Most dental implants last a lifetime because of the very strong biological bond between the bone and the titanium alloy’s (or zirconia’s) surface. However, the environment around the implants can deteriorate, similar to how natural teeth deteriorate. For example, a bone can dissolve or the other teeth might shift and compromise the implant’s condition.

Also, some mechanical failures might occur because dental implants are devices with mechanical parts. Over the years, we’ve observed some more-successful and less-successful models in terms of dental implant engineering.  

At ImplantWide, we only use the best verified products from reputable vendors, and we also tailor each model to each specific case because implants have certain features that can lead to successful aesthetics, function, and longevity in different cases.

Like any other medical or dental procedure, dental implants have certain indications and contraindications as well as some risks and benefits. We only recommend this therapy when the benefits outweigh the risks.

Let’s start with the benefits:

• Implants present a functional advantage because we can replace a missing tooth or teeth without involving other teeth (i.e., we don’t have to grind them down, do root canals, or change their structure) or affecting their longevity.
• Implants restore chewing capacity. Implants on back teeth are especially successful in restoring a patient’s ability to chew food completely.
• Implants maintain bone volume. If a natural tooth was extracted and a bridge installed, the bone would shrink in that area, which can change jaw configuration or even face shape.
• Most implant solutions are not removable; they always stay in the mouth, which gives the patient an additional level of confidence, comfort, and aesthetics.
• Even though the initial investment level may seem high, it eventually evens out because other solutions often lead to remakes and repeats that involve more teeth and more expenses.

Risks can be divided into several categories:

• The patient’s general health conditions (we always examine medical history thoroughly during the initial consultation).
• Relative contraindications: e.g., controlled diabetes, osteopenia, smoking.
• Absolute contraindications: if a patient takes certain drugs like bisphosphonates, goes through radiation therapy or chemotherapy, has uncontrolled diabetes with extremely high sugar levels, or has severe anatomical limitations.
• Cosmetic: sometimes it’s not easy to make a beautiful smile with dental implants, so an experienced team (consisting of a dental surgeon, an implant surgeon, and a restorative dentist) has to rebuild hard tissue, soft tissue, pink portion, and gums to create the environment for the future beautiful tooth or teeth.

Typically, dental implants do not require IV sedation; most procedures can be done under local anesthesia (a.k.a., lidocaine numbing). However, for more elaborate cases like replacing multiple teeth at once or an entire mouth reconstruction, or due to a patient’s psychological or physiological conditions, IV sedation can be used. We’ve been doing the full-anesthesia procedure successfully for these patients for many years, and we’ve seen how it can bring the procedure’s comfort and the patient’s experience to the next level. We have a very experienced anesthesiologist for this procedure.

So, typically we don’t use IV sedation for implant simple procedures, but we can provide it if the patient chooses. We may even recommend it when we’re looking at an elaborate procedure that requires significant time and we believe it would make the patient more comfortable.

Recovery from IV sedation is almost the same as recovery from a regular numbing, but it is usually psychologically easier, since there’s no recollection on the surgery.

Unlike most other implant offices, we are very transparent with our potential patients about pricing from the very early stages of communication. We strive to establish transparency and trust and set correct expectations.

The cost of a dental implant is divided into two major parts. The first one is the surgical phase, and it covers the actual implant placement, including additional procedures like bone grafting, soft tissue grafting, and possibly other procedures related to the surgery. Typically, this stage is priced at around $2000 for the dental implant only, excluding additional improvement to the tooth site. A bone/soft tissue graft can add anywhere from $450 to $1200 per tooth site.

The second significant phase of replacing a tooth (or several teeth) is placing crowns or bridges on top of the implants. The cost range for a single crown is from $1200 to $2000 and up. If we’re replacing multiple teeth with a bridge, the price per tooth might go down. Replacing an entire jaw can cost in the range $19,000 to $25,000 altogether.

Cost usually depends on the case’s complexity, bone strength, aesthetic demands (front teeth), and other factors. We answer all your financial questions during the consultation and provide our patients with a clear treatment plan and price quote

No significant discomfort or pain should linger after a successful implant procedure. However, like any other surgical procedure, it can cause some discomfort and pain initially, which should be addressed with proper pain management. It’s always better to prevent the pain by taking medications early, while symptoms are mild, rather than trying to hold on until the pain reaches a higher point and then trying to bring it down. We instruct our patients to manage their pain this way. We always follow up with our patients and modify their pain management if needed, and they can also always reach out to us for help if necessary.

The procedure itself can be done under local anesthesia, or we can use IV sedation (general anesthesia) to create a completely different comfort level for our patients who need it. We have a very experienced anesthesiologist; our patients can feel secure under his expert care.

For implants that were placed a long time ago, patients might start feeling some discomfort or pain down the road due to possible changes in implant conditions. Pain of that kind should be evaluated on an individual basis with the dental implant specialist. When your specialist understands the problem’s origin, she or he will know what is needed to address it and recommend the proper pain management.

After surveying thousands of patients, we can confidently say that dental implants are far less painful than tooth extractions. Usually, this procedure goes faster and causes less trauma and postoperative discomfort. However, in cases of more intense discomfort, we usually prescribe stronger painkillers and give our patients very detailed postoperative instructions.

Implant therapy is not often associated with serious postoperative pain. Also, placing multiple implants does not make the pain situation worse. However, certain exceptions may occur, and people’s personal experiences can differ. Any surgical procedure may cause significant discomfort and sometimes pain. In the case of dental implants, when bone grafting and/or soft tissue grafting are part of an implant placement, they might cause a little more discomfort after the procedure simply because of the surgery’s scope and the number of procedures.

While the value of anything is a subjective perception, in our opinion dental implants are definitely worth the investment, as they can save you money in the long run. The benefits of replacing a missing tooth with an implant outweigh the risks and definitely outweigh the potential consequences of not replacing lost teeth. Missing teeth could have functional consequences, like changing the chewing capacity, which can lead to overlaboring of neighboring teeth and changes in the bite. A missing tooth can also have aesthetic consequences if it’s in the smile line. In time, the area where a tooth is lost or about to be lost will deteriorate and change form, affecting the smile’s overall aesthetics. So, down the road, if you don’t invest in replacing a missing tooth properly and in a timely way, you’ll see more consequences in terms treatment scope, time, and cost.

An implant’s price reflects not only the implant itself, but also the amount of expertise, work, and knowledge that goes into the treatment.

So the short answer is: yes, they’re definitely worth it!

Although implants are very reliable, have been the verified treatment of choice over the decades, and are scientifically proven to be superior to most tooth-replacement options, they are still not problem-free. Like any other medical devices implanted into a human body, they can fail later for various reasons.

For instance, a new systemic condition could manifest that the patient didn’t have in the past, like uncontrolled diabetes, the need for new medications, and/or significant and aggressive therapy such as cancer treatment. Or, a local factor like lack of proper personal and/or professional oral hygiene can impact an implant’s condition. Implants are susceptible to gum disease just like natural teeth.

Other contributing factors could be:

• Incorrect bite – Bite problems could be present initially but left unaddressed, or they can develop over the years because of other teeth shifting for various reasons.
• Mechanical failures – Implant parts can fail due to broken screws, broken implants, or chipped/cracked ceramics on crowns.

Mechanical problems may or may not be fixable. In any case, it’s absolutely imperative to have professional maintenance for your implants, preferably by the same team that placed or restored them. If that’s not possible, definitely only have qualified professionals monitor, maintain, and address issues early on in order to prevent catastrophic failures and implant or restoration loss.