Dental implants are a stable and natural looking way to restore one or more missing teeth. Dental implants are on the more expensive end of the price range for restorative dental work but implants are an investment that can last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance. The restoration on your implant may need to be replaced but the implant itself can easily outlive other options. Traditional dentures and other traditional restorations that sit above the gum line may last up to 10 years but an implant supported restoration can last up to 20 years.
How much do dental implants cost?
Dental implants have a number of cost affecting factors. The actual implant and placement surgery can cost between $1000 and $3000 per implant. The abutment and implant crown can cost between $500 and $4000, bringing your total cost for one implant to between $1500 and $7000. If you need a restoration that will cover more than one tooth, you may expect to pay up to $30,000 for one full arch of implant supported dentures. Patients who need to have their full mouth replaced may spend up to $90,000 for both arches.
Dental implants are costly but are often the more cost effective treatment option overtime. Other dental restorations will need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years or so and can lead to other health issues and nutritional imbalance. A traditional denture or bridge that sits above the gum line can lead to jaw bone deterioration which causes the dental prosthesis to become ill-fitting and can actually change the appearance of your face.
Implant supported dentures are significantly more comfortable for the patient because they are permanently set in place on the implants. The implants are screwed directly into the jaw bone and provide a firm and stable foundation for the denture. Traditional dentures use suction, retention, and adhesion to stay in place but often still slip around in the mouth. This friction can cause irritation and sores on the gum tissue which can make wearing the denture painful and cause difficulty eating and speaking for the patient.
Are there additional costs associated with full mouth dental implants?
The biggest determining factor of the overall cost of treatment is the number of implants required to support your denture. Additional costs that may come into play include the initial examination, any required extractions, and any preparatory surgeries.
The initial examination to determine your candidacy for full mouth of dental implants can cost up to $600. If you need extractions of hopeless teeth, that can cost between $75 and $600 per tooth, depending on the location of the tooth and the ease of extraction. If a tooth is not erupted through the gum tissue, extraction surgery can be more expensive.
Preparatory surgery may include a bone or a gum graft. If you do not have healthy gum tissue or do not have enough bone structure to support your implants, tissue or bone can be harvested from another part of your mouth or even from a donor cadaver to bring your jaw to a healthy state that can receive the implants. A bone graft can cost between $250-$3000 per site, depending on the material used in the size and location of the bone graft.
If you are interested in full mouth dental implants but are deterred by the cost, speak with your dentist to see if they have any financing programs available. Some offices offer in-house financing and others work with third-party financing companies both of which can greatly ease your out-of-pocket burden.