Dental Implant FAQs

Dental implants are widely considered the healthiest solution to replace one or more missing teeth.

When you’re missing a tooth – even just one – the remaining teeth adjacent to the space left by the missing tooth will begin to move into that empty space.

That’s not healthy. The healthiest way to replace that missing tooth is with a dental implant.

This is because dental implants are surgically anchored into your jaw.

Implants mimic the natural tooth root, thereby preventing the adjacent teeth from moving, and any of the associated complications, especially jaw bone loss.

Dental implants are the next best thing to your natural teeth.

Please understand the following information is only preliminary and in no way specific to your situation, the conversation about dental implants is a personal one you need to have with your chosen dentist and/or oral surgeon.

Having said that, here is a list of the seven most common questions people ask our dentists about dental implants…

1. How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?

Invariably one of the most common questions about dental implants is,

“How much do dental implants cost?”

Before any treatment begins, you want to make sure that you do your research, because techniques, materials, experience, quality, price and most importantly, the overall success will vary.

Once you’ve talked with friends and family who may have dental implants, and browsed the internet to read reviews and research local doctors in-depth, then chosen a few dentists in your local area to schedule a consultation with one or all of them.

During the consultation, you should ask any questions you have, including those about the overall cost. It would be unfair for me to present you with inaccurate information here just to throw out a number range.

When you do meet with a dentist or oral surgeon, every effort should be made to make sure you receive an accurate estimate of all the associated costs of the total dental implant process – from surgery to a completely new replacement tooth, or teeth.

In many cases, there is an initial charge for the diagnostic work-up to even help determine a final cost.

This will be to determine how good of a candidate you are for dental implants, and if any other treatments are necessary or recommended – like bone-grafting, sinus lift, or ridge augmentation.

2. Does My Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Short answer, check your policy but chances are probably not. And don’t leave it up to someone else.

Yes, your dentist or oral surgeon’s office can do it if you give them your ID or social security info, but we’re talking about surgery, and a major investment, not to mention personal data, isn’t it worth it to check with your own insurance policy?

This only saves time on both ends and helps to prevent any billing mistakes or misunderstandings in the future.

Once you’ve talked through the entire process on a consultation or two, or three – until you are comfortable – together you and your chosen dentist or oral surgeon can both come up with an accurate estimate of what your total costs will be after evaluating your insurance coverage, third-party payment options, cash discounts & special offers.

3. How Long Does the Entire Dental Implant Process Take?

According to board-certified oral surgeon Dr. Karl Maloney in Branchburg NJ, dental implants are often placed 2-3 months after tooth extraction.

“At times, an implant may be placed immediately after extraction of a tooth. This may involve a little more risk but greatly shortens the overall treatment time. When infection or other problems with the bone are present, immediate implant placement may not be an option.”

Generally speaking, once you’ve undergone the actual placement of the dental implant(s), you can expect the entire tooth replacement procedure to be completed anywhere from one month to one year.

Kind of a wide range there Doc?

Yup, kind of like the question about cost. This is because there are too many variables with each specific person that it’s irresponsible to even provide a range.

For routine cases where it’s a single tooth, from surgical placement to tooth restoration can usually be around 3 months. But, for more complex cases, or those involving multiple teeth, the process will likely be longer than that.

The replacement tooth – or crown – is usually attached to the implant when adequate healing has occurred and your jaw bone is firmly fused around the surgically-anchored implant.

Depending on a variety of factors, it may be possible to begin this phase of your treatment immediately or shortly after implant placement.

4. Will I Have Temporary Teeth?

Some people will require a replacement tooth during the time that the actual dental implant is healing – and your jaw bone is growing around it.

In those cases, a temporary removable tooth or temporary bridge could be recommended – again, every case is different because every person is different.

If all of your teeth are missing, you also have options where your dentist can alter your current full denture or make you a new temporary one.

Some patients prefer non-removable teeth during the healing phase, and to be honest I didn’t know that was even a thing prior to doing research for this post.

Thanks, Dr. Maloney!

They’re called temporary transitional implants, and they can sometimes be placed with the permanent implants.

You’ll most certainly cover all of the possible answers related to your specific situation during your dental implant consultation.

5. Do I Have To See Multiple Doctors?

In some cases yes.

The dental implant process usually involves an oral surgeon and your general dentist, but some general dentists who have the education & experience can perform both the implant placement surgery and restorative work themselves.

Usually, the oral surgeon places the implant(s) in your jaw along with other necessary surgical procedures – like bone grafting, sinus lift, or ridge augmentation.

And usually, your general dentist would be responsible for the temporary and permanent replacement teeth.

Also, depending on a number of specific factors, your treatment could require the assistance of multiple dentists and/or specialists.

6. How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

According to the American Association of Implant Dentistry (AAID), ancient dental implants have been traced back to around 600 AD, when tooth-like pieces of shell were hammered into the jaw of a Mayan woman.

Fast forward 1400+ years and we’re looking at space-age materials and less invasive techniques combined with cutting-edge technology to deliver the type of implant dentistry our grandparents never had the opportunity to enjoy.

Contemporary dental implants, which have been in use for many decades, have been proven safe and effective for many decades now.

Long-term studies (more than 30 years) show an 80 to 90 percent success rate, and Dr. Google puts it at…

Guess what?

Results vary because people are like snowflakes.

If you’re considering dental implants to replace one or more missing teeth in your mouth, then you’ve already begun the due diligence.

Keep going, and don’t stop until you feel that you understand 100% of what to expect.

7. Does It Hurt to Get Dental Implants?

You knew this one was coming.

It’s completely natural and understandable to be worried about the pain that could result as a matter of having a titanium post surgically implanted into your jaw with a fake tooth screwed onto it.

But, there’s really very little to be concerned with, most people don’t experience severe or significant post-operative pain.

Got Any More Questions About Dental Implants?

Despite the fact that dental implants don’t get cavities, you can get gum disease with dental implants.

Just like with your natural teeth, you will need to clean your new implant-supported teeth as you normally would – with daily flossing & brushing for #2min2x a day.

Your dentist will monitor your dental implants during your normal semi-annual checkup & cleaning, but your case may also require additional appointments for hygiene and maintenance.

If you didn’t find an answer to your question about dental implants, please leave a comment below or reach out on Facebook or Twitter.

September is Dental Implant Awareness Month, be sure to tag us and use #socialdentistry #DentalImplantAwarenessMonth hashtags!

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This content was reviewed & approved by one of our member dentists for accuracy, any statistics or specific numbers are either directly cited or first-party data from our member surveys.