According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, almost 70 percent of adults between the ages of 35 and 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay.[1] Furthermore, by age 74, 26% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth.[2] These are amazing statistics about the status oral health.
Twenty years ago, these patients would have had no alternative but to employ a fixed bridge or removable denture in order to restore their ability to eat, speak clearly and smile.
Fortunately, today there is a viable option for patients who are missing permanent teeth – dental implants. Rather than solutions resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or destroying adjacent teeth to anchor fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that truly function like your natural teeth. In addition, they preserve your underlying jaw bone structure.
Whether you are a young, middle-aged or an older adult; whether you need to replace one tooth, several teeth, or all your teeth, there is a high probability there is a dental implant solution to your situation. Your implant can be placed in our office. So what are you waiting for? Contact us for your complimentary consultation.
Many people are unaware of the consequences of losing their teeth or the effects of wearing partial or full dentures upon their jaws and bones. When teeth are lost, the surrounding bone immediately begins to shrink [atrophy].
Implant treatment, for tooth replacement therapy, can be the optimal treatment plan. Here are some important facts to take into consideration.
• Wearing dentures [plates] accelerates bone loss, and old dentures become loose because of resulting bone loss. It is possible to watch and wait for bone to disappear to the point where treatment success of any kind is doubtful.
• At the end of a five-year period, only 40% are still wearing the original partial denture made for them. This is not a great testimonial to value and utility. Those lucky enough to have a functioning partial denture after 5 years are still losing valuable supporting bone.
• Of those patients who wear a partial denture, 50% chew better without it.
• One study showed that after 8 years, 40% of the supporting teeth [abutments] that the partial hooks onto were lost through tooth decay or fracture.
• Patients with natural teeth can bite with about 200 pounds of force. Denture wearers can bite with approximately 50 pounds of force. Those wearing dentures for 15 years or more can bite with only about 6 pounds of force, and their diet and eating habits have had to been modified accordingly.
• The average lower full denture shifts from side to side during chewing and is a significant problem that new denture wearers must get use to and accept.
• Denture wearers have decreased nutritional intake, a ten year shorter life span, and 30% of denture wearers can only eat soft foods.
• The single tooth implant success rate is above 98%, and unlike a bridge, the teeth adjacent to the implant are no more at risk than if no teeth were missing.
• Implant-supported bridges or dentures have 95% success rates over 10 years without the severe loss of supporting bone.
For bone maintenance, the health of adjacent teeth, the longevity of the restoration and patient comfort, implant therapy is the treatment of choice. Implants can restore chewing function to the equivalent of someone with natural teeth. If you have questions or want to know if you are a good candidate for implant tooth replacement therapy, please call our office in Sandy Springs or Chamblee.
The cost of dental implants may appear high, and therefore, unaffordable to most people. But appearances can be deceiving if you examine the beneficial differences and the time involved by our specialists. While I have written on those issues before, let’s explore the aspects of price and how different dental implants may differ very significantly depending on different factors.
The real concern for the patient is ‘where and how’ to find inexpensive quality dental implant, and most likely the driving adjective is ‘inexpensive’. This is a result of the perception by the patient that teeth are utilitarian to their daily life. That’s really not the case, but to put the cost into perspective, all the while considering that your teeth aren’t really as appreciated as much as they should be, let’s examine what goes into the cost of a dental implant.
4 Factors that Drive the Cost of Dental Implants:
The Material:
The traditional materials – prices of cobalt-chromium alloy and titanium are not the same. Implants from cobalt-chromium (CC) alloy rods are cheaper than comparable titanium implants, but when it comes to zirconium dioxide, then cost of a dental implant may appear to be cost prohibitive to the patient. However, depending on where the implant is being placed, you may end up with a less than satisfactory result with the less expensive CC implant. You just won’t know it for a while.
The Size:
This case is a significant factor. The bigger the implant, the more material, the more it costs, but also the more it may do. Also, special coatings applied to the surface of the implant, contributing to better osseo-integration with the bone, will affect the cost of the dental implant.
The Manufacturer:
Different manufacturers put different prices on similar rods made from the same material. Some manufacturers include some kind of an extra charge in the dental implant’s price for their brand name. This is a lot more esoteric and therefore harder to explain. It’s like trying to explain the difference between Polo and Hanes T-shirts. However, some of these manufacturers provide lifetime guarantees and replacement for failure.
Finally, it may depend on where your dentist gets his implants from. And this factor may be a function of how motivated your provider is in providing you with the best implant material for the least amount of cost to you. Some of that may just end up being economies of scale by your provider. Does your provider have contacts directly with manufactures in China or Israel, where the dental implant cost can be significantly reduced, while the indirect purchase of dental implants from U.S dental suppliers may ratchet up the price?
If the price is too good to be true?
The cost of an dental implant starts from around $1,500 up to $5,000.00 . Anything less may be an indicator that you’re getting an inferior product or one not designed for a particular location in your mouth. (Mini-plants, which I have discussed before, are the exception to the rule.) Short term the implant device may appear to be fully functional. But if we look at the cost and the cost of other materials for dental implants compared to their operational life, the difference may be likened to the difference between Toyo’s and Michelin tires. Here again you may get what you pay for and the initial cost may appear affordable, but in the long term you are going to get a better result with respect to how it functions and how long it lasts if your provider installs Michelins.
A lot of your choice and cost may depend on the choice of your provider. It’s not to say the more you spend the better you will be. Rather, a reputable practitioner, who is truly trained in the placement and restoration (and this may be two providers), may be a significant factor in what you end up with and what it costs. Trust and reputation should be the more difficult factors to define in choosing your provider. We’ve been in Sandy Springs since 1988 and the addition of my daughters has only enhanced reputation and continuing commitment to the communities we serve. Contact us to find out for yourself.
Additional procedures (if required) such as sinus lifts and bone grafting
When getting a quote, remember YOU ARE UNIQUE. Every patient, every mouth is unique. This is not a cookie cutter process. Uniqueness creates a particular approach to every patient. There is the cost of the procedure and the implant, the cost of the abutment and the cost of the crown, bridge or denture. There will be additional charges for the scans, anesthesia and modeling as well. So please don’t be fooled by ads that sound too good to be true. It’s your health at risk.
If you receive a quote or see a price that looks to good to be true, it most likely is. In our practice we are oral physicians and safe, exceptional quality and long lasting implants come at a price. Some or all of these factors may or may not be included in a particular estimate.
In our Sandy Springs and Chamblee offices, our specialists are in-house, including the prosthodontist. With over 1000 five star reviews you are in good hands in our practice. If we can be of assistance, please feel free to contact us.
When teeth are lost, the surrounding bone immediately begins to atrophy. Implant treatment, for tooth replacement therapy, is the optimal treatment plan. Here are some important facts:
Wearing dentures accelerates bone loss. Waiting may make treatment success of any kind doubtful.
At the end of a five-year period, only 40% are still wearing the original partial denture made for them.
One study showed that after 8 years, 40% of the supporting teeth that the partial hooks onto were lost through tooth decay or fracture.
Patients with natural teeth can bite with about 200 pounds of force.
Denture wearers can bite with approximately 50 pounds of force. Those wearing dentures for 15 years or more can bite with only about 6 pounds of force, and their diet and eating habits have had to modify accordingly.
Here’s a biggy -Denture wearers have decreased nutritional intake causing a ten year shorter life span.
The single tooth implant success rate is above 98%, and unlike a bridge, the teeth adjacent to the implant are no more at risk than if no teeth were missing.
Implant-supported bridges or dentures have 95% success rates over 10 years without the severe loss of supporting bone.
For bone maintenance, the health of adjacent teeth, the longevity of the restoration and patient comfort, implant therapy is the treatment of choice. If you have questions or want to know if you are a good candidate for affordable dental implants, please call our office in Sandy Springs or Chamblee.
Dental implants cannot decay, but the supporting bone and gum around the implant must be carefully maintained to protect against long term failure. And although they are visually indistinguishable from natural teeth, dental implants need to be cared for in a slightly different manner. As a consequence, it is important to maintain healthy gum tissue and supporting bone by building an effective plaque removal routine and practicing it two to three times a day. We encourage patients to visit our dental hygienist for professional maintenance visit three to four times per year, depending on the prosthesis design and the patient’s abilities to perform adequate home care.
Electric toothbrushes disrupt biofilm better than a manual brush due to the ability to generate more brush strokes than the human hand. Regardless of the toothbrush chosen, you should brush for a full two minutes with a soft bristle brush.
We recommend interproximal cleaning products that promote gingival stimulation such as soft picks, rubber tip stimulators, and proxabrushes with plastic wires.
And finally, the dental hygienist plays an integral role in determining what professional maintenance schedule is best suited for your implant based on the type of implant prosthesis, dexterity, and overall health.
There are so many advantages to tooth implants. First and foremost, it’s a permanent solution to tooth loss that is durable and stable compared to the alternatives such as conventional dentures, crowns or bridges.
In addition, the implant generally prevents further bone loss, which may lead to additional tooth loss. Implants make it easier to speak and most definitely, eat. They also fit naturally and when done right, look better cosmetically than their alternatives. And they also improve your oral health by making it easier to clean between teeth and they do not require destroying nearby healthy teeth in order to be installed.
Advantages to Dental Implants:
Permanent and durable
They are more cost effective over many years
Natural and comfortable and functional – like regular teeth
Require the same maintenance of regular teeth, i.e. floss
Don’t require modifications to adjacent teeth
90 to 95%+ success rates
The risks are minimal as problems and causes of failure are rare and are often easily treated. The risks include but are not limited to: the bone not integrating with the implant, bleeding, the crown becomes loose or a lack of proper oral hygiene. Every patient is unique and therefore, success rates depend on a number of factors including the size and strength of the jaw bone and where in the jaw the implant is placed, but overall they are well above 90% (up to 98% if they are properly cared for) and are always improving.
More specifically, the success rate is around 90% for the upper jaw and 95% for lower jaw implants. This is because the bone in the upper jaw is less dense than the lower jaw which makes successful osseo-intergration more difficult. It is very important to note that these numbers only include patients who were thoroughly assessed and approved for implants by a dentist since they had sufficient bone density and were good dental health. There is a chance of failure even when conditions are ideal.
“I’m in my late-forties and have severe gum disease. Last week I had a tooth extracted. “
Dental Implants are permanent, comfortable and most patients forget they have one. Implants integrate into your bone structure and allow you to look good and eat like you never lost a tooth.
Our office has the reputation in the dental community you can trust. We offer free consultation appointments and individualized care beyond comparison. But don’t take our word for it, read over 1000 reviews at various sites including:
If you choose to have this procedure completed by our trained implantologist and prosthodontist, you won’t regret it. It will improve your lifestyle and you will want to smile and eat with your new teeth. Drs. Scheinfelds and Orland can correct your problem of missing teeth. For professionals you can count on, visit and contact us at www.rightsmilecenter.com.
Dental implants are among the most successful procedures in dentistry. But I have to say that over 30 years of restoring them creates insight that most dentist don’t have. Given the complexity of the procedure, there are many variables that can play into its success rate, which is why you should consider our practice for your implant and restoration..
The studies show a five-year success rate of 95 percent for lower jaw implants and 90 percent for upper jaw implants, but these statistics are improved with prosthodontic trained dentists.
The success rate for upper jaw implants is lower because the upper jaw is less dense than the lower jaw, making the success of implantation and osseointegration slightly more difficult to achieve. The lower posterior implantation has the highest success rate for all dental implants because of greater bone density.
My experience has determined other factors that have an impact on success, such as pre-existing dental or general health conditions or the position of the replaced tooth. The most common reason for failure is the inability to properly osseo-integrate. The design is critical to the degree that most dentists don’t understand why they fail. The actual failure of the implant may be the result of poor positioning of the crown or over torqueing in the bone. And while infrequent, dental implants may break or become infected or crowns may become loose the same way your natural teeth becomes loose.
Smokers statistically face a higher risk of implant failure. Given how expensive implants can be, one risks wasting money on dental implants if you can’t give up the habit. Other high risk candidates are patients with diabetes, hemophilia or immune deficiencies and rare instances, patients with chronic bruxism.
As I have noted in other articles the value of implants is significant with respect to bone retention and actual functionality, and they are not susceptible to the formation of cavities. So as long as one engages in good oral hygiene, i.e. with brushing, flossing, and regular hygiene procedures, the chances of inflammation or swelling of the tissues surrounding the implant should be avoidable. This disease is similar to periodontitis around one natural tooth, and thus requires a similar approach to good oral hygiene.
Key factors in minimizing dental implant complications are the selection of an experienced prosthodontist and periodontist (or oral surgeon) who specialize in implant dentistry, careful pre-operative treatment planning and proper after-care and oral hygiene. One of the benefits of a multi-specialist practice like ours is everything is under one roof including periodontal after-care. If you would like to know whether you are a candidate for implants please feel free to call for a free consultation.
Prosthodontists are expert dentists with a post graduate ADA accredited degree, where function and aesthetics are melded into the final result. They are the quarterbacks of dental implants.
There are a lot of people who just weren’t born with beautiful smiles or for other reasons ended up with damaged teeth. Some inherited stains from medicines their parents took prior to child birth, while others developed discolorations through the years making their appearance unattractive whenever they open to talk or smile.
Our trained prosthodontist specializes in the cosmetic restorations that provide methods, procedures and plans which ultimately improve your personality as much as it improves your mouth. In the past there had been an extensive time period involved in replacing missing teeth through dental implants. And with our in-house implant team, you can get done all under one roof by one of Dr. Scheinfeld’s two daughters, Dr. Zoey Scheinfeld and Dr. Hanna Orland.
As a result of our training and experience with difficult cases, modern techniques take much less time in the beautification of the teeth as compared to older ordinary dentistry.
Finally, the combination of implant specialist rests comfortably within the purview of a prosthodontist’s training and expertise. A comprehensive approach by a prosthodontist and our implantologists is the best way to get your inner confidence boosted and your personality improved. If you truly want to start smiling with the right smile, see the ‘Pro’s.
According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, almost 70 percent of adults between the ages of 35 and 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay.[1] Furthermore, by age 74, 26% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth.[2] These are amazing statistics about the status oral health.
the right smile 