%, meaning that in the majority of cases while maintaining proper oral hygiene, dental implants are a life-long investment that requires only a one-time cost; relieving you of the ongoing visits to the dentist to deal with the same issue over and over again.

Affordable dental implants are not only a possibility, they are likely the most affordable and cost effective decision that you can make in terms of a long term solution to your dental issues today.

The choices to clear up your problematic areas are abundant; a crown, cap or tooth extraction followed by dentures, dental bridges or even dental implants – which should you choose? Each plausible solution has a variety of positive sides and negative sides, but overall, implant dentistry has proven to be the long term solution to pestering tooth issues.

Almost anybody who has suffered from a failed cap or crown will ultimately tell you that it wasn’t worth the emotional anguish or financial burden, especially if they lacked the proper dental insurance to cover the procedures and had to foot the entire dental bill with their hard earned cash straight out of their pocket. Even with the proper dental insurance, some people who have suffered from a failed tooth cap or crowning can attest to the emotional turmoil of the ongoing visits to their local dentist. Whether choosing to replace the cap or dental crown, or even hesitantly opting for the tooth to be removed after a multitude of costly visits, the bottom line is that all of this could have been avoided by choosing the permanent tooth restoration services that implant dentistry can provide.

Missing several teeth, or even a single tooth, regardless of the reasoning for their removal or loss can take a toll on many individuals; a person’s race, sex or social-economical status doesn’t really matter. While wisdom tooth removal is a regular occurrence for full grown adults, and less regularly, sometimes even in teens; the loss or removal of a front tooth or highly noticeable set of teeth can have serious adverse effects on one’s emotions. In many cases when a certain tooth or set of teeth can be preserved, the preservation of the original tooth is often the suggested route to take by a dentist. This is usually because of the higher costs associated with implant dentistry, though there may be other variables taken into consideration as well.

Overall, implant dentistry can be seen as a permanent solution for a whole array of tooth or teeth ailments. Caps and dental crowns are generally considered to be a permanent solution, though often times they end up being “longer term” solutions requiring ongoing visits to the dentist for adjustments and even replacement.

As with any minor surgery, considerations for or against implant dentistry should be weighed out with the consultation of either a general dentist or possibly an oral surgeon. At that point, proper decisions for your dental care can be weighed out and discussed between you and a qualified dental professional.

Unfortunately it’s hard to give a solid average for a single dental implant cost; prices can not only vary by region, but by the amount of training a particular implant dentistry practitioner has undergone, the amount of dental implants performed by a particular practitioner yearly, any complications involved in the tooth implant procedure, as well as a number of other cost-effecting factors.

An estimated average for a single dental implant can cost around $4,000 in the USA – but in many cases it seems that a single dental implant can be obtained at any price, which is largely dependent on the general dentist or oral surgeon performing the dental implant as well as the current condition of the jawbone where the dental implant is to be placed.

Now, when considering the dental implant cost there are other factors that should be considered as well. A dental bridge is also a likely consideration in circumstances when a dental implant is a viable possibility. A dental bridge, however, is a short term solution in many cases, often requiring ongoing care and even replacement every 7-10 years due to the likelihood that the dental bridge will have adverse effects on teeth surrounding the bridge. In terms of averages, a dental implant is seen as a solid solution with proven, long term success rates as high as 95%. That being said, the overall long term success rate is largely dependent on your oral hygiene and whether you smoke. Smokers often have less than stellar record for dental implant failure in terms of percentages.

Another consideration added into the long term success of a dental implant is the skill level of the dentist or oral surgeon performing your implant, but due to the certifications and ongoing training required to perform dental implant surgery, this is a small factor at best in regards to the overall average success rate. The dental implant cost often reflects the ongoing training that is required for the procedure, which is partially why a dental implant can cost more than other dental procedures that more or less provide similar solutions.

As with any major or minor surgery consideration, any decisions regarding dental implant surgery should be talked over with a qualified implant dentistry professional. Not only will they be able to address any concerns or questions that you might have regarding the dental implant cost, they will be able to talk to you about other available solutions with both the pros and cons of these procedures.

All things considered, the one-time dental implant cost can often be seen as the most affordable solution for many individuals. Opting for a dental implant can likely provide a permanent solution to your problem, which can help you avoid the long term costs associated with less permanent options for tooth restoration procedures.

Sometimes a tooth extraction is unavoidable; whether it’s because of a broken tooth, an infected tooth or some mouth or gum disease that requires the extraction; you can just chalk it up to a life experience, it can literally happen to anyone. What you do not have to live with continually is the image of a large gap in your teeth; this can be remedied simply and permanently with a tooth implant procedure.

Getting a tooth implant is not some new scientific breakthrough where it should be seen as a risky endeavor; prosthetic dental implants have been around for centuries in various forms. In fact, the long term success rate is over 75% and as high as 95% provided you continue on the path of good oral hygiene. Of course, with almost any dental procedure, smoking is seen as a no-no, and smokers are subject to significantly lower long term dentistry implant success rates.

In the past, a tooth implant procedure would require a few months from beginning to end, but in recent years dentistry has improved techniques to obtain satisfactory long term results with tooth implants that are performed immediately following a tooth extraction; literally cutting the few months healing period down considerably. With the ‘newer’ procedures the permanent tooth implant may be placed right away, giving you almost instant satisfaction for tooth replacement.

In the USA there are over 100 companies that specialize in tooth implant procedures, though in many cases a general dentist may be able to work with you on the implants; avoiding having to seek out the council and services of an oral surgeon or maxillofacial surgeon. This is largely dependent on the general dentist’s training and the equipment available at his or her facility.

Of course, as with any major dental procedure you should first consult with a dental professional to figure out the best options available to you for tooth restoration. Tooth implants are not cheap in consideration of pricing for everyday dental procedures; though sometimes dental insurance with specific coverage for dentistry implants will be able to help you offset the cost of tooth implant surgery.

Even considering the often times hefty one-time cost of tooth implant surgery, many find it to be the only solution to help them get their confidence back after the removal of a visible front or side tooth. For those that decide to go with the implant procedure, it’s a matter of having their dignity back, having the ability to smile again without being self-concise; without having to worry about what others may think of them.
Nobody can decide what the right choice is for you in your situation, but if you’re thinking about tooth implant surgery, there is no better time than now to consult with a dental professional and talk about your options.

What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth replacement procedure that helps individuals replace teeth that have been lost or removed due to various circumstances. The implant procedure typically starts with insertion of a titanium pin, which has a “roughed up” surface, into the jawbone; titanium is used because of its unique ability to be fused to bone, allowing for a solid setting for the replacement crown.

Dental implants are not really a new science, it’s been noted that the dental implant procedure has been performed in certain cultures as early as 600 AD. While the procedures and treatments have undoubtedly changed and improved in safety and aftercare treatment since then, it’s become apparent that dental implants are a long established medical procedure that has been embraced by several cultures, including our own today.

There are over 100 companies in the USA currently that offer dental implant services. While these services are often performed by specialists such as oral surgeons, in most cases the dental implant can be performed by even a general dentist who has been trained in the field and has the proper equipment.

Dental implant success rates

The success rates for dental implants is rather high, roughly 75%-95% of all implant procedures are successful based on a five year study. However, the overall success of the procedure is largely dependent on the surgeon’s skill as well as the jawbone structure and the patient’s oral hygiene. It has been noted that the success rate for smokers is significantly less the success rate for a non-smoker, and because of this often the dental implant surgery is put off until one stops smoking simply due to the costs involved for even a single tooth implant.

Healing time for dental implants

As one might expect, a tooth implant often requires a significant amount of “healing time”. Up until recently the normal course of a dental implant would become complete after an average duration of several months. This process would begin with the embedding of the titanium pin into the jawbone and after a couple of months a temporary crown would be placed upon the pin. Once the temporary crown had helped to “shape” the gums, so to speak, a permanent crown would then be put into place.

However, recently the success rate has increased dramatically for tooth implant procedures that are instigated immediately following a tooth extraction. Using this method the titanium pin would be put in place right after extraction and in some cases the artificial tooth can be placed at the same time; eliminating months off from the formerly regular waiting period.

Whether you’ve lost a tooth or teeth to an accident or an oral disease, dental implants are a viable solution helping you regain what you have lost. Now, these implant procedures are not the only option, and that decision should be discussed with a dental professional to weigh out the options available to you.

In order for the procedure to be successful, the bone where the dental implant is placed must be strong and wide. Some patients seeking dental implants don’t have sufficient jawbone. One common problem is deformities in the jawbone. The condition or event that caused the need for a dental implant often simultaneously causes an irregularity in the jawbone.

When you a lose a tooth, perhaps due to gum disease or trauma, your jawbone recedes. This is a normal, naturally occurring event. When the jawbone recedes because it is no longer holding a tooth, an indention in your gums and jaw can appear where the tooth used to be.
Additionally, wearing dentures can sometimes create deformities in your jaw, as can development defects in the formation of your jawbone.
During the consultation phase, your dentist will take x-rays of your teeth and jaw. At that time, your dentist will be able to detect any deformities you may have in your upper or lower jaw.

The good news, though, is that patients with jawbone deformities don’t have to rule out dental implants. Ridge modification can be used to correct the deformities and restore sufficient jawbone.

Ridge modification is not a complex surgery. The entire surgery essentially consists of four major steps.

Here is a basic overview of how ridge modification is performed:

• An incision is made into the gum
• The gum is lifted to expose the defect
• The defect is built up with bone graft so that it is level with the ridge
• The incision is closed

Aesthetics is another reason for ridge modification. The indentation itself is often visible and pronounced, which may bother a patient. More importantly, however, is the fact that a replacement tooth set in an indentation will look longer than your natural teeth. Ridge modification is an effective way to even out the jawbone for attractive, natural looking dental implants.

After all, patients get dental implants to rebuild their beautiful smile. You want to take every step you can to ensure the best results.
Ridge modification may or may not be a separate surgery from the dental implant. Some dentists place the dental implants at the same time as the modification, others don’t. Your dentist will decide which approach is best for your individual needs. Should your dentist choose to wait, it takes anywhere from four months to a year for the bone to grow and form a strong base for the dental implant.

Ridge modification is an outpatient procedure. Most of the time the surgery can be performed in your dentist’s office. You will be given a local anesthesia for pain control. Patients sometimes request a sedative.

Ridge modification has proven to contribute significantly to the success rate of dental implants. If you have an indentation or deformity in your jawbone, talk to your dentist about the possibility of ridge modification. Your dental implants will look and function better.

A 1930s archaeological dig led Dr. Wilson Popenoe in Honduras turned up the ancient dental implant. Similar discoveries were made when excavating ancient Egyptian artifacts. The Egyptian implants were made from shells and ivory. It was decades after these archaeological discoveries before the modern world caught up with the Mayans’ dental technology.

Twenty years after archaeologists discovered the mandible, a Swedish professor named Per-Ingvar Brånemark made the first big stride towards today’s dental implant procedures (known as oral implantology). In 1951, this orthopedic surgeon came across the concept quite by accident, but a fortuitous accident it was.

Professor Brånemark and his research team were studying microscopic aspects of the bones’ healing process in lab at the University of Lund. During one of their experiments, a titanium metal cylinder was screwed into the thighbone of an animal test subject.

As it would turn out, perhaps their most important discovery was not made until after the initial experiment was wrapped up. Upon further examination of the bone and metal cylinder, Professor Brånemark observed something surprising: the metal cylinder had fused with the bone.

It didn’t take long to realize the enormous potential of this technique. Dr. Brånemark began focusing on how he could use osseointegration, which is what he named the phenomenon, to help humans. During his studies, he found that titanium screws could serve as bone anchors for teeth.

Titanium, researchers came to realize, this was the only consistently successful material for dental implants. Before Dr. Brånemark’s work, other doctors had been toying with the idea of dental implants for years. A host of other metals, including silver and gold, had failed. Even human teeth (from donors) were tried.

Dr. Brånemark continued his studies for nearly three decades. His fellow scientists were skeptical, so he conducted numerous tests, including some on humans, before he published his findings in 1981.

After scientific scrutiny of the paper, medical confidence in the procedure grew. Guidelines for implantology were set during the Toronto Conference in Clinical Dentistry in 1982. The public began to accept that dental implants were safe. The standardization of the process during the conference proved to be the jumpstart the dental implant needed.

Commercial oral implantology grew during the 1980s. Osseointegration was being used to permanently affix bridges and individual teeth into patients’ mouths. The implants proved to be successful in over 90% of the cases. The modern dental implant had arrived!

Over the next two decades, technology has only continued to improve the process. For instance, slight modifications to the titanium proved to increase healing time. As time goes by and as the practice of dentistry advances, patients will continue to see dental implants becoming quicker, easier, and less painful.