“When I call around to dental offices and ask how much a dental implant costs, I feel like I get the runaround and never get the true number. Why can’t they just give me a price?”
The truth of the matter is that they do not really know how much it will cost because each case is different. However, they should be able to give you a price range for a singular dental implant as well as a full mouth of dental implants. There are multiple factors that determine the price of an implant or a full mouth of implants. Usually, a full mouth involves at least four implants per arch, upper or lower, plus the denture that will be attached to those dental implants. You may want to ask for their average price for these procedures.
One of the factors they need to consider when placing implants is first and foremost the health of your other teeth and your bone structure where the implant needs to be placed. The more unhealthy your teeth, gums or bone, the more work that needs to be done to prepare your mouth for an implant and therefore the more it will cost.
Another consideration is the type of implant, abutment and crown or denture that will be necessary for your type of procedure given the health of your mouth and bone structure. And based on the goals for your dentistry, i.e. to either get out as inexpensively as possible verses looking as natural as possible, functionality, ability to last for decades and the quality of the materials, will also affect the price.
There is no doubt that price is important, however, more important is your health and your comfort. Getting dental implants means having surgery… on your head, in your mouth. You want this to go very well. You may need to go back for adjustments, but you do not want to go back for infection, pain management or a nagging, misfitting dental implants. A full arch, implant-secured denture with an uncomfortable fit may take many dental office visits to correct. Choose a dentist with a lot of experience and a record of success. When choosing a dental team to place your implants, least expensive is not always the best idea.
Members of the editorial and news staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal were not involved in the creation of this content.