Dental insurance isn’t medical insurance. If you are lucky to have dental insurance, it’s more like having a coupon for general services like cleanings and fillings. Yes, there are dental insurance companies who cover dental implants, but they want to dictate the coverage and this isn’t the answer. Cost of dental implants over your lifetime is minimal, and many dentists offer financing and there are banks that offer those zero interest credit cards for a year.
Now, dental implants don’t decay, don’t get periodontal disease and they aren’t temporary. They give you your quality of life back and dentures are not considered standard of care. Dentures and partials force you to change your diet and nutrition, because you have lost the ability to chew the foods you have enjoyed all your life. When you lose a tooth or teeth, the bone in your jaw is no longer needed to support a tooth, so it melts away over time and you start looking older than you really are. Replacing your teeth with dental implants helps maintain your bone in your jaw and keep you from looking older and not having that sunken-in look. If you are missing a tooth, “Why would you want to grind down your adjacent teeth on each side and create a three tooth problem with a three-unit bridge, when you only had a one tooth problem in the first place?”
As for fees, the cost of implants varies depending on where you live. An All-on-4 procedure with 10 to 12 teeth and 4 implants, upper or lower fixed bridge completely restored cost on average 20K. Be carefull not to get fooled by mini dental implants, they aren’t meant to be permanent and will cost you more in the long haul.
Dental implants give you your confidence back in social activities and your significant other will apprieciate your smile.
Root Canals are generally a temporary solution and your tooth may be better off replaced with a dental implant and a crown. This is a decision between you and your General Dentist.
Take the time to get a good comprehensive treatment plan and if you get a second and third opinion. Remember, anyone can lower a fee, but that doesn’t mean you are getting the same comprehensive treatment plan. An experienced Oral Surgeon or Periodontist is your best place to start after seeing your General Dentist.
