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The Ventura Breeze

March 25, 2009

Affordable Implants

by Dr. Callaghan DDS

Modern dentistry has taken many exciting new steps in offering people ways to improve and maintain the best quality of life possible. When I graduated from dental school, I was very excited about providing dental implants. A dental implant is a way to replace a missing tooth that stands alone without the need of being attached to other teeth in the mouth. Implants can replace a single tooth, multiple teeth or can even be placed underneath an existing denture and be attached to it in a way that greatly improves stability.

Unfortunately, the high cost of a dental implant has kept it out of reach for many people. To replace a single tooth with a conventional implant system a person can expect to pay around $3,000. This is due to the high cost of parts, equipment and lab work that seem to surround an implant wherever it goes. Not only has the high cost of an implant been a source of frustration for me but most insurance companies will not pay for implant work, this leads to a situation where even if the dentist charges the same amount for an implant as an alternative treatment, the patient is forced to choose an alternative treatment due to cost.

However there has been another advance in modern dentistry. A new single stage implant has been developed which has less parts and is a much less expensive alternative, almost cutting the cost to the patient in half. In certain cases, I can replace a missing tooth or teeth the same day at a total cost of $1,650 per tooth. Denture stabilization is also much more affordable due to simplification of the implant parts and decreased lab costs.

For a consultation, call (805) 656-6911.