Dental Implants Are Expensive, But Often Worth The Price

These days, when you lose a tooth you have a choice: get a partial denture, or get a dental implant. In most cases, your dental plan will probably cover the less expensive dentures but not the more expensive dental implants. Including everything from the procedure to the cost of the implant and the crown, a dental implant can cost a few thousand dollars, but those who can afford it usually find the benefits of an implant are well worth the cost.

The thing that makes implants such effective replacements is the fact that they replace a part of your body which is never meant to grow or regenerate. While your bones may never grow in size past puberty, individual cells are constantly creating and destroying the calcium lattice which is every bone’s structure. That’s why bones can knit themselves back together after a break, and if there’s an imbalance between the bone creators and bone absorbers, the osteoblasts and osteoclasts, it can lead to osteoporosis.

In contrast, the crowns of your teeth are solid mineral and lack any living cells. This means they’re the hardest substance in your body, but it also means they’re weak to the bacteria which cause cavities. At the same time, it also means that a porcelain crown with a solid artificial root can do the job of chewing food just as well.

Thanks to titanium’s ability to meld perfectly into bone, a titanium screw can hold its crown in place just as well as a natural tooth root, and it will even keep the surrounding jawbone from collapsing inwards due to the way it stimulates the bone. And once the porcelain crown is stained to match the rest of your teeth, there will be no visible or effective difference between the implant and your natural teeth. You even clean porcelain crowns just as you would any other tooth.

On the other hand, dentures leave a lot to be desired. They need to be removed and cleaned regularly, they have to be refitted regularly as your jawbones shrink, and unless they’re anchored solidly by the surrounding teeth or by a dental adhesive, they won’t let you chew tough foods like apples, corn on the cob, or jerky. Then again, they don’t cost much and they’re usually covered by dental plans.

Unfortunately, dental implants aren’t feasible for everyone, even though they’re a good idea for everyone who lacks one or more teeth. As such, if you can find a way to afford them, they are definitely worth the investment.