5 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE GETTING DENTAL IMPLANTS

When a person is missing one or more teeth, dental implants can be an excellent method to replace them.  Here are some things to consider when evaluating your options.

1.     Will there be one or more offices treating you, and are you OK with that?

There are two phases of treatment when it comes to dental implants.  A Surgical Phase, and a Restorative Phase.  In the first phase, a dentist will perform surgical procedures: extractions, grafting, and / or implant placement.  In the second phase, the implant will be restored with a crown, denture, or some other prosthesis.  Some dentists will only do the first, some will do only the second, and some will do both.  If you work with an office that does only one of these two phases, you will have to bounce between offices.  This can lead to a lack of proper communication during the process, or finger-pointing if there are problems afterwards.  Are you OK with this?  At Morris County Dental Associates, we perform all phases of implant treatment under one roof, so you do not have to contend with these issues.

2.     Do Your Homework.  Selected a skilled doctor or office.

Any dentist can place and/or restore implants.  They do not have to have any specific training.  But what experience level does the dentist have?  Or if you are seeing multiple doctors or offices (see #1 above), are they coordinated so that your experience is smooth and enjoyable?  Dr. Goldberg performs all phases of implant dentistry in one location, and has been doing so for 27 years.  He teaches other dentists about implants, and has a whole section of his office dedicated to implant treatment.  He has many pieces of equipment to make your treatment smooth, efficient, comfortable, and accurate.

3.     Have you explored other options?

Dental implants may not be your only option to correct a problem.  Root canals with crowns, bridges, partial dentures, and complete dentures are common alternatives.  Be sure your dentist has provided you with options for your particular situation.

4.     Cost of dental implants:  don’t compare to what your friend had done!

Not all dental implants will be priced the same: there are many variables.  Do you need an extraction? Do you need grafting?  What kind of grafting do you need?  Can stock parts be used, or are custom ones required?  For all of these (and more) reasons, trying to provide someone with an estimate is impossible without a physical evaluation and discussion.  Furthermore, be careful when comparing costs with friends: what they had done is likely to be different than what you need.  Therefore, it is safe to assume your cost will be different than theirs.

5.     Don’t rush things.

Everyone wants things done yesterday.  Faster, faster, faster.  Time is short, and you have better places to be.  At times it is possible to speed up implant treatments, but it’s not always in your best interest.  Implants have a very high success rate.  But the more you push the envelope, meaning the faster you rush the process, the greater the chances of having problems and complications. Sometimes slower is better.  Again, your implant dentist will be able to guide you accordingly.

Do you have questions?  Visit Dr. Goldberg’s website, or contact us for a free consultation.

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About the author:  Dr. Ira Goldberg has been performing implant procedures for 27 years.  He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology / Implant Dentistry, a Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.  He performs all phases of implant dentistry at his office in Succasunna, NJ.  He lectures to dentists in the field of implantology.  For a free consultation, including a free 3-D scan (if necessary), please call his office at (973) 328-1225 or visit his website at www.MorrisCountyDentist.com  Dr. Goldberg is a general dentist, and also a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.