Dental Implants – How Much!
If you’ve done any research at all about dental implants then you’ll know that they don’t come cheap. Whether you opt for a dental implant in Richmond, or Manchester it’s probably going to set you back anywhere between £900-£2000 per tooth. Initially that’s 3 or 4 times as much as the cost of say a set of dentures or bridge, so why are they so costly?
Material
Anyone who has seen a dental implant close up will know that it isn’t simply a mass produced item that manufacturers ‘bang-out’ every 60 seconds or so. On the contrary each one is precision made using costly material. These include titanium, porcelain, and a variety of other semi-precious metals. Each component is used for a reason. For example titanium is both incredibly strong yet extremely lightweight. It’s also bio-compatible with the human body meaning that in (99.9 cases out of 100) it won’t cause a reaction. Bone is also naturally attracted to it and in a phenomenon known as osseointegration, bone tissue will merge and fuse with it creating one super-strong platform. Porcelain is used for the crown as it too is incredibly durable. It can also easily be shaped, moulded, and coloured to resemble natural looking teeth.
Experience
Many experienced implant dentists have gone through years of training. Take Dr Harmit Kalsi here at Sheen Dental for example. He’s been placing dental implants in Richmond for many years and has successfully fitted thousands of implants in his time. He is now an examiner at the Royal College of Surgeons. The bottom line is that all that training, much of which is very costly, is initially paid for by the dentist who need to recoup their money.
Technology
Technology now plays a big part in dental implants. For example state-of-the-art 3D X-ray equipment give an accurate picture of the area of the mouth including gum depth and nerve positioning. Computer-aided design can build a precise mock-up of a patient’s mouth while laser guides pinpoint the exact drilling position and angle in which to place the implant. As you can imagine all of this equipment doesn’t come cheap, but is necessary to give patients the best chance of implant success.
General overheads
The costs of building rental, kitting it out with all the equipment necessary to run a successful practice, staff wages, and utility bills can all mount up meaning that the dentist has to charge sufficient enough to be able to cover their overheads and of course make a living.
Finally if you still think that dental implants are excessively expensive then you might want to consider that (provided they’re looked after and maintained correctly) dental implants have been proven to last in excess of forty years. When you compare that to the normal shelf life of a bridge or dentures (7-10 years) then all of a sudden implants are a truly cost-effective, hassle-free way of replacing missing teeth.
If you’re looking to get all your questions and concerns answered in regard to dental implants in Richmond, then why not book yourself a free, no-obligation consultation. Contact us directly on 020 8876 5277 or via our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk