Below, we’ll clarify what a dental implant is, what typical costs for dental implants are, and how to find the best doctor for dental implants in Tampa, FL.
What Is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is a permanent solution for teeth that are badly damaged, rotting, or missing. When patients get a dental implant, the tooth (or teeth) are removed, and a titanium screw (i.e., the implant post) is placed into the jawbone. For a single tooth, it will be one screw and one crown, though multiple teeth implants and full-arch implants (aka. All-on-X) will have multiple teeth supported by fewer screws.
After the screw is placed, the crown (or the visible, fake tooth) is placed on top. With single dental implants, the crown is placed a few months after the implant placement, but with multiple dental implants or all-on-X dental implants, temporary crowns are used while the gum and jaw heal. The permanent crowns will be placed after healing is complete.
It’s important to note that this procedure is a surgery. Ideally, you’ll be put under with sedation IV anesthesia administered by an oral surgeon.
All on X Dental Implants
4-on-1 dental implants (sometimes called full-arch or teeth-in-a-day) are a specific kind of dental implant that replaces an entire row of teeth. The full row of new teeth is supported by only four titanium screws, which helps patients recover from the surgery more quickly.
For patients needing to replace an entire row of teeth, all-on-X dental implants are almost always the most cost-effective and practical solution. If you received a one for one replacement, a row of dental implants would cost nearly $200,000. With all-on-X dental implants, the national average cost is between $25,000 – $45,000, with our office offering them at $14,950.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants have incredible benefits with very few downsides. First, dental implants are meant to be permanent solutions. When they are properly placed during surgery and properly cared for after recovery, dental implants can last a lifetime.
Dental implants also function like your natural, original teeth. Unlike dentures, there are no foods to avoid with dental implants. As long as you follow normal oral hygiene guidelines (like making sure to brush your teeth daily and regularly see a dentist for cleanings), you can have a normal diet with dental implants.
Finally, dental implants (even full-arch implants), fit into your mouth like normal teeth. That means they won’t impede your speech (unlike dentures), and they’ll even look like real teeth. Dental implants are the closest solution patients can get to getting their natural teeth back, which almost always makes them the best solution for failing or missing teeth.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
As we mentioned, dental implants are meant to last a lifetime given proper care. And as long as your oral surgeon places them properly (and you regularly brush and get cleanings on a regular basis), your dental implants will last a lifetime.
Dental implants can fail, and the most common reason they do is because a dentist or oral surgeon placed them incorrectly. This could mean the implant screw is too deep (causing nerve damage), too shallow, causing the implant to shift or fall out, or in a sub-optimal area in the jawbone.
This is why it’s important to choose an oral surgeon with a proven track record of placing dental implants. We’ll talk more about how to choose an oral surgeon later in this article.
Affordable Dental Implants in Tampa, FL
The primary reason that eligible patients don’t get dental implants is because of the cost. Let’s take a closer look at average costs for dental implants, and how to make sure that you aren’t sacrificing quality if you find a comfortable price range.
Cost of Individual Implants in Tampa, FL
In Tampa, FL, you can expect individual implants to cost between $3,000 – $6,000. If you only need a single tooth replaced, single dental implants can be a great solution. However, if you need multiple teeth replaced, the cost quickly balloons out of reach of most patients.
Cost of Teeth in a Day in Tampa, FL
The cost of teeth-in-a-day (or all-on-X dental implants) in Tampa will cost between $25,000 – $45,000 per arch. This is the average cost in the country, but patients can expect to see the higher end of that range in the Tampa area. Teeth-in-a-day will cover an entire row of teeth, which makes the procedure more cost effective than a one-to-one replacement.
It is important to make sure that whichever doctor you go with, they provide all-inclusive upfront pricing. For instance, here at America’s First, we offer full-arch dental implants for $14,950, which is an all-inclusive price (and it comes with a Low Cost Guarantee.)
That means there won’t be hidden fees or unexpected charges along the way, which is why we recommend patients look for offices that offer this kind of upfront, transparent pricing.
What Should I Consider When Comparing Costs?
Comparing the costs of dental implants between different dental offices can be challenging, since the advertised cost is often not the “true” cost. Here are some factors to consider when you compare the cost of dental implants:
Materials
An office that advertises a surprisingly low price is often advertising the lowest possible price, which usually includes low-quality materials. Patients should always look for the highest quality materials, since dental implants are supposed to be permanent. In particular, patients should make sure the price includes:
- Titanium screws
- Screws of an appropriate width (some offices use skinny screws as a cost-cutting measure, which dramatically increases the likelihood of implant failure).
- Zirconia crowns (zirconia is a durable, high-quality material that is the gold standard for dental implants).
All-Inclusive Pricing
In addition, patients should determine if the advertised price is all-inclusive. If it’s not, it’s possible that unstated expenses will arise (like additional scans, additional appointments, extra charges for surgery or for IV sedation anesthesia, etc.). Patients should look for all-inclusive pricing that includes the best, highest-quality materials.
Doctor’s Training
Finally, patients should consider the dentist’s level of training when looking at cost. Some offices may charge higher prices because the doctors are better trained (for example, they may use oral surgeons instead of general dentists).
Oral surgeons have performed a surgery residency on top of getting their dental degree. This means they’re better equipped to place implants while avoiding mistakes (but still performing the procedure efficiently).
If at all possible, you should always choose an oral surgeon, especially if the price is the same.
H2 How to Find the Best Doctor for Dental Implants in Tampa, FL?
We’ve talked about how important it is to make the right choice for an experienced professional to perform your teeth-in-a-day procedure. In order to make that choice, you need to know the qualities to look for in the best doctor for dental implants in Tampa, FL:
Oral Surgeon
You should always choose an oral surgeon to perform dental implant surgery. Oral surgeons have completed an oral surgery residency, giving them the depth of experience needed to consistently perform the surgery well.
Expertise in Dental Implants
On top of being an oral surgeon, you should choose a doctor that has specific expertise in placing dental implants. This will help the procedure to be performed efficiently, allowing for less time needed to recover. It will also reduce the likelihood of dental implant failure.
For example, our office has done 34,000 single dental implants and 5,000 full-arch procedures. Our oral surgeons specialize in dental implants, which is why our failure rates are extremely low.
Use of High-Quality Materials
You should choose an office that uses the best materials for dental implants, like titanium screws of an appropriate width and zirconia for the crowns. Material quality is another major factor in making sure you don’t experience implant failure, and if an office doesn’t offer the best materials, you should consider looking elsewhere.
All-Inclusive Pricing
Finally, you should choose an office that offers all-inclusive pricing. This will allow you to see the true cost immediately and will protect you from unexpected expenses as you travel through the procedure process. If an office doesn’t offer all-inclusive pricing, you’ll need to make sure to get a list of all possible expenses, so you aren’t surprised during the process.
Best Dental Implant Doctor in Tampa FL
The best dental implant doctor in Tampa, FL will be the one that best fits your needs. Make sure you choose an oral surgeon (titles like “implantologist” or other certifications are meaningless), make sure they use the best materials, and make sure that they offer transparent, all-inclusive pricing.
Dental Implants Sarasota FAQs
1. What’s the difference between all-on-X implants and snap-on dentures?
All-on-dental implants are a permanent, non-removable option to replace missing, damaged, or rotting teeth. Snap-on dentures are a two-part product, where the bridge is permanently placed into your mouth, while the prosthetic teeth can be snapped in and out at your leisure. Essentially, they are just like normal dentures except they are permanently fixed to your jaw.
Snap-on dentures come with several drawbacks when compared to dental implants. For starters, the fake teeth of snap-on dentures aren’t permanent. Patients will need to replace them every 5 years, and that cost is generally out of pocket.
Snap-on dentures will also come with food restrictions, since the fake teeth use acrylic (the material commonly used in dentures). This material is soft and prone to damage, so crunchy, sticky, or hard foods will need to be avoided.
Patients will also need to remove snap-on dentures nightly for cleaning, similar to traditional dentures. Even with regular, deep cleaning, the fake teeth are prone to harboring and growing foul-smelling bacteria.
Finally, the bridge that the fake teeth connect to is bulky and interferes with natural speech. The bridge and fake teeth also won’t look natural because of the bulk (and because acrylic looks dull and is not colored like natural teeth).
2. Will insurance cover dental implants?
It is rare for insurance to cover the entire dental implant procedure. You should check with your specific insurance provider to make sure they don’t cover a portion of the procedure, but the vast majority of patients will be paying for dental implants out of pocket.
This is why it’s important to find a fair price that’s high quality. Our office provides full arch dental implants at $14,950 an arch, and we back that price with our Low Cost Guarantee and also offer a variety of financing options for patients to help make any kind of dental implant procedure approachable.