I think I am a good candidate for dental implants. Is there a dental insurance company that will cover the cost?
Bruce
Dear Bruce,
Dental implants are a great choice for a tooth replacement. If you don’t have dental insurance yet, you should be aware there is typically a waiting period before you can use it for anything other than cleanings and checkups.
If you already have dental insurance, they will cover some of it, but probably not as much as you are hoping. Most dental insurance companies will pay for the least expensive treatment option. When it comes to tooth replacement options, that generally means either removable partial (or complete) dentures.
When you are talking about replacing one tooth, it is not as imperative that you get dental implants. However, if you are talking about replacing all of your teeth, then it becomes more serious. When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes this and interprets that as you no longer needing the jawbone to retain anything. With this knowledge and programmed to be as efficient with your body’s resources as possible, your body begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body where it perceives that will be more useful.
While a great use of resources, this slowly shrinks your jawbone. After about ten to twenty years, you no longer have enough jawbone left to even retain your dentures. This procedure is known as facial collapse, which will not only leave you a dental cripple, but you could be reduced to a soft diet.
The solution? Implant-supported dentures. This procedure uses between four and eight dental implants and then anchors your dentures to them. The implants serve as your tooth root and signal to your body that you still need these teeth.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.