Dental Implants Cost
Dental implants cost a lot of money. The price range depends on the brand and types of implants you choose as well as the region or country you live in. In the United States for example, dental implants cost in the upwards of tens of thousands per piece though a proper comprehensive dental insurance plan may help offset a huge piece of the bill if not all. Before we discuss further on the costs of the dental implants, let us go through the reasons why we need dental implants and what these dental implants actually are.
Loss of Tooth
The loss of tooth or teeth is a common phenomenon that affects almost 90% of the total population if not more. The ICD or International Classification of Diseases classifies the loss of tooth as a diagnosis in itself and though many associate this loss of teeth with tooth decay, there are actually many ways a person can lose their teeth. Closely following tooth decay as one of the primary causes of tooth loss is periodontal disease or gum disease.
Causes of or leading to tooth loss
According to Andreason et al., the leading cause of tooth loss is tooth decay followed by periodontal disease. Another main contributor to the tooth fairies is trauma.
Tooth decay
Periodontal disease (Gum disease)
Trauma
Abnormal abhorrent habits eg glass chewing
Over brushing
GERD (Gastric Esophageal Reflux Disease)
Acidic diet
So as you can see, just by taking care of your teeth does not mean you are invincible to tooth loss. But please don’t take this as an excuse to totally neglect your oral hygiene as the main leading causes of tooth loss is still a result of neglect of the oral hygiene.
What happens when you lose your tooth
When someone loses his or her tooth, the space previously occupied by the tooth is now an empty space. This can give rise to a few immediate phenomenons.
Immediate consequences
1. Reduction in chewing surface
2. Loss of partner for the tooth in the adjacent jaw
3. Unsightly especially if it’s a front tooth
Medium to long term consequences
Over eruption of the tooth in the adjacent jaw
Collapse of the adjacent teeth towards the gap caused by the loss of tooth
Loss of bone in the area
Replacement of lost tooth
There are four options for the replacement of a lost tooth.
Leave the gap alone keeping the consequences or outcome listed above in mind.
Denture
Bridge
Dental Implant
Dental implants
Dental implants first came to the fore when physicians and dentists search for a replacement that closely resembles the natural tooth in both physical and functional aspects. Though the Egyptians thousands of years before had already started to experiment with early semblances of the dental implant, the success of these dental implants were limited and preferred replacements were the dentures or the prosthetic bridge. This was due in part to the lack of a substance that is inert enough to be placed in the jaw. This substance has to be one that does not cause any reaction in the general population as well as resist corrosion and wear in a very challenging environment that is the oral cavity. The oral cavity is a challenge in itself as it is moist which encourages the growth of bacteria and other organisms as well as being subjected to constant extreme forces which is exerted by the jaw in its function to masticate.
What are dental implants?
So in essence what are dental implants that we associate with in the modern era? The most important event that marked a big step in the advent of the modern dental implant is the discovery of titanium. Titanium is considered a rare metal and boasts several characteristics that makes it a suitable candidate for use in the human body including the jaw namely it’s remarkable ability to resist corrosion and it’s neutral nature which does not elicit an inflammatory or allergic reaction in the human body. In addition to all this, titanium possess incredible strength which makes it ideal for use in the extreme conditions of the human jaw. Together with modern engineering, this has enabled the creation of the modern dental implants which was pursued relentlessly in the sixties by a surgeon by the name of Nobel.
Dismissed initially by the general medical and dental population as not a feasible contraption, Nobel persist and conducted numerous researches on animals and humans before he eventually achieved a breakthrough with a classic research paper in the seventies proving the feasibility of the dental implant in the human body. He does not stop there and continued his research publishing several long term papers regarding the implant.
Now, the Nobel name is synonymous with the dental implant and Nobel Biocare is a huge medical company which specialize in dental implants. Hundreds of other companies have sprouted to tap on this growing demand each with their own research and development teams.
The dental implant comprises of three main basic components.
The root component – made of titanium
Prosthetic abutment – connection between the root component and the crown prosthesis
Crown prosthesis – the part of the implant that is seen in the mouth and subjected to daily rigors of chewing
The dental implant is unique from other tooth replacements in that it resembles the natural tooth very closely in terms of physical form and function. Caring for a dental implant is also easier and this makes it a reasonable investment despite the steep dental implants cost that is commonly associated with the dental implant. As such, the use of dental implants has grown rapidly and will continue to do so. That is until natural tooth can be successfully “grown” or “created” with advanced medical researches and technology. Even as you read this, efforts are currently underway to grow natural teeth from stem cells. But until the efforts bore fruit, that shall be another story altogether.
Dental Implants Cost