What is a Dental Implant?

A few years ago, one of my patients came to me with an infection in his front tooth. Unfortunately, the tooth could not be saved and had to be removed. As with most people, my patient did not want to go toothless or wear a denture for the rest of his life so he opted for an implant. The implant replaced his missing front tooth as though it were his own.

So, a dental implant is essentially a metal tooth root that is placed in the jaw bone, then a crown is placed on top of the metal root so that it resembles another other tooth.

My Patient with Front Tooth Implant Replacement

Let’s continue with my patient. His teeth were worn down very short. So, I built up his teeth with white filling material so that it looks natural, then replaced the front tooth with a dental implant. He can speak and chew normally with the implant tooth. Furthermore, it has a very natural look.

Cost

As the dental implant is designed specifically for you and there are many different variations of implants (replace one tooth or a few teeth) the costs can vary considerably. However, let me give you a general guide to our most common situations. The cost of the consultation and x-rays are around $300. The cost of the dental implant from beginning to end usually starts from $4,450.

Time

The time from beginning to end can vary considerably based on your initial circumstance. However, most commonly it takes about 3-6 months. If the dental implant is for your front tooth, then we will always make sure you have some sort of temporary tooth in place whilst everything is healing.