Dental implants – are they worth the cost?

At Dental Quarters, our Claremont dentists have noticed an increased interest in dental implants amongst our clientele. For years, many of them have been fed up with gaps in their teeth. They hate how they look when the smile in photos, and find it uncomfortable and annoying to eat when food gets stuck or lodged.

Dental implants have been around for approximately half a century now. Over this time, there has been an enormous amount of research, studies and trials which can confirm that they are an acceptable, predictable and successful way of replacing one or more missing teeth.

At our Claremont dental clinic, our dentists and auxilliary staff are adequately trained in the most recent procedures and keep up to date with the latest developments in dental implantology. In particular, our principal dentist and founder of Dental Quarters, Dr Stephen Chan has a special interest in this area, and has done considerable further studies in this area.

For most patients, cost can be a major factor in deciding whether to proceed with dental implants. Cost will depend on a number of factors:

1. How many teeth are missing
2. Whether there is sufficient bone to place implant(s)
3. Whether grafting can be successfully done
4. Other systemic factors that could affect success such as gum disease, smoking habits and certain medications and medical conditions that affect the bones

Obviously everyone has to weigh up their own financial situations, but dental implants so far the best option for mimicing a natural tooth. It is almost impossible to tell the tooth is not real. Nowadays with the latest dental technology, success rates are also very good. A systemic review conducted in 2008 found implant loss was 1-18% over a 10-30 year period, compared to loss of natural teeth, which was 14-20%. Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18181931/

Here are the benefits of dental implants:

1. Very life-like to a natural tooth and hard to discern the difference
2. Stable and predictable if done properly
3. Good success rate if properly maintained
4. Can assist with improving chewing functions by replacing missing teeth
5. Helps improve self esteem by re-creating a new smile

Here are the disadvantages of dental implants

1. Cost can be a major inhibitive factor for some individuals
2. The process may take 3-6 months or more depending on complexity
3. Temporary crowns, bridges or dentures may still be required over several months
4. Surgical procedure may be uncomfortable during recovery for some

As always, our friendly team are happy to help you to find out more information. To see if dental implants are worth it for you, please call us on 6143 5655. Alternatively, you can book online at any time here.

Author: Lydia