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When seniors are missing one or more teeth, implants can be a long-term, even permanent solution. But fitting a tooth implant in the mouth is sometimes easier than fitting what dental implants cost into a fixed and limited budget.
How much does a tooth implant cost? The average cost of replacing one tooth is between $3,000 and $4,500. A patient needing a full mouth of replacement teeth could expect to pay at least $60,000. Dental implants “are a lifetime investment,” Forbes health journalist Anne Russell writes, “and are priced accordingly.”
But is restoring your smile an option only if you can afford the full cost of tooth implants? Not at all. Penn Dental Medicine (PDM) offers dental implants made with state-of-the-art materials, placed with patient-centered care, and affordable prices.
What Type of Implant Treatment Will Be Right for You?
What tooth replacement options, specifically, do we offer? Here are three common types of dental implants that, at PDM, can be affordable implants, as well.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Several types of implants can secure dentures.
Traditional dentures rely on suction or adhesive to stay in place. Implant-supported dentures are anchored to the jawbone with titanium implants. The implants fuse with the bone over time.
Once the implants have fully integrated, dentures can be attached to them, providing a stable and secure fit. This attachment improves the dentures’ comfort and functionality. It also helps preserve bone structure in the jaw, preventing further bone loss.
Implant-supported dentures are popular with patients who’ve lost all or most of their natural teeth. Granted, they don’t function exactly like your original teeth. After a decade or two, you’ll need to have them replaced. But these “snap-in” dentures are flexible and easily removed for the regular cleaning and care they require.
If you need an entire jaw of teeth replaced but can’t pay what dental implants cost for them all, this solution could be the right choice for you.
Full-Arch Implant Solutions
Some implant systems use more permanent structures the patient can’t remove.
An implant-supported bridge—the structure of a full jaw of artificial teeth—is a semipermanent solution. Like implant-supported dentures, implant-supported bridges attach to titanium implants in the jawbone. But unlike dentures, bridges feel and function like natural teeth, thanks to the secure foundation dental implants provide.
Dental bridges are ideal prosthetics for patients who’ve lost all or most of their teeth due to tooth decay, periodontal disease (gum disease), or injury. They require less maintenance than dentures. Patients don’t need to take them out to clean them.
Implant-supported bridges may need replacement after 10 years or so. But their advantages over dentures—improved stability, enhanced aesthetics, and better preservation of jawbone health—make them an option worth weighing.
Single Tooth Implants
Whether you need one or many teeth replaced, individual implants can be a viable option.
Your dentist will mount each prosthetic tooth on a titanium implant post embedded in your jawbone. The implant stimulates bone growth, maintaining natural bone structure in a way dentures and bridges can’t.
Plus, you’ll be able to chew food with and clean your new teeth exactly as you would your natural teeth—a significant boost to your quality of life.
Single implants usually are the most expensive option. But they’re also a long-term solution that, with proper care, will last a lifetime. You’ll save money long-term on maintenance and replacement.
Your implant dentist will carefully consider what would best serve your oral health when deciding which tooth-replacement option best fits you.
They’ll also work with you to make your dental implant cost a good fit for your budget.
“How Much Are Dental Implants at Penn Dental?”
Although the total tooth implant costs and any additional costs vary from patient to patient, PDM proudly offers dental implant procedures for a fraction of what most private practices charge.
How can we charge less? We’re a teaching clinic of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, serving a vital educational role.
This mission means we can and do deliver exceptional care to our patients at a discounted rate.
PDM accepts direct payments from most dental insurance plans, including all Medicaid plans offered to residents of Southeastern Pennsylvania. We also offer financing for patients who qualify.
Additionally, our student dentists provide care under the supervision of many of today’s most knowledgeable and experienced prosthodontists—dentists who have had extra education and additional training, beyond general dental school, in implant treatment.
We also use up-to-date technology and techniques. Our patient-centered dental care treats you with respect and compassion.
For more information about how PDM could provide you with affordable dental implants, call us at 215-898-8965 or schedule your dental implant consultation online.
For more information on how PDM prosthodontists can improve your oral health and your smile even beyond dental implants, download our free eBook about finding the right prosthodontist for you.
