Tag: dental implant litchfield

Dental implants tend to cost a lot more than alternative tooth replacement treatments such as dentures and dental bridgework. This cost can partly be attributed to the requirement of a skilled oral surgeon to perform the procedure, as opposed to a general dentist. As a surgical procedure, it also requires careful planning to eliminate any risks and ensure successful treatment. Moreover, dental implants often require additional procedures such as tooth extraction, bone grafting, sinus augmentation, crown placement, and so on depending on the position of the implant, individual treatment plan, and the patient’s general health. All of these factors add to the final cost of dental implants placement.

Generally, there is a variety in the price range for a single dental implant. This amount is distributed across service costs, cost of all components involved in the procedure, and the cost of the replacement crown. 

A costly dental implant procedure may involve the following steps:

• Tooth or teeth removal – to remove any tooth fragments during site preparation. 

• Bone grafting – If the implant site has signs of bone loss after tooth extraction, your oral surgeon may recommend bone grafting to build up the bone tissue and achieve a solid base to support the implant. Bone grafting in the upper jaw is known as sinus augmentation or sinus lift 

• Titanium Implant placement – A titanium post will be inserted into the jaw bone using a special drill and tools, and a “healing cap” placed over the implant before stitching up the gum. 

• A temporary denture will be placed at the site for aesthetic purposes during healing 

• Abutment placement – It is connected to the implant using a screw

• Crown fabrication – Impression of the abutment will be obtained and sent to a dental lab to fabricate your custom crown. 

• Tooth replacement – When the crown is ready, it will be secured to the abutment by cementing or with a screw.

How Much Will the Insurance Pay?

In the cost breakdown above, dental insurance providers only accept to pay for the replacement crown. This is because dental implants are considered an elective procedure by most dental insurance providers, even though it has become a standard of care for tooth replacement. 

For more information on dental implants in Litchfield MN and to find out the cost of your individual treatment, please contact us today. 

A dental implant is a titanium post that is surgically placed in your jaw to form an artificial “tooth root” that functions as a sturdy support for the replacement tooth, denture, or bridge. Dental implants are a popular, effective, and long-lasting solution for replacing missing teeth. 

They offer many other advantages over other tooth replacement options as follows:

• Can be used to replace one or more teeth without affecting the health or structure of neighboring teeth like conventional bridgework 
• They’re natural-looking and feeling, so you can enjoy your usual foods and care for your mouth as usual without necessarily giving the new tooth any special attention 
• Can be used to support a denture, making it more secure and comfortable
• Can be used to support a bridge to replace more than one tooth, as an alternative to removable partial dentures 
• They stimulate the jawbone to prevent bone resorption, which can make your face appear older

Placing dental implants involves a surgical procedure that requires extreme care. The implant requires three to four months to integrate with the underlying bone tissue before crown placement. During this time, the dentist will place dentures or partials to cover the gap and allow you to eat normally. Complex cases that involve soft and hard tissue grafting will take nearly twice as long. But the actual time depends on your age, health, number of teeth, and quantity and quality of bone tissue. 

The Treatment Process

The oral surgeon uses state-of-the-art 3D digital imaging and advanced implant planning software to analyze your jaw anatomy and identify the best site for the implant before surgery. This is important to reduce the recovery time to a few months. After surgical placement of the implant, you need to wait 4-6 months for the gums to heal before the replacement tooth can be placed. If your gum and/or bone tissue needs to be rebuilt, like through grafting, then the full treatment time will be longer. 

Please schedule an appointment with your oral surgeon for a proper assessment of your case.