Dr. Keith Stucki is a dentist who has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Dental Implants.
Q. What are Dental Implants?
A. A dental implant is a titanium screw which is placed in a spot where you would have previously had a tooth. It is held in place by the bone attaching to the surface of the implant. If a person had a situation where a permanent tooth never developed the implant would replace this tooth as well. It is a conservative way to replace teeth that are lost or that never came in.
Q. What are Dental Implants used for?
A. As mentioned above, the most common use is to replace teeth. They are also used to anchor dentures or as a support for partial dentures. They are sometimes used in orthodontics as an alternative to head gear.
Q. What are the benefits of dental implants?
A. One of the main benefits of dental implants is to replace teeth without disturbing the teeth next to the empty space. With bridges or partials we are required to rely on the adjacent teeth to support the replacement tooth. With implants there is no need to compromise the adjacent teeth as it is just like having a root and tooth. Another benefit is that because it is made of titanium, it will never decay and it is extremely strong so the chance of breakage is very small.
Q. Are titanium implants worth the cost? What can go wrong?
A. Every patient’s mouth and its circumstances are different so I will qualify that by saying the implant is worth the cost in most patients. There are some, who may not have the bone necessary to do an implant and in this case a bone graft may need to be done. Every patient would have to determine if the cost is worth the final result. There are a few things that can go wrong. If a patient’s bone is too soft, the implant may not integrate into the bone and they may loosen the implant. In most cases, we can determine if this will be a problem and can adjust our plan. The screws within the implant may come loose, which would require tightening the screws. In the placement of the implant, care needs to be taken to make sure enough bone is present so that the implant can be placed without disturbing the nerve or the sinus. With proper planning up front, these potential problems can be avoided. In my opinion, implants in most cases are definitely worth the cost.
Q. What is the best way to replace missing teeth and is an implant the substitute for missing teeth?
A. Every patient’s situation is different. In the majority of the cases that I see, the implant is the best way to replace teeth. Some may not be able to afford the best treatment so we are then left with other options like dentures or bridges. We have tried to make our implant cost and our bridge cost, to replace one missing tooth, nearly the same so that patients can base their decision on what is best instead of what is cheapest. For multiple teeth, the implant is still the best option in most cases but it may then become cost inhibitive and a partial denture may work better with the patient’s finances. A patient will nearly always be happier with a dental implant than with a bridge or partial. It can be brushed and flossed the same as a natural tooth, it does not come in and out and it will never decay. It is as ideal to natural teeth as we can get.
Q. How much does an implant cost as compared to other forms of dentistry?
A. Every practice is different on how they charge for implants. As mentioned earlier, our practice, tries to keep the cost of one implant and a 3 tooth bridge nearly the same. Both procedures replace one missing tooth. We can do that because we do the surgeries in our office. Some practices do not like to do the surgeries in their practice and so they send them to a specialist to do the surgery. In these cases the cost will be more. The cost of a dental implant in our office is nearly the same as 3 crowns.
Q. How to contact Dr. Stucki if we have further questions?
A.
Address:
1436 S. Edgewater Circle
Nampa, ID 83686
Phone: 208-463-9600
Fax: 208-461-3156
Email:kdstucki2000@yahoo.com
Website: www.edgewaterdental.net
