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A dental implant is an artificial tooth that works like a real tooth. When a natural tooth is extracted, a dental implant is inserted in the space left by the extracted tooth. It is the best solution for a missing tooth.
A dental implant is made of two parts: a metal screw and a tooth crown. The metal part of the dental implant is inserted in the jaw bone. After that, a tooth crown is placed on the top of the dental implant.
The metal screw is made of Titanium metal. Titanium is the strongest metal. Therefore, the strength of a dental implant is very high. Dental implant has a life of 15+ years.
Several cases of extracted or missing tooth are shown below. A dental implant is used to fill the empty space left after tooth extraction.
If the space left after a tooth extraction is not filled, then it will cause other teeth to fall soon. The empty space can be filled by either: a dental implant, or a dental bridge, or a denture. A dental implant is the best treatment among all these treatments.
There are two types of dental implant: Titanium dental implant, and Zirconia (Ceramic) dental implant.
Titanium dental implant is the most commonly used dental implant. It is made of Titanium metal. It is stronger than a zirconia (ceramic) dental implant. Titanium dental implant can take
higher biting force than a zirconia dental implant. Therefore, it is more commonly used.
This dental implant is either completely made of zirconia (ceramic) or at least has the upper part of the dental implant (abutment) made of zirconia. Zirconia dental implant is white in color
and looks like a natural tooth. This dental implant is weaker than a Titanium dental implant.
Zirconia dental implant is commonly used in the front side of the jaw where less biting / chewing force and pressure is required. Zirconia dental implant looks more like a natural tooth in the front because of its color.
A dental implant surgery is done in two parts. A dental implant is placed in the jaw in the first part, and a tooth crown is placed on the dental implant in the second part.
First Visit: The first visit is of 4-5 days. In this visit, on the first day, the doctor first takes a 3D image or an x-ray of the mouth, and then plans the treatment. Dental implant is placed on the second day.
Dental Implant Placement: In this surgery, the dental implant is placed in the jaw. It takes 45-60 minutes to insert one dental implant. After the surgery, you can resume your daily work after 2-3 days. A tooth crown is not yet placed in this surgery because the bone needs time to heal completely.
Healing / Waiting Time: The healing / waiting time is of 2 months. A temporary acrylic tooth crown is placed over the dental implant as a temporary replacement of a permanently fixed tooth crown.
During this time, you can eat, chew all types of food, but a temporary acrylic tooth
crown is weaker than a permanently fixed zirconia tooth crown, so you should only eat food that is soft, and avoid biting food items that are hard.
Second Visit: The second visit is of 3-4 days. In this, the temporary acrylic tooth crown is removed and a fixed tooth crown is permanently placed over the dental implant. No healing time is required after this.
Bone graft and sinus lift surgery is done on a part of the jaw if has less bone to hold the dental implant. It adds artificial bone in the part of the jaw that holds the dental implant.
In this procedure, a tissue layer near the gums (sinus membrane) is lifted and the bone graft (artificial bone) is filled in the jaw. The dental implant is then inserted.
The bone graft fuses with the jaw bone and becomes like a natural bone within a few weeks.
Dental implants are the best option for replacing lost teeth. However, there are cheaper alternatives to dental implants. Dental bridge and removable partial denture.
The dental bridge replaces the missing tooth with a fixed fake tooth. It is placed in the mouth with the support of two teeth
Adjacent to the missing tooth. However, the two adjacent teeth are trimmed to support the dentures. So it weakens two healthy teeth to fill the missing tooth space.
Learn more about dental bridges.
Removable partial dentures replace missing teeth with removable fake teeth. Dentures are not recommended as a substitute for
dentistry Implant because the gap left by the missing tooth cannot be permanently filled. This will cause the other teeth to fall off quickly. Learn more about the effects of missing teeth.
Read more about denture here.
A CT scan (CBCT) machine gives a 3D image of your mouth. The 3D image gives the best locations in the jaw to insert a dental implant. Therefore, a very small hole is drilled in the gums to insert a dental implant because the exact location is already known to the dentist before cutting the gums.
If this 3D image of the mouth is not available, then a larger cut is required in the gums to find the best locations in the jaw to insert the dental implant.
The 3D image also gives information if any additional procedure is required, like: bone graft and sinus lift surgery. It also shows the path of main blood vessels in the mouth that must not be touched during the surgery.
The dentist prepares a device called “Stent” using the 3D image of the mouth. The stent helps in accurate placement of the dental implant in the jaw bone. Therefore, a very small cut is required in the gums to insert the dental implant in the jaw.
The complete cost of a dental implant surgery consists of:
Bone graft and sinus lift surgery is done on a part of the jaw if has less bone to hold the dental implant. It adds artificial bone in the part of the jaw that holds the dental implant.
The average cost of a dental implant is $ 3450 in USA and $ 300 outside of USA at our clinic.
Treatment |
Cost in USA |
Cost outside of USA |
|---|---|---|
Dental Implant without Tooth Crown | $ 1680 | $ 220 |
Tooth Crown (Zirconia) | $ 1260 | $ 80 |
3D CT Scan (CBCT) and a Stent (if required) | $ 420 |
No Cost |
Doctor’s Consultation (Check-up, X-Ray) | $ 90 |
No Cost |
Total | $ 3450 | $ 300 |
Cost in USA | : $ 1680 |
Cost outside of USA | : $ 220 |
Cost in USA | : $ 1260 |
Cost outside of USA | : $ 80 |
Cost in USA | : $ 420 |
Cost outside of USA |
: No Cost |
Cost in USA | : $ 90 |
Cost outside of USA |
: No Cost |
Cost in USA | : $ 3450 |
Cost outside of USA | : $ 300 |
Bone graft or sinus lift surgery, if required, will cost $ 80 extra outside of USA at our clinic. But in USA, it costs $ 840 extra.
A dental implant is very expensive in USA, but you can save a lot of money by traveling to an affordable location outside of USA for 4-5 days for the treatment.
For example, at our clinic, the cost of a dental implant is $ 300 which is 12 times lower than the
average cost of $ 3450 in USA. So, you can save a lot of money, and at the same time enjoy a free holiday trip.
Read more about dental tourism here.
Read more about affordable dental implants here.
Question: Is a dental implant surgery painful?
Answer: No, it is a completely painless procedure.
Question: Do you use anesthesia to reduce pain?
Answer: Yes, anesthesia is used to numb the mouth. You will be fully awake during the treatment and you will not feel any pain in the mouth.
Question: How many days are required for the complete dental implant surgery and the tooth crown procedure?
Answer: The complete dental implant surgery and the tooth crown procedure takes 2 visits of 4-5 days with a gap of 2 months in between the visits.
Question: How long does a dental implant last?
Answer: A dental implant lasts for 15+ years.
Question: What if I do not get a dental implant?
Answer: If the empty space left by an extracted tooth is not filled by a dental implant, then it will cause other teeth to fall soon. See the effects of a missing tooth on other teeth here.
Question: Is a tooth crown compulsory after inserting a dental implant?
Answer: Yes, a tooth crown is compulsory after inserting a dental implant.
Question: Does a tooth after the dental implant procedure look like a natural tooth?
Answer: Yes, it looks like a natural tooth because the color of tooth crown matches with the color of your other natural teeth.
