Dental implants are made of pure titanium or titanium alloy. Titanium is very strong and is biologically inert and unlike most metals is readily accepted by the body. Implants come in different shapes and sizes. There are many designs and manufacturers of dental implants but most are cylindrical or somewhat tapered like a natural root. Most implants made by reputable companies have comparable success rates.

To be a candidate for a dental implant a number of criteria must be met in order to successfully support an implant. Most importantly, you should have good general health and your oral tissues should be clean and healthy and there must be enough bone volume present having adequate density.

Following an extraction of a tooth the supporting bone quickly begins to shrink in height and in width. The longer a tooth or teeth have been missing, the more likely it will be that a greater amount of bone loss will have occurred. Today however, even if bone shrinkage has been extensive, dental implants may still be an option. Depending on the situation, it is most often possible to regenerate deficient bone or graft bone so that an implant or implants can be placed.

For pictures of Implant Restorations, link to the Treatment Examples heading in the menu bar at the top of this page.

After implant integration there will be additional procedures and costs for the titanium or zirconium post that inserts into the implant plus the cost of the crown that goes onto the post. The inclusive post-crown combination can cost range from a low of $1300.00 to a high of $2400.00. Where different specialists are used to do the surgery and the prosthetics the aggregate fee may be higher.
As the number of implants increase and the complexity of the surgery increases, so generally will the costs.

In Dentistry fees can vary significantly as can quality, particularly when it comes to implant services. The comparative fee chart below is unofficial. It is not based on a scientific collection of data but is based on my impressions on the fees out there as have been generally described to me. They should not be used as an absolute basis for comparison but as an overview of expectations. Specialists will normally charge more than General Dentists.

The most favorable location for the placement of implants is in the front of the lower jaw where the bone density is greatest and the most supportive. In this area (the symphysis), dental implant success rates can be as high as 98-100%. In other areas of the mouth, success rates can drop off a bit.

According to current longevity studies, the success of contemporary implants in the front part of the upper jaw are anywhere from 90-95% after 10 years. Success rates for implants in the back of the upper and lower jaw are 85% – 95% after 10 years.  Success rates continue to improve as improvements are made in implant design and as knowledge and experience grows. Currently in my practice as in other experienced practices, success rates are climbing to better than 95% for almost all areas.

1. Infections
2. Non-integration
3. Nerve damage
4. Progressive slow degeneration of bone
5. Breakages.

While these complications sometimes do occur, they tend to be rare and usually account for less than 5% of all dental implant treatments. The more trained and experienced the dental surgeon is in performing implant surgeries and restorations the fewer complications there will usually be. There are however some extreme situations where dentists who have been poorly trained and experienced and who have caused significant problems for their patients. For the most optimum results it is important to seek out experienced practitioners with good reputations who perform this kind of treatment regularly.  It is very important to discuss all aspects of the treatment ahead of time.

Generally speaking, having a single implant placed is not considered to be a serious surgery, however having multiple implants placed in the same session is likely to be somewhat more problematic.  Also, when more extensive surgery is done, it is reasonable to expect increasing degrees of pain or discomfort as well as some swelling and bruising that may last for several days. Again, these conditions are usually successfully managed by the use of more potent analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents.