Need New Teeth? Advice From a Dental Implants

Surgeon, PART 3

This four-part article series provides advice for patients who

need one or more of their teeth replaced and are in the process

of considering their various options.

Welcome to the third installment of our four-part article series in which we speak to an

experienced NJ dental implants surgeon about replacing missing teeth. We ended off

Part 2 with a brief look at the health benefits of dental implants and the kind of financial

support patients in need of new teeth can get from dental insurance companies – not

much. Let’s continue along this line of enquiry and find out if there is any assistance to

be found for those who want dental implants.

All right, so back to dental insurance. If a patient really wanted dental

implants but couldn’t afford it, what options might they have?

“Most dentists or dental implant facilities work closely with dental financing companies,

which provide patients with the assistance they need to have whatever procedure they

need done. There are all kinds of options and their representatives will work together

with the patient to devise a payment plan that suits their budget,” explains the surgeon.

“But before you go straight to one of these financing companies – ask your dentist which

ones they work with – you should thoroughly check your dental or medical insurance

plan to see what it is they could provide coverage for. While they won’t pay for your

implants or for the surgery itself, they very well may cover the costs of X-rays,

extractions, sedation and other such things. Speak to your agent to ensure that you get

the very most out of your plan.”

Right! That’s what you’re paying for after all! Okay, let’s move along and

take a look at removable dentures. False teeth. Can patients who need all of

their teeth replaced get dental implants?

“We routinely provide patients who have lost most of their natural teeth and/or been

diagnosed with a “failing” dentition with new teeth using dental implants. In the early

1990’s a new dental implant procedure called the “All-on-4®” was introduced to the

market. This made it possible for patients to receive a brand new set of teeth using only

four dental implants and a fixed, implant-supported prosthesis.”

Was it impossible to give patients new teeth with dental implants before

then?

“No, it was entirely possible… but it would typically require as many as 10 dental

implants per jaw and several surgeries spread out over a period of as long as 18 months.

Getting new teeth could traditionally be a long, painful and costly journey prior to the

innovation of the All-on-4®,” says the NJ dental implants surgeon.

“Additionally, as I explained in Part 2, being toothless can have a terrible impact upon

the health of the jawbone, because it atrophies from the lack of stimulation by the tooth

roots. The loss of jawbone volume can complicate dental implant surgery because

implants require adequate bone support just like natural tooth roots. As a result, the

people who had been living without teeth or with removable dentures for many years

would typically present with atrophied jawbones and would require bone grafting before

they could get implants. This would be an additional procedure and therefore a

considerable additional expense, not to mention painful and with a lengthy recovery.”

How does the All-on-4® differ from these more traditional dental implant

techniques?

“We found that through the strategic placement

of only four dental implants – and not eight or

ten – enough support could almost always be

provided for a fixed dental prosthesis, which

looks like a complete set of teeth and gums. This

negated the need for all those implants as well

as all of those surgeries. It also, in most cases,

bypassed the need for bone grafting, which saves

patients many months of recovery and tens of

thousands of dollars in medical expenses.”

So would you consider the All-on-4® the best approach to giving patients

new teeth?

“If a patient is deemed a candidate for the procedure, yes! Far better than removable

dentures and less expensive than traditional dental implant techniques.”

Stay Tuned for Part 4

Stay tuned for the final installment of this four-part article series for more advice from

our resident NJ dental implants surgeon!

Thanks For Reading..!!