Dental Implant Costs

If you have missing teeth, the are typically 3 options offered by your dentist:

1. Dentures
2. Dental Bridges
3. Dental Implants

Dentures

Removal false teeth hooked or placed over existing teeth

Tooth Bridges

False teeth crowns constructed together and securely fitted over existing adjacent teeth as anchors

Tooth Bridges

False teeth crowns constructed together and securely fitted over existing adjacent teeth as anchors

Dental implant treatment is an ideal recommended solution for missing teeth replacement compared to dentures or dental bridges. Dental implants are self-reliant and does not require adjacent teeth support.

In additional to being better than dentures and dental bridges in terms of use, other advantages of dental implants include:

1. Prevents additional bone loss over time as dental implant body is embedded in jaw bone. Therefore prevent jaw deterioration.
2. Allows better chewing and biting load pressure like normal teeth. When wearing dentures and bridges, care is taken not to chew over hard foods.
3. Easy to maintain and care like natural teeth. There is no need to remove the false teeth to clean separately.
4. Secure and fixed allowing you the confidence of smiling, talking properly
5. Dental implants are made of titanium or ceramics. It does not decay like natural teeth. 

Dental implant treatment process

1. Dental consult for treatment plan confirmation :  a panoramic x-ray is taken and possible CT Scan for your dentist to confirm number if implants, its placement position and bone condition. At this visit, if you have dental fear or anxiety for implant treatment, you are able to highlight to your dentist who will then recommend dental sedation options. Otherwise, dental implant post placement will be done under local anesthesia (LA) that is how the majority cases are done. 
2. Dental implant post surgery : your implantologist marks the site for implant placement and proceeds with implanting the dental implant body into the jaw bone. 
3. Implant post healing : after the implant body is embedded, a temporary cap is typically screwed over the gum areas and left to heal for about 2 to 6 months. The length of time for your dental implant to heal depends on your bone condition and your chosen implant range/specification.
4.  Preparation to fabricate prostheses over the implant post : After the healing period, a post implant x-ray is normally taken to check your implant positioning and bone. If all is well, you dentist removes the temporary cap and takes an impression to have your final abutment and prostheses over the implant made in the dental lab.
5. Design abutment and prostheses over implant: your prosthodontist sends the impression to the dental lab to design and build your abutment and prostheses. The crown is baked and tooth color shades layered by a skilled lab technician
6. Fit prostheses over implant: when the prostheses is delivered, your prosthodontist secures this permanently over the implant post. Your dentist checks your teeth bite and occlusion to ensure that teeth is comfortable and biting together properly.

1. What are the potential complications or risks associated with dental implants?

The implant body is typically made from titanium that is inert and biologically adaptable. Success rates for dental implants are  generally very high. One of the most common cause of potential implant failure is normally poor bone condition and uncontrolled periodontitis (gum disease that can destroy bone). Dental implant infection occurs when there is contamination with microbial flora traditionally associated with periodontitis (3). Other factors include poor patient’s immune system healing from diabetes or radiation therapy that causes slow or poor osseointegration on the implant body to jaw bone and bruxism (4).

The long-term success of your dental implant treatment is also determine by dental implant maintenance and hygiene. Bi-annual checkup with your dentist with professional dental cleaning, especially for full jaw implants, is recommended to ensure healthy gums and oral health. If gum or bone issues are detected early, these may be treated.

• Reference source 3 : ScienceDirect A review of dental implants and infection
• Reference source 4 : MDPI Risk Factors related to Late Failure of Dental Implant—A Systematic Review of Recent Studies

2. Is the dental implant procedure painful?

Generally, dental implants are not painful and with today’s smaller implant designs, treatment is less invasive and quick. Implant surgery is normally done under local anesthesia (LA) that stops nerves from sending signals to your brain. During implant surgery, even though you may be awake,  you simply feel  pressure or movement.

Your implantologist will ask you if you feel anything prior to the start of treatment. You are able to ask your dentist to increase LA dosage or wait for the LA to take effect if feeling sensation during your visit.

Alternatively, BIDH dental hospital offers dental sedation such as nitrous oxide, IV sedation and total sleep with general anesthesia if you do have concerns on pain or fear of surgical treatment. Our registered nurse monitors patient closely throughout the whole process for all sedative options. For moderate to deep dental sedation, a licensed anesthesiologist doctor is called in to administer and monitor your treatment. Ask about additional dental sedation when getting quote on your dental implant costs.

3. What is the success rate of tooth implants?

Tooth implant success rates at BIDH dental hospital’s dental network group is above the global average round 96-98% having placed thousands of implants over the past 20 years. Our dental group uses established dental implant brands and ranges namely from Switzerland and Sweden to minimize risks and increase survival rate. Choosing an established dental implant brand and range can also improve success rates, you will however need to check on dental implant costs of higher specifications range implants.

All our dental implant cases are treated by implantologists and prosthodontists are are trained, qualified and experienced in the field of implantology. Many of them are overseas graduates from the USA, UK, Europe or international speakers within their field. BIDH dental hospital is an award-winning dental provider in Thailand. Our clinic group places one of the highest number of  dental implants within the country. 

BIDH receives top dental implant award

For placement on most number of implants in Thailand

4. Can anyone get dental implants, or are there certain requirements?

Even though is no stated specified minimum age for the placement of dental implants, dental implants procedure is normally done after the jaw has completed growth and used to replace permanent adult teeth. For girls, jaw is normally developed around the 16 years old; and for males 17-18 years old. For children, primary tooth loss usually take a conservative approach (5). 

There is also no maximum age restriction for dental implants on older individuals. Based on American Dental Association (ADA), half of men and women over age 65 have at least one missing tooth. Dental implants is a predictable long-term treatment option for the elderly with clinically acceptable implant survival rates (6). Age is not a factor determining implant suitability but whether the individual has any underlying conditions (bone condition, immune healing) that could cause possible implant complications or infections.

It is part of the dental implant procedure that your dentist will do a physical checkup and request for a dental x-ray to be taken in order to check jaw bone condition, height and depth to determine if there sufficient space/bone for dental implant treatment.

• Reference source 5 : NIH Dental implants in children: A multidisciplinary perspective for long-term success
• Reference source 6 : Clinical Oral Implant Research Wiley Dental implants in the elderly population: a systematic review and meta-analysis