Obliterating the Misconceptions About Tooth Implant Costs in Houston, PART 3

This four-part article series explains, through looking at the differences between the various teeth replacement technologies available, why dental implants are the most cost effective option.

Dental implants are widely regarded to be the most sophisticated and long-term solution to single and multiple missing teeth. They promote the health of the jawbone and don’t typically damage the neighboring hard and soft tissues in the mouth. Functionally and aesthetically, they are unrivalled. And yet, more people opt for inferior tooth replacement technologies, such as dental bridges and removable full or partial dentures than those who choose dental implants. The reason for this is because most patients perceive the tooth implant cost in Houston to be prohibitively expensive, when in fact this just isn’t the case.

In our previous two article posts, we dedicated some time to describing what dental implants, dental bridges and dentures are and how the latter two just cannot compare in terms of long term benefits. In this article, the third of the series, we shall take a closer look at the sophisticated “All on 4” dental implant protocol and how it undercuts the cost of traditional dental implant procedures by tens of thousands of dollars.

About the “All on 4” Protocol

The “All on 4” is a dental implant protocol that was developed in the early 1990’s by European implantologist Dr. Paulo Malo. It has since gone on to gain immense popularity due to the many benefits it offers as a teeth replacement solution over and above traditional dental implant procedures and archaic technologies, such as removable partial and full dentures.

The “All on 4” (see image above) involves the placement of four dental implants in the upper and/or lower jaw, which are in turn used to provide strong support for a fixed and non-removable customized prosthetic dental bridge. This bridge, unlike dentures, is slim in construction, cannot be removed and is cleaned and maintained like regular teeth. The “All on 4” is the closest thing to having a complete set of natural teeth patients can get.

Naturally, however, the “All on 4” dental implant cost in Houston is a major concern for patients who can’t justify the expense when cheaper options are available. What they don’t take into account is that these cheaper options come with a whole host of repeat expenses and crippling challenges that not only add up immensely in the long run, but can also can do irreparable damage to one’s oral health.

For example, atrophy of the jawbone - a result of tooth loss left untreated - lays waste to the natural youthful contours of your face. Since dentures do nothing to promote good jawbone health, the consequence for patients, one of many, is premature aging. This kind of damage is not only extremely difficult and expensive to repair, but in many cases, cannot be repaired at all.

Unlike traditional dental implant techniques, which require as many as 10 implants per jaw, multiple surgeries and bone grafting, the “All on 4” only requires:

• Four dental implants per jaw
• A single surgery
• Typically, no bone grafting

For straight-forward cases, this represents an average savings of $25,000. In cases of advanced jaw bone loss, the cost of “All on 4” dental implants in Houston can undercut traditional techniques of fixed oral rehabilitation by a truly astounding $45,000.

Stay Tuned for Part 4

In the fourth and final article installment of this series, we shall provide conclusions on the cost of dental implants and why this technology is such an important investment to make in your good oral health and overall quality of life.

Obliterating the Misconceptions about Dental Implants Cost in Houston, PART 2

This four-part article series explains, through looking at the differences between the various tooth replacement technologies available, why dental implants are the most cost effective option.

Welcome back to our four-part article series on the dental implants cost in Houston. In our previous article installments, we described what dental implants are and the various benefits they offer. We then took a look at dental bridges, which are a cheaper and inferior alternative for the replacement of single missing teeth. Those who have lost most or all of their teeth can either opt to cover the cost of “All on 4” dental implants, which offers a fixed and non-removable replacement solution, or traditional removable dentures.

Teeth Replacement Alternatives to Dental Implants, Continued

Removable dentures (above) are bulky devices that resemble a complete set of teeth mounted in pink plastic gums. They rest on the patient’s gums and depend up their mass and adhesive strips to remain stable in the mouth. While you may spend a few hundred dollars having dentures fitted as opposed to a few thousand on dental implants, you’re also signing up for the following:

• Sore, inflamed gums
• A reduced bite function
• The inability to manage tough foods
• Chronic halitosis, otherwise known as “denture breath”
• Taste impediment
• Triggered gag reflex
• The need to take your dentures out after meals and at nighttime for cleaning
• Acute oral discomfort
• Dentures that slip around and can fall out
• Unnatural smile aesthetics
• Low self-esteem and poor confidence

While the discrepancy between the cost of dental implants and dentures may compel more patients to opt for the latter, the difference in quality of life afforded simply cannot be compared. Dental implants feel, function and look like natural teeth. Dentures do not.

In addition to this, dentures incur certain repeat expenses that, in the long run, can actually add up to more than the All on 4 cost, which is the advanced dental implant protocol used to treat edentulism (the state of having lost all of one’s natural teeth). These expenses include adhesives, soaking solutions, anesthetic gels and the need to have dentures refitted periodically as a result of bone loss in the jaw.

Dental Implant Costs in Houston: Cost Effectiveness and Quality

Now that we’ve examined the various options patients needing new teeth face, let’s take a look at the following analogy.

You have a good and reliable car, but one day, it gets totaled in an accident. For some reason, you don’t have insurance, so now you need to buy yourself a new mode of transport. You could spend the thousands of dollars necessary to buy a new car, or you could spend a few hundred dollars on a bicycle. Obviously, you bite the bullet and buy a car. Why? Because a car is a far more sophisticated way of getting from A to B. You can travel long distances out of the onslaught of the elements and while listening to music or the radio. You can also safely transport yourself and your family wherever it is they need to go. There’s no question about the benefits of using a car as opposed to the bicycle.

Well then... why are your teeth any different?

You could spend a few hundred dollars on an inferior teeth replacement technology, but the toll these take on your health, quality of life and even bank account exponentially exceeds the short-term expense of having them fitted. Dental implants really are the way to go!

Stay Tuned for Part 3

In our next article installment, we shall focus on the cost of the “All on 4” protocol and how it undercuts traditional dental implant techniques by thousands of dollars.

Obliterating the Misconceptions About “All on 4” Implant Costs in Houston, PART 1

This four-part article series explains, through looking at the differences between the various tooth replacement technologies available, why dental implants are the most cost effective option.

There is a general and widespread impression amongst American society that dental implants are prohibitively expensive and that only the upper economic echelons can afford them. If replacing one missing tooth will put a substantial dent in your bank account, then treating rampant tooth loss and edentulism (the state of being toothless) or near-edentulism is simply impossible, unless you land a five or six figure monthly paycheck.

Well, this simply isn’t the case and in this four part article series, we shall be explaining why fixed oral rehabilitation with dental implants is actually far more cost effective in both the short and long term. Throughout the course of this series, we shall be emphasizing the importance of value in terms of quality of life in addition to the money low cost dental implants procedures, such as the “All on 4,” save patients.

First, however, let’s take a look at what dental implants are and why the various tooth replacement alternatives fail to surpass them.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are fixed and non-removable devices that are used to replace missing teeth. They consist of a durable ceramic crown supported by an artificial tooth root, which is fabricated from medical grade titanium metal. This makes them exceptionally strong and able to support a natural bite force. It also makes dental implants immune to rust or corrosion, which is an important characteristic to have if it is to spend many decades in the perpetually moist and acidic environment of the mouth.

Once a dental implant is placed, the surrounding bone tissue in the jaw actually bonds with the surface of the titanium root, essentially making the replacement tooth a part of your body. Dental implants restore full bite function, promote the health of the underlying jawbone, can last many decades without the need for restoration and additional expense and are virtually indistinguishable from any natural tooth.

In short, dental implants are the most sophisticated and comprehensive solution to missing teeth modern medical science has to offer patients. However, owing to the materials, resources and expertise that go into their fabrication and surgical placement, they are not inexpensive. But before you dismiss the expense required to replace a missing tooth or teeth with dental implants, consider the alternatives.

Alternative Teeth Replacement Devices

During the course of investigating your alternatives, you come across dental bridges, which can be used to replace single missing teeth. Bridges can seem attractive at first and why not? As long as you get that conspicuous gap filled and at a lesser cost, you can’t see how you’re short-changing yourself. In fact, it may seem to be the better deal.

It’s not. Here’s why:

• Dental bridges require two perfectly healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth to be completely ground down in order to support the replacement tooth.

• The bridge itself lasts about 10 years before it needs restoration or replacement.

• The supporting teeth are extremely susceptible to decay.

• The bridge only replaces the visible portion of the missing tooth, the crown. Because it doesn’t replace the root, the underlying jawbone atrophies from disuse and wastes away, causing long-term stability problems for the neighboring teeth.

Then, for the replacement of a whole arch of missing teeth, there are removable dentures... but we’ll delve into that next week.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

We’re far from done. In this article, we looked at what dental implants are as well as some of the alternative tooth replacement technologies that are available. In part 2 of this series, we’ll examine dentures and their shortcomings before tying everything together and comparing the costs and expenses of these various technologies. You will come to see that the all on 4 costs in Houston is in fact far more favorable.

6 Ways the “All-on-4” Saves on Dental Implant Cost in Houston

This article discusses how the “All-on-4” dental implant technique saves patients tens of thousands of dollars on the cost of fixed oral rehabilitation.

The cost of tooth implants, second only to the appearance of one’s smile, is typically a patient’s primary concern when they lose one of more of their natural pearly whites. And this is perfectly understandable considering that medical aid companies STILL brand dental implants an elective procedure, even though they are the proven sophisticated solution to tooth loss. Without any medical insurance to help patients to cover their dental implant costs, fixed oral rehabilitation can, financially, be very daunting indeed.

The good news is that newer dental implant protocols, such as the “All-on-4”, have been developed that not only offer longer lasting and better functional and aesthetic tooth replacement solutions to patients, they’re actually more affordable too! Let’s take a look at how the breakthrough protocol saves patients a whole stack of money on dental implant costs in Houston: an average of $25,000 in fact!

“All-on-4” Cost Savings

1. The “All-on-4” only requires four dental implants per jaw to provide patients with a complete set of new and non-removable teeth. Older dental implant techniques, on the other hand, could require up to 10 implants per jaw. That’s 20 in total if you need both you upper and lower teeth replaced! When you consider that dental implants cost in the region of $3,000 to $4,000 in Houston, you can appreciate just how much the “All-on-4” saves patients on fixed oral rehabilitation!

2. Four dental implants can quite easily be placed in a single surgery, unlike traditional dental implant protocols which require multiple sessions in the implant dentist’s chair. Surgery, as we all know, is not cheap! With typically only one surgery required, the “All-on-4” allows patients to save a considerable amount of money, not to mention time.

3. The “All-on-4” typically eliminates the need for bone grafting, which is an invasive, expensive and painful surgery used to augment bone volume in the jaw. Through the very design of the “All-on-4”, implant dentists can provide edentulous and near-edentulous patients with a complete implant-supported bridge almost always without the need for this procedure. This saves thousands of dollars as well as several months that would otherwise be spent in recovery.

Fewer dental implants, fewer surgeries and the avoidance of bone grafting surgery are three direct ways the All-on-4 saves Houston patients tens of thousands of dollars on the cost of dental implants. But the indirect savings you make can even double and triple your total savings in the long run:

4. No repeat expenses, such as anesthetic gels, adhesives, soaking solutions and refitting. The only maintenance products you need are toothpaste, a toothbrush and a canister of floss!

5. The “All-on-4” saves patients many months that would otherwise be spent in-and-out of surgery and in recovery. Your time is money and the amount of time this procedure saves patients can translate into a considerable sum!

6. “All-on-4” implants can offer a one-time solution that lasts several decades without the need for restoration. Dental bridges and dentures, on the other hand, typically require frequent restoration and replacement every few years. In the long run, these costs add up.

Oral rehabilitation with “All-on-4” implants is perhaps the smartest investment you can make in your oral health and quality of life!

Mini Implants Cost: An Alternative Dental Implant Hardware That Saves Money

This article talks about mini dental implants, why they’re less expensive than traditional dental implant hardware and their benefits and advantages.

Since their approval by the Food and Drug Administration in April of 1999, mini dental implants have become a very popular option for edentulous (toothless) and near-edentulous patients requiring oral rehabilitation. Why is this? “Mini implants cost is approximately a third of that required for traditional dental implants,” explain low cost dentists. “Mini implants are also constructed to be able to withstand immediate loading, which means that patients can use them right away for eating.” As such, low cost dentists often recommend mini implants for procedures involving the placement of fixed and non-removable dentures and bridges.

Lower Mini Implants Costs Explained

“Mini implants costs (image on right) can be as much as 70% lower than the cost of traditional dental implant hardware (image on left) and there are a number of reasons for this,” explain low cost dentists.

• Mini implants costs: The procedure required for the surgical placement of mini implants is much simpler than for conventional implants, thus making it more cost-effective.

• Mini implants costs: “Because it is less complex, the surgery required to place mini implants is very quick and can be completed in as little as an hour,” say low cost dentists. “This takes less of the surgeon’s time, which lowers mini implants costs.”

• Mini implants costs: In order to minimize their cost, mini implants are fabricated from less expensive materials than conventional implants.

“The simplicity of the surgery, the lesser time required for placement and the lower cost materials from which they’re made all contribute to lower mini implants costs,” explain low cost dentists. “This has made them an ideal choice for the many patients who require oral rehabilitation but may have limited funds.”

Low Cost Dentist: Mini Implants Cost and Their Advantages

In spite of their lesser cost, mini implants boast a whole suite of benefits over traditional dental implant procedures:

• Mini implants cost benefits: They require fewer surgeries for oral rehabilitation and, at approximately half the diameter of traditional implants, cause far less trauma to the gums during placement. Without the need for incisions and sutures, recovery is far more comfortable.

• Mini implants cost benefits: “Mini implants can be immediately loaded,” explain low cost dentists. “This essentially means that once the procedure has been done, patients leave the clinic with a full set of functional teeth. This leaves just one question: what’s for dinner?”

• Mini implants cost benefits: “The surgery required for the placement of mini implants is far less invasive in nature,” say low cost dentists. “This reduces the risk of any complications during or after the procedure. It also minimizes post-operative discomfort and speeds up patient recovery.”

• Mini implants cost benefits: “One of the greatest benefits of mini implants is that they very rarely require bone grafting prior to placement. Owing to their much smaller size, they can be neatly inserted into regions of the jaw that have lost a lot of bone volume as a result of denture wearing and periodontal (gum) disease,” explain low cost dentists. “Bone grafting is expensive, invasive and painful and requires several months of healing before the jaw bone is ready to support implants. So this is seen as a massive advantage,” explain low cost dentists.

• Mini implants cost benefits: Last, but not least, with savings of up to 70% on the cost of conventional implants, mini implants are the way to go for a great number of patients!

A Final Note from Low Cost Dentists on Mini Implants Costs

Mini implants are the ideal choice for the patients who have already had a non-removable denture fitted and want a more stable tooth replacement option. “The procedure is quick and inexpensive and allows patients to return home with a set of non-removable teeth that are far better, functionally and in comfort and feel, than removable dentures,” say low cost dentists.

Low Cost Dental Experts Discuss the Benefits of Dental Implants

This article describes the benefits and advantages of dental implants as a comprehensive and sophisticated tooth replacement solution.

“There’s no doubt about it. If you’re looking for the very best tooth replacement technology available today, look no further than dental implants,” say low cost dental experts. These ingenious devices offer patients the very broadest spectrum of benefits and advantages and are the closest thing to real teeth modern dental science offers. “Functionally, aesthetically and in fit, feel, durability and health benefits, implants are unrivalled in the world of teeth replacement hardware and technology,” say low cost dental experts.

Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Low Cost Dental Experts: Implant Functionality

“Dental implant are constructed from one of the strongest and yet most lightweight of all Earth’s metals. This makes them incredibly strong and able to withstand decades of chewing, grinding and biting,” say low cost dental experts. The ceramic crowns or prosthetic dental bridges affixed to these titanium roots are also fabricated from highly durable materials, thus facilitating a healthy bite force. “By covering those dental implant costs, you will be able to eat all the foods you love without compromise and without fear of damaging your replacement teeth,” say low cost dental experts.

Low Cost Dental Experts: Implant Aesthetics

As it was explained above, dental implants consist of a medical-grade titanium root, which provides support for either a ceramic crown (in the case of single tooth replacement) or a customized prosthetic dental bridge (for complete upper and/or lower arch restoration.) “The titanium ‘root’ is not visible above the gum line, so patients need not worry about any metal being visible in their smile,” explain low cost dental experts. The artificial tooth crown fitted to the top of this root is fabricated from ceramic material that is not only exceptionally durable, it is also virtually indistinguishable from the color and luster of natural teeth. “Dental ceramics, explain low cost dental experts, “actually mimic the optical properties of natural tooth enamel. Not even your closest friends and family will be able to tell the difference.”

Whether you’ve lost on or all of your teeth, covering dental implant costs will see your smile restored to long-lasting perfection.

Low Cost Dental Experts: Implant “Feel” and Oral Comfort

“Unlike any other tooth replacement technology or hardware, dental implant replace both the root of the missing tooth as well as the crown,” say low cost dental experts. With support provided directly by the underlying jaw bone and not by the neighboring teeth (as is the case with bridges) or underlying gums (as is the case with dentures), dental implants are the safest and healthiest solution to missing teeth. Dental implant costs buy patients a technology that feels like a natural tooth, which eliminates oral discomfort and self-consciousness. “Furthermore, once healed, they don’t cause any pain nor do they damage the neighboring hard and soft tissues in the mouth,” explain low cost dental experts.

For total oral comfort and smile confidence, dental implant costs are a winner.

Low Cost Dental Experts: Implant Life-span

“Dental implants boast an impressive life-span of 20, 30 years and even longer; frequently without the need for restoration,” say low cost dental experts. “This makes covering dental implant costs the very smartest, long-term investment you can make in your oral health and overall quality of life.”

Low Cost Dental Experts: Promoting Excellent Oral Health

“In addition to their functional, aesthetic and comfort benefits, dental implants are also the healthiest tooth replacement option on the market,” say low cost dental experts. They reduce your risk of bacterial infection by plugging the gaps left by missing teeth. They restore stability to the dental arch and they keep the underlying jaw bone alive and stimulated by transmitting eating forces directly into this hard tissue.

“Dental implant costs constitute a long term investment in your oral health,” say low cost dental experts; “one that will keep you smiling for decades!”

The Cost of Dental Implants: Make the Smart Choice, the Smart Investment

This article explains why dental implants constitute a much smarter health and financial decision/investment than any other tooth replacement technology.

If someone came up to you on the street and offered you the latest iPhone and a 2010 model Blackberry, which one would you choose? The iPhone of course! If given an implication-free choice, just about everyone would opt for the newer, more sophisticated and flashier technology. Unfortunately for most of us, our decision-making processes are generally more modulated by a concern for cost than a desire to have fancy gadgetry.

The same applies to the Houston cosmetic dental cost of dental implants. Given the choice, everyone would opt for dental implants, or at least anyone who was even slightly aware of the superior aesthetics, functionality and lifespan of dental implants. But, many patients choose older and inferior dental technologies because they believe they are making the smarter financial choice.

In fact, they are not.

It’s not the Houston Cosmetic Dental Cost of Dental Implants, it’s the VALUE

When it comes to general health, most patients are willing to pay what it takes to make them healthy again. Sure, there are corners that can be cut and generic medications are an excellent example. But this is merely a cost compromise on solutions that have already been proven to work. Why is your oral health any different? You wouldn’t ask a surgeon to use a rubber balloon to repair a heart valve, would you? Then why would you opt for inferior technologies to replace missing teeth?

It’s not the cost of dental implants that patients should be concerned with. It’s the value of dental implants. And if you truly understood the benefits and advantages that Houston cosmetic dental costs afford you, you wouldn’t opt for anything other than the best. So, what are the benefits afforded by the cost of dental implants?

The Cost of Dental Implants: Gets you a tooth replacement solution that can last 20, 30 years and even longer without the need for any additional dental work, restoration or replacement. These Houston cosmetic dental costs are therefore typically a one-time payment.

The Cost of Dental Implants: Gets you a tooth replacement solution that is, in aesthetics and functionality, virtually indistinguishable from any natural, healthy tooth. There is simply no comparison between implants and removable partial or full dentures. Even dental bridges are problematic, uncomfortable and have a much shorter lifespan.

The Cost of Dental Implants: Gets you a tooth replacement solution that is typically comfortable, painless and feels natural, which is something patients who wear dentures of have bridges frequently complain about.

The Cost of Dental Implants: Gets you a tooth replacement solution that stabilizes the neighboring teeth and promotes the health of the underlying jaw bone, thus preventing serious problems, such as hard tissue atrophication and premature aging (see image below), from developing in the long run. And what Houston cosmetic dental costs could you possibly put on your natural youthful facial contours?

A Final Note on the Cost of Dental Implants

Covering the cost of dental implants is essentially making an investment in your long term oral health, smile aesthetics and overall quality of life. With their much longer lifespan and lesser need for restoration, the cost of dental implants is likely to be a one-time investment for you. This is unlike older technologies, such as bridges, which require frequent restoration and replacement. So… make the smarter decision and the smarter investment today and investigate the Houston cosmetic dental cost of dental implants.