When your teeth fall out, are knocked out or are extracted, you’ll need to consider teeth replacements. There are a variety of oral health issues that can occur if you don’t have your teeth replaced, including cavities, gingivitis and worse. One excellent replacement option is dental implants.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are dental prosthetics that involve the placement of a titanium rod in the jaw of a patient. Once the rod fuses with the jawbone, an abutment is used to connect a dental crown (false tooth). This can be made to give the appearance of a real tooth, or materials like gold can be used to make the tooth stand out more.
Why Dental Implants?
There are a few reasons why you may want to consider dental implants over other options. Some of these reasons include:
* Healthy Teeth. If you have a missing tooth or teeth, over time, your teeth may begin to shift and move. This can cause impacting of your teeth, crowding and other issues. Once your teeth move, it can be extremely difficult to brush and floss properly. Because of this, you may end up getting cavities and gum disease. If these issues persist, you may end up needing a root canal or even an extraction! With dental implants, you can ensure that your healthy teeth stay in place and don’t shift. This means an easier time brushing and flossing, and better overall oral health.
* Better Long-Term Cost. When you first see the cost of dental implants, you may want to reconsider. While they can seem high at first, there are different options for financing that you can consider (which we will go over). Over time, the costs will go up if you don’t get a replacement for your missing teeth due to the oral health issues that will occur. Dental implants make it easier to take care of your oral health, and they provide your jawbone with the help it needs—leading to lower costs over time.
* Jawbone Health. Speaking of your jawbone, it needs to hold something in place to stay healthy. If you don’t have a tooth or a replacement, your jawbone will begin to deteriorate over time. A dental implant takes the place of a tooth in your jawbone, which encourages better jawbone health.
* Higher Self-Esteem. Everyone wants a full smile. When you are missing a tooth or teeth, it can be easy to get self-conscious. With a dental implant or implants, you can smile again with confidence. This, in turn, helps to boost your self-esteem and improve your overall mood.
Am I a Candidate for Implants?
There are a few factors that will go into deciding if you are a candidate for implants. One is your jawbone. If your jawbone has deteriorated, you may need a bone graft to strengthen your jaw. This will allow for the placement of the dental implant. Your dentist will take a look at your missing tooth or teeth and decide whether you have the jawbone strength to have an implant placed and if you are a candidate for a bone graft if your jawbone isn’t strong enough.
Dental implants are available for a single tooth, a portion of a patient’s teeth or an entire row of teeth. Because of this, multiple implants may need to be placed to secure the replacement.
If there is more than one procedure necessary, expect this to increase the overall cost of the placement.
Financing My Dental Implants
If you are a candidate for dental implants, you’ll need to consider what the best way to pay is for you. Dental implants are often somewhere around $1,500 to $3,000 per tooth to have placed. You also may need to pay for a jawbone restoration.
Some people are able to pay out-of-pocket, and others have an insurance policy that at least partially covers the cost (though this is a bit rarer). For those that don’t have insurance coverage and/or can’t afford to pay out of pocket, loans will need to be considered. Below are the most common loans used to cover the costs of dental implants.
* Personal Loans. One option for patients that don’t have great credit is a personal loan. These types of loans may be either secured or unsecured. For a secured loan, a patient will need to put up some form of collateral. For an unsecured loan, no collateral is needed, but if the loan isn’t paid the patient will be sent to collections. This will hurt their credit. It’s harder for a patient with bad credit to get an unsecured loan, so you’ll need to apply and see if you qualify for this form of loan.
* Pay-Over-Time Plans. Pay-over-time lenders are often an option for patients with bad credit and may be the best option available. With this type of plan, a down-payment is generally needed. Using multiple factors, the company will decide on the loan agreement.
* Sub-Prime Lender. Subprime lenders lend to people that have lower credit, like patients that have a credit score below 640. Sub-prime lenders look at multiple factors, such as the borrower’s income, credit and employment history. Sub-prime lenders are more lenient with giving out credit, but it comes with a cost. Sub-prime loans come with higher interest, as they see their customers as being higher risk.
Speak with Your Dentist
If you have a missing tooth or teeth, or if you are having a tooth extraction, speak with your dentist about dental implants. They will take a look at your teeth, gums and jawbone to see if you are a good candidate for implants. If they decide that you are, you can speak with their office about payment options and lenders.
Whether you would like to pay out-of-pocket or go through a lender, it’s important to find a payment method that works for you and schedule an appointment for a dental implant procedure. This will end up saving you a lot of trouble and money in the long run!