It’s always better to get an estimate about what something would cost before making a choice. That’s no different when it comes to dental implants. Getting dental implants isn’t a one-size-fits-all procedure. There are various options to cater for patients with different needs. By knowing more about the different dental implant options and what they cost, you’ll be able to choose what best suits your budget and lifestyle.
Replacing One Tooth
Even when you want to replace a single tooth, you have some options available. Your final choice will be determined by the amount of bone tissue in your jaw and what you can afford.
Traditional Dental Implants
Traditional dental implants consist of an implant post, abutment and crown. These implants are considered the standard when patients need to replace a single missing tooth.
The average cost of regular dental implants in America is about $4250, but the cost ranges from $3000-$6500. Keep in mind that additional procedures (like tooth extractions, X-rays and CT scans) can also add more to the price.
One of the main advantages of regular single tooth implants is that dentists have been placing them for many years. Throughout this time the procedure has proved to be very successful and most patients’ implants last them a lifetime. But the major drawback is that many patients don’t have enough bone tissue to support them.
Mini Dental Implants
Existing dentures can often be made to fit onto Mini Dental Implants for stability
Mini dental implants are similar to traditional ones, but the diameter of the implant post in much narrower. As with normal implants, mini dental implants can also support a crown to replace a missing tooth.
The cost of mini dental implants can also vary, but mini implants are definitely a budget option. For a single tooth, patients can expect to pay $500-$1500. Once again, this price doesn’t include the cost of additional procedures.
Some advantages of mini dental implants offer is a lower cost and the fact that they can be used for patients with less bone tissue in the jaw. The procedure for getting mini dental implants is also much less tedious. One of the major disadvantages is that mini implants offer less support than traditional ones. Apart from this, mini dental implants also aren’t expected to last as long.
Replacing More Than One Tooth
Probably the only benefit of being completely toothless is that there many tooth replacement options available to you. For a long time dentures were to go-to way to replace a full arch of teeth, but nowadays tooth implants can be used no matter how many teeth need to be replaced.
Implant-Supported Bridges
Implant-supported dental bridges are used when two or three adjacent teeth need to be replaced simultaneously. Much like with a single tooth implant, implant-supported bridges consist of the implant (or implants) and abutments, but instead of a crown, a dental bridge with two to four teeth is used.
The average cost to get an implant-supported bridge is about $8500, but it could range anywhere from $4000-$16,000 depending on the amount of teeth that are being replaced and other factors.
As with traditional dental implants, the procedure can take a long time to complete, but the success rate is very high.
All-on-4 Implants
All-on-4s attach fasten to the abutment of the dental implant
All-on-4 implants are similar to implant-supported bridges, but are used for patients who need to replace all of their teeth. The procedure uses four dental bridges to replace a full set of teeth in either the upper or lower jaw. Unlike with implant-supported dental bridges, however, the procedure for all-on-4 implants doesn’t usually take many months to complete.
For a single arch of teeth, the cost of all-on-4 implants ranges from $15,000-$24,000, meaning that the cost to replace both the upper and lower teeth would amount to $30,000-$48,000 when excluding additional procedures.
All-on-4’s are the most popular implant option for toothless patients. They offer all the benefits of traditional single tooth implants, but at a much lower cost than replacing each tooth individually.
Implant-Supported Dentures
As with regular dentures, implant supported dentures are used for patients with no teeth. Implant-supported dentures clip onto dental implants that have been inserted into the jaw, meaning they are still removable.
Implant-supported dentures typically cost anywhere between $4500 and $10,500. Among other things, the cost of implant-supported dentures will vary depending on how many implants were used.
Implant-supported dentures are a good option for patients who can’t afford all-on-4 implants, but who want better support for their dentures.
Of course, knowing about different implant options and what they cost is only the first step. Before deciding, you should talk to a dentist about what treatment option will be best. Your dentist can determine what will and won’t work for you as an individual based on your bone density and other health factors.
