Initial Consultation
The first step is a consultation to understand your goals and determine the right next step. In many cases, you will begin by meeting with a Treatment Coordinator to review your concerns, discuss possible treatment options, and go over ballpark pricing and financing. If imaging or a doctor visit is needed at that time and the schedule allows, our team will coordinate that. Exact treatment recommendations and final pricing are only determined after the doctor has reviewed your case and any necessary imaging. When needed, 3D imaging helps the clinical team evaluate the teeth, bone, and surrounding structures in greater detail, enabling accurate treatment planning.
Surgery
After the initial consultation, you are scheduled for surgery, where the dentist will place the dental implants and the new teeth will be fitted and adjusted. While these won’t be your final implants, you will leave our offices after this visit with beautiful, fixed, functional teeth.
Follow-Up Appointment
After 3-6 months, when the implants are fused to the natural bone, the dentist will take new impressions of your mouth and prepare a final, stronger, permanent set of teeth that fit perfectly. This process helps ensure that the teeth will last for decades and provide maximum support, beauty, and function to the patient.
Specialist Care
Dental implants fall under the field of restorative dentistry and have their own specialty called implantology. Implant surgery can be done by a periodontist, a dentist, or a dentist with advanced training in implantology. Because the procedure requires specialist training, it’s common for the dental professional to charge a higher fee than for other services.
General Anesthetic
Some patients may choose to undergo a general anesthetic during the dental implant procedure, meaning they are asleep for the entire procedure. This approach is more expensive and requires an anesthesiologist to be present for the entire surgery. It’s more common to perform the procedure with a local anesthetic, meaning the areas the dentist is working on are numbed while the patient remains awake. Some patients might be too nervous during the procedure if they are awake. If this is a problem, you should consider asking for a sedative to ease your anxiety if you’ll be under local anesthesia.
Bone Grafts
Patients who have lost a lot of bone may also require bone grafts. Bone grafts are performed in a separate procedure several months before the implant is placed and require several months to heal and fuse into the normal bone. This extra procedure will, of course, mean additional costs. This technique also means you won’t be able to have the procedure done in one trip since the graft will take time to grow into the bone, and you need to allow tissues to heal.
Material
The type of material used in the crown can make a big difference. Crowns made of acrylic resin are the most affordable but don’t look nearly as natural as ceramic crowns or porcelain crowns. Porcelain and ceramic also tend to be stronger, which is another reason they’re preferred for visible teeth. Resin crowns are also much less durable and will need to be replaced much sooner than other materials. Overall, the best quality starts with a solid block of Prettau® Zirconia, which is hand-colored and polished to match natural teeth and gums and anchored to the implants. Zirconia bridges achieve a bite and smile that is virtually indistinguishable from healthy, natural teeth and gums and can withstand significant pressure and resist chipping, fractures, and wear.
Teeth Location
The teeth being replaced also influence the cost of treatment. Front teeth are much more challenging for the surgeon to work on and require more skill to make the implant look like a natural tooth. As a rule, visible teeth tend to be more expensive, and the surgery tends to be longer.
