For most people, price is the major determining factor when deciding what to prioritize. Food, housing, and utility bills are likely at the top of the list, with less vital things like going to the movies or expensive jewelry towards the bottom. But where does your oral health fall on that list of priorities? While many believe that brushing your teeth and occasionally visiting the dentist are enough, taking care of your smile is much more involved than that. If you have any missing adult teeth, replacing them should be a priority! At Brockley Dental Center, we understand that replacing a missing tooth may just feel like another unnecessary expense, but it’s actually important for your oral and overall health. Fortunately, we offer affordable dental implants for patients like you in Butler, PA, to restore your smile!
What You Risk Without Replacement
When you lose a tooth, you lose a lot more than the aesthetics of your smile. You lose the entire tooth’s structure from crown to root. Crowns are the top portion of your tooth that you smile with, while roots are the bottom portion of your tooth below the gum line.
Tooth roots are embedded in your jawbone to serve two important functions. The first is to keep your teeth secure in your mouth, and the second is to stimulate your jawbone when you bite or chew. Stimulation helps keep your jaw healthy and full. When you lose stimulation, your jawbone will deteriorate over time, losing mass and volume.
A shrinking jawbone has many unfortunate consequences. These include:
Wrinkled skin: As your jawbone loses mass and volume, the skin around your mouth begins to sink in, causing wrinkles and sunken cheeks.- Structural changes: Over time, your shifting jawbone can change the shape of your face entirely.
- Loose dentures: Traditional lower dentures rely on your jawbone for stability. While they may replace your crowns, they don’t replace your roots, making your jawbone an unstable foundation.
- Ineligibility for implants: Conventional dental implants require ample jawbone for placement. Many patients suffering from jawbone loss are ineligible for dental implant procedures to replace missing teeth.
Fortunately, dental implants replace not just the crown of your missing teeth but the root, too! These titanium posts act as artificial tooth roots that stimulate your jawbone while serving as a foundation for replacement teeth.
But how can you replace missing teeth with a shrinking jawbone if dental implants require ample bone structure? At Brockley Dental Center, we proudly offer a more affordable and accessible option: the mini dental implant!
Introducing Affordable Dental Implants
Conventional dental implants are large and often expensive due to their multi-piece design. These factors make conventional implants less suitable for many patients, especially frail patients who have lost a lot of bone structure.
In contrast, mini implants are much smaller and more accessible to patients with a reduced jawbone structure! At Brockley Dental Center, we use these narrow-diameter implants for the many benefits they provide our patients. For example, mini implants consist of only one piece, allowing us to place them in a single appointment.
Due to their sleek design, we use a minimally invasive procedure that preserves much of the surrounding gum and bone tissues. Not only does this facilitate faster healing, but it also uses less jawbone for support than conventional implants do!
Additionally, mini dental implants are much more affordable (about half the cost) than conventional dental implants. The price difference is due to their fewer components, fewer appointments, and that they are less likely to need a bone graft.
Common Conventional Implant Expenses
Conventional implants have multiple pieces held together by an implant screw. This can be expensive, as you must pay for each component. These implants also require various appointments over periods of healing, as each piece is placed separately. Every appointment has its own cost, and overall healing takes 3-6 months.
Because conventional implants require more bone structure, patients often require bone grafts to be eligible for the procedure. A bone graft is a procedure that helps restore lost bone, and while effective, it adds to the price and length of your procedure.
Mini implants are a much simpler alternative to conventional implants that are faster, more accessible, and more affordable.
Mini Dental Implants: A More Affordable Option
Brockley Dental Center understands that everyone has their own budget, and sometimes, things get pushed aside for priorities. However, we firmly believe that your oral health should be a priority! Replacing missing teeth is essential to a happy and healthy smile, and mini implants are the best method! They offer a variety of important benefits that make them the ideal tooth replacement option for most patients.
For affordable implant options, visit Brockley Dental Center today to learn if you are eligible.
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