Are Dental Implants Good Value for Money?
Why Birmingham dentists such as Arthur House Dental Care recommend implants so highly.
There is no getting away from the fact that having dental implants placed is not a cheap option. This is unfortunate as they provide an excellent replacement for a lost tooth. The fact is though, that the procedure not only requires years of extensive and continual training, but also that the material used in a dental implant is one of the most expensive in the world. Given the cost though, how good value are dental implants and do the benefits justify the cost? Let’s take a closer look….
Cheap implants abroad
First of all, let us take a look at the cheap offers we often see advertising the implant procedure overseas. Whilst this may be tempting and you may even strike lucky and get good quality, the stakes are pretty high. A mix of poor quality implants and insufficiently skilled and qualified dentists may mean that the implant is not only unsuccessful but may leave you in some degree of pain with little hope of getting your money back.
Unfortunately, too many patients have received a poor service abroad and have lived to regret it; consequently we would advise our patients at Arthur House Dental Care not to take up these offers.
UK Dental Implant Costs
So, why are dental implant costs higher in this country than advertised by overseas dental practices? Firstly, the quality of the actual implant is extremely important. Not only are they very precise pieces of dental hardware but also have to be made from titanium which is a very expensive material.
We suspect that some of the cheaper offers may use inferior implants which are not pure titanium. The effect of this would be that the implant might not fully integrate with the bone in the jaw and would therefore be insecure and eventually fail.
You can be assured that, at our Birmingham dental implant facilities, we use only top quality dental implants for our patients.
Training and Experience
As well as using top quality implants, we are fortunate to have both a highly trained and experienced implant dentist at Arthur House Dental Care. Dr Julian Perry has been placing dental implants since 1984 and has undergone extensive training in this area. This training is ongoing and designed to provide absolutely the best dental implant service that we can.
Benefits
Now that we know why implants cost what they do; let us take a look at the benefits that they give.
A dental implant once placed, will, in effect, act very much the same as a natural tooth, both visually and functionally. Unlike dentures or bridges, a dental implant, correctly placed, is very strong indeed and offers the patient the benefit of not having to think twice before choosing what to eat.
Even notorious foods such as hard toffees that have to be avoided by denture and bridge wearers can be eaten with no problem by people with dental implants. No only is this far more enjoyable for the person concerned, but can actually have nutritional benefits too, in that a wider range of foods is accessible.
In addition, dental implants require no special cleaning although it should be noted that it is still essential to both brush and floss around the tooth to prevent gum disease which, in its advanced stage, can damage the underlying bone structure and potentially threaten the implant itself.
Longevity
One major advantage that dental implants have over other options for replacing lost teeth, as well as their strength, is that of longevity. Whilst a well fitted bridge may provide long service, a dental implant should last the patient for a minimum of twenty years given reasonable care. It is not unknown for them to last for over thirty years in some cases.
If you have a tooth or a number of teeth that are missing, why not arrange a free dental implant consultation at our practice in Sutton Coldfied near Birmingham by calling us on 0121 323 4492.