If you’ve decided on dental implants as the solution to your missing teeth, you’ve chosen well. As you probably know, dental implants offer benefits in oral health, comfort and appearance that no other option can. However, if you’ve been doing a bit of research, you probably also know that there are lots of different practitioners offering implant-based dental restoration, and prices from one to another can vary widely. So how to choose the best dental implants? Patients should know that dental implants are not all the same, and going with the cheapest offer isn’t the way to get the best value for the time and money you’ll spend on your dental work.
Dental Implants
Getting the most for your money means walking away at the end of the process with a comfortable and beautiful new smile, your missing teeth replaced in a manner that looks, feels and functions like healthy, natural teeth. As a rule, going with the cheapest provider and/or implant package isn’t the way to achieve those results. There are factors that are much more important than money when it comes to dental implants. The skill and experience of the provider you choose, for instance.
Dental implant placement is a surgical procedure, one that requires a great deal of precision in both planning and execution for successful and complication-free results. Each implant must be placed in optimal position in the jawbone to provide secure support for your replacement teeth, and since no two patients are exactly alike, optimal placement will be different for you than it was for the last patient. That means that individualized care is essential to great results, as is using a dental professional who is best qualified in terms of in-depth, hands-on training in these surgical procedures – an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. An experienced oral surgeon may not be the least expensive option, but since they have years of training in implant dentistry, as opposed to general dentists who may have just taken a weekend course, however it may be your best option.
The Best Dental Implants
Materials are also an essential element in dental implant success, and one that many bargain dental implant packages scrimp on. Be sure to ask any provider you’re considering what type and brand of implants and prosthetics will be used. The best products have years of research backing their safety and effectiveness, so don’t settle for generic, unproven materials. While some generics may be just fine, when your health and appearance are at stake, why risk it? Having sub-standard implants replaced after they bend or break means more pain, hassle and expense.
Nobody likes to feel as if they’ve paid more than they should have for something, but making price the chief consideration as you choose where to have your dental implants done can be very risky. It’s important to keep in mind that dental implant placement, despite the many advertisements that market implant restoration like any typical consumer product, is surgery, and you’ll be living with the results of that procedure for a long time.
If it’s done well, that’s a distinct advantage, giving you a beautiful new smile that can last a lifetime. However, if the results aren’t up to par, the problems poor quality work causes will be around for a good long while too, and correcting them, if that’s even possible, may cost much more than having your implants done right the first time. So the bottom line is that bargain hunting is a gamble when it comes to dental implants, so make sure you choose a qualified, experienced oral surgeon who uses only top-shelf materials to place yours.
To schedule a dental implant consultation, contact our office at (202) 386-7100. If you would like to see the results of our oral surgery procedures see our before and after gallery.