The dental implant and prosthetic market is projected to reach $6.4 billion this year. With a growing number of Americans growing uncomfortable with the look of their teeth, it’s easy to see why. From cavities to replacing missing teeth to removing wisdom teeth (a procedure performed on five million Americans each year), those in the dentistry field will be kept busy in the future as Americans look to different methods of dentistry to restore their smiles.
Rather than scheduling a follow-up appointment with a dentist right away, people often wait three years before scheduling another one. It’s important to visit the dentist regularly to avoid major dental issues and to ensure the long term health of your teeth. While some may be wary of dentists, dentistry is considered one of America’s most trustworthy professions.
The number of people with dentures is growing as nearly 30 million Americans are missing all their teeth in at least one of their jaws and the cost for dentures isn’t going down. As more and more people have a tooth extraction or tooth removal, the number of tooth implants is expected to grow as well. Three million people have implants already and that number continues to rise by 500,000 by the year.
There are many advantages to getting dental implants and some of these include:
- More Self Confidence: Nearly 18% of people hide their teeth in photos and missing teeth is a big reason why. Most adult Americans are affected by partial edentulism (lack of teeth). A survey from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry indicates that as much as 74% of Americans think an unattractive smile can have negative effects professionally. With dental implants, confidence can be restored and you’ll want to show off your smile.
- Convenience: Dentures have benefited scores of people, but they’re not without their troubles, including the cost for dentures. Dental implants eliminate the annoyances of dentures and are very durable. Assuming they’re taken care of properly, they can last a lifetime.
- Looking good: Dental implants are made to look and feel like natural teeth and because they eventually fuse with bone, they become permanent. With implants that look and feel like their natural teeth, people will look better and feel more confident about the way they look.
- Comfort: Since dental implants eventually become like a natural part of a person’s mouth, they provide a level of comfort not found with dentures. Rather than having to deal with sliding dentures while trying to eat, people can feel at ease with implants because they are natural and make it easier to enjoy the foods they love.
- Better health: The whole purpose of dental implants is to create and eventually have as natural a look and feel of permanent teeth as possible. Implants are less invasive and leave a person’s natural teeth intact as opposed to other tooth-reducing procedures such as bridges.
- Success: The dental implant needs of individuals vary, but in general the success rate of implants is very high (98%).
While there are many benefits of dental implants, paying for them can be an issue in and of itself. Generally, dental implants aren’t covered by dental insurance. So it’s important to check with an insurance provider before going ahead with the procedure.
Dental implants can be very beneficial and compare favorably cost-wise versus the cost for dentures. But if you’re paying for them out of your own pocket, it definitely helps to find the best option for what you can afford.
Single tooth implants can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 and it’s important to keep in mind that most of the cost is in the service being provided and not necessarily the tooth. Dental implant prices can also depend on how much the place offering treatments has to pay for the materials needed to perform the treatment.
Keep in mind that dental implant prices can also depend on:
- Location, amount and quality of the bone where the implant is needed
- The number of teeth that need replacing and the type of replacement teeth being used
- The appropriate type of implants
- The number of implants needed to support the teeth
Whatever your dentistry needs are, whether you need braces, implants, dentures or other needs, a trip to the dentist can have your smile restored in no time at all.