Are Affordable Dental Implants Really Affordable?
Affordable Dental Implants: Money Talks
When looking at your options for tooth replacement, you may feel that the concept of affordable dental implants is an urban legend! However, there are additional facts that you should consider before letting your wallet make the decision only based on the price tag.
Dental Implants are one of the premier services that your dentist can provide for you. They are a practical solution for people requiring a replacement for a damaged or missing tooth. As you may know, a dental implant is basically a custom-made synthetic tooth that is custom-designed to replace your previous one. These implants are very durable and have proven themselves to be extremely reliable, as they may often last a lifetime. They have multiple benefits as well. For example, a dental implant can give you a more youthful appearance by maintaining the bone structure of your jaw. Otherwise, over time your jaw bone will atrophy and give your face a sagging appearance that makes you look older.
Of course, it’s important for you to visit our office to find out whether or not you are a candidate for dental implants. If you are considering dentures, you may want to read more about this in one of our previous blogs.
Because of their significantly high success rate, when looking at the price tag for these sought-after replacements some people may have second thoughts and decide to move forward with dental implants.
Affordable Dental Implants: Common Myths
In today’s society, many of us are budget conscious and often for very good reason. However it’s important to realize that even the most frugal approach, (no matter how responsible it may seem) can be a potential mistake, and ultimately prove to be more costly. This can often be the case when considering your other tooth replacement options.
While cheaper, other options come with many disadvantages. The two options that a patient may receive instead of a dental implant are a removable partial or a fixed bridge.
Here are some more details about each:
Option 1: Removable Partial
Often considered the most economical of the tooth replacement options, the removable partial denture or RPD, is a removable row of porcelain dentures that can be used to serve aesthetic purposes and as functional teeth. While the RPD is a popular tooth replacement option due to being the least expensive of the options and for being the most accommodating for older individuals who may need several teeth replaced. It does present certain drawbacks as well. Over the years there have been quite a few instances of RPD’s becoming lost or missing, especially among elderly patients or people on vacation, leading some to seek a more permanent solution.
Option 2: Fixed Bridge
A bridge or sometimes referred to as a fixed partial denture is much like the removable partial, a row of artificial porcelain teeth. However, the differences between an RPD and a bridge is not only that the bridge is fixed (or non-removable) but also that the dental bridge provides greater comfort while chewing, is convincing as actual teeth and requires less cleaning. While more expensive than the RPD, the bridge requires little time to be created and is in many ways more effective.
Even though both of these tooth replacement options may be less expensive than the dental implant, it is important to realize that neither option is nearly as strong as the implant. Also both of these options will eventually and will inevitability need to be replaced. It’s not a question of “if”, but a question of “when”?
Along with the more monotonous daily maintenance that a bridge or an RPD can add, either can be a bit of a chore, and might actually end up costing more in the overtime.
Affordable Dental Implants: A Worthy Investment
Due to the above mentioned issues, more and more patients today are finding that dental implants are not only a practical solution, but a financially wise decision too; therefore making them a truly affordable option.
Related Article: How Much do Dental Implants Cost?
Dental implants offer our patients a reliable and aesthetically pleasing permanent solution, which is often hassle-free. So remember, if you are considering your tooth replacement options, consider the long-term solution as it’s often less expensive to fix a problem right the first time with affordable dental implants.
If you are interested in dental implants and want to see if they are an option for you, visit one of the dental offices of Thomas L. Anderson and Associates as a new patient, please contact us today to schedule an appointment. We have three convenient locations within the Kansas City area, including Lee’s Summit / Independence, the Country Club Plaza and Downtown Kansas City. The gentle dentists and expert team at Thomas L. Anderson and Associates look forward to working with you to achieve proper oral health and a beautiful smile that will last a lifetime. If you have any questions about your dental insurance benefits, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to review your policy! Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment and become part of our dental family.