Dental Implants Cost Durban
What Are Dental Implants?
In simplistic terms, a dental implant is an artificial tooth root that replaces the natural tooth root. It is used as a replacement for lost teeth.
When a person has lost a tooth in totality, ie “roots and all” it can be replaced in a few ways. Firstly, you can have a removeable false tooth, ie a “denture’
Secondly, you can have a fixed false tooth splinted to the neighboring teeth, if you have any, ie a bridge.
Thirdly, you can have a fixed, Titanium screw retained crown, ie an Implant supported crown.
Dental Implants Cost …. What Are The Benefits Of Dental Implants? Why Choose Us?
There are several benefits of having dental implants. They are very close to natural teeth in appearance and function, but with the added benefit that they cannot decay. They are permanent, strong, and last for years. They also require no special care and maintenance. You treat an implant supported crown like a crown on a natural tooth.
What Is A Dental Implant Procedure Like?
If you are considering getting dental implants, then you should know that there are different procedures involved. Each situation is unique, therefor to know what it would involve for you, it is best to visit our clinic. But to give you a quick idea, I will very generically describe the procedures that applies in most cases.
To start you will need a full dental examination and a CBCT/3D Scan. (Based on the findings a comprehensive treatment plan and dental implants cost estimate can then be generated)
Then if the recipient site is suitable a surgical procedure would be required for the insertion of the titanium fixture, we call the Implant, to be placed in your jaw. This procedure can vary greatly depending on the situation, the number of implants placed, the bone quality and volume, etc. Different clinicians follow different protocols depending on their level of skill and expertise. In my practice a typical single implant placement will take 45 min with no cuts or sutures. I insert the implant through a keyhole in the gum made by a laser under local aneasthesia and you leave with a small silver button protruding through the gum as the only evidence of the placed implant. No post-op bleeding or sutures. As a result I very seldom need to put my patients on any pain killers or antibiotics, as we work completely sterile and minimally invasive. This is all done in my surgery/rooms.
(Cases that involve multiple implants and invasive bone augmentation procedures will be done in theatre)
After the implant is placed, we typically leave it undisturbed for 3 months to allow for osteointegration, ie the implant gets fully embedded in the bone.
Then the patient comes back for the placement of the definitive restoration /crown on the implant which requires 2 appointments with a week in between, so that the laboratory has enough time to manufacture the crown. These appointments are very simple. The Silver button gets unscrewed, a scanning flag gets put in its place and we do an intraoral scan. This then transfers all the necessary information to the laboratory for the technician to manufacture the perfectly aesthetic and 100% functional definitive restoration. You again leave the rooms with the same button back in situ and a week later we replace the button with the Crown. Totally pain-free, no anesthetic required.
What Are The Different Types Of Dental Implants Available?
All dental implants are essentially the same. They are all made of titanium and are anchored in the jaw bone. Some end at the crest of the bone and are called bone level implants, while others end at the crest of the gum, called tissue level implants. Sometimes we need to anchor the implant in the cheek bone and these implants are called zygomatic implants. Then there are a whole number of customized implants for specific application, but to describe all the variations is beyond the scope of this paper.
What Are The Costs Involved In Getting Dental Implants?
The definitive restoration that can be placed on an implant varies hugely. When lay people speak about implants it triggers different thoughts. Most people will associate the cost with the final restoration, which makes the discussion of the cost of implants such a difficult subject as the definitive restoration obviously has to be included when a cost estimate is produced.
Let me try to answer this way. If you exclude the definitive restoration, the implant cost is made up of the clinicians charge for the placement thereof plus the cost of the implant itself. The clinicians charge varies according to the site preparation that is needed while the implant cost varies according to the implant used. There are numerous companies that supply implants each has their own cost structure based on the quality and scientific backing and research etc.
In my practice I use only reputable suppliers with a good track record. The implants I use range from R2600 per implant to R4600. And the additional implant components used is a further R 1500- R3000
The clinicians fee for placement is R6820 for the first implant. The clinicians fee for the definitive restoration (if this is a crown) is R10600 and the Lab technicians fee for the definitive restoration (if it is a crown) is R4000. Therefor to calculate the cost of an implant you have to add all the different components together based on each unique situation.
I think you can now appreciate why I said that to give an accurate cost estimate for an implant is difficult! The best way is to come in for an assessment which will cost roughly R3000 inclusive of the CBCT Scan, and then we will provide you with a tailor made plan and relevant cost estimate.
