When it comes to replacing your missing teeth, unfortunately not every dental procedure is perfect for every patient. When it comes to replacing your missing teeth, you have a few different options. The most popular seem to be dental implants, dental bridges, and full or partial dentures. If you want the best treatment, our dentist usually recommends dental implants. Unfortunately, dental implants have certain requirements that not every patient can meet. Discover if dental implants at Old Milton Dental are right for you. Read through the disadvantages of dental implants to discover if they are your ideal treatment option.
Dental Implants are Costly
The first and most major disadvantage of dental implants is that they are costly. We won’t lie to you and tell you that they are the most affordable option because they are most definitely not. A full mouth of dental implants can cost you tens of thousands of dollars while a single implant can cost a few thousand. To find out how much dental implants will cost for you, please schedule a consultation with our dentist in Alpharetta to find out how much your dental implants treatment will cost you. They might be more or less affordable than you think. Also please consider the different payment options we have available at our dental office. You might be able to make monthly payments that fit inside your budget.
Your Dental Insurance Won’t Cover Them
Another disadvantage of dental implants is that your dental insurance will most likely not cover them. If anything, they might help cover the restoration that will be attached to the dental implant like the dental crown, dental bridge, partial or full denture. Of course, you can call your dental insurance prior to a consultation with us to see if these are things they might consider to cover. You never know what your insurance is willing to cover. During your consultation, we will go over the complete costs for your treatment with us.
Dental Implants Require a Surgery for Placement
Another major disadvantage of dental implants is that they require surgery to be placed. You might think this is a big deal but surgery is always a health risk. The complication rate is just an average 5 to 10%. The risks and complications you are taking for dental implants include infection, damage to other teeth, delayed bone healing, nerve damage, prolonged bleeding, jaw fractures and more. If you are willing to take these risks, dental implants might be right for you.
You Might Need to Replace Your Restorations
Although dental implants can last you for life, the restorations that you attach to them may not. Another disadvantage of dental implants is that you may need to replace your restorations down the line which can be quite costly. For example, a single dental crown can cost around $1,000. If you have multiple in your mouth, that can really add up. Dental bridges and dentures are less costly, but still, add up over time. Most patients who need to replace their restorations are ones who did not take care of them in the first place.
Dental crowns and dental bridges are made of porcelain which can typically last you for the rest of your life with proper care. This means that you brush and floss regularly and avoid doing any physical damage to your teeth. This means wearing a night guard and a mouth guard when it is deemed necessary.
You Might Lose Bone Around Your Implants
Another factor that you might want to consider before opting for dental implants is this one major disadvantage. Although dental implants can help you maintain bone mass in your jaw, it is still common to lose bone around your implants. This is from normal bone loss over years. If you lose too much bone, you may need to have your dental implant replaced. This is why it’s important to have your dental implants placed by a skilled dentist like ours at Old Milton Dental. We take our time planning your dental implant surgery to ensure your implant is placed in the best spot possible for long-term results.
Dental Implants Take a Long Time to Heal
If you are looking for instant results for your missing teeth, dental implants aren’t going to be your solution. A major disadvantage of dental implants is that they take a long time to heal. To start, our dentist must first ensure you have enough bone mass in your jaw to have the implants placed in the first place. If you don’t, we need to give you a bone graft surgery. If you need any teeth extracted, that will also need to be done in advance. We can’t place your dental implants until your gums have healed from extractions and bone grafts. From there, we will surgically insert your dental implants.
Once your surgery is complete, we must then let your gums heal once again. This is where your gums begin to grow bone around the implants. The healing process can take anywhere from 3 to 18 months to heal. It’s not until your gums have healed from surgery that we can take impressions of your gums and create your permanent tooth restorations. When those return from the lab, we can finally place them in your mouth to hopefully last you the rest of your life. If you don’t have patience, dental implants probably aren’t the right dental treatment for you.
Dental Implants Have a Chance of Failing
Every patient who receives dental implants risks the chance that their dental implants will fail. Typically the fail rate is only about 10%. We only give dental implants to patients who we believe will not have failing implants. If you do choose to have dental implant surgery, it’s important to get them from a highly skilled and trained dentist for smaller fail risks.
Schedule a Consultation for Tooth Replacement Today
Whether this blog helped you to decide to receive dental implants or to opt for a different tooth replacement procedure, our dentist is here to sit with you during a consultation to see what’s right for you. Give us a call or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment for dental implants in Alpharetta today.
