There are many books out about the meaning of dreams. Many Americans have a re-occurring dream of losing their teeth. As children we lost our baby teeth but we knew there were new teeth coming to replace those so we didn’t worry. The worst we had to worry about back then is if those new teeth need to be straightened with need ceramic braces after they come in. As adults we understand that if we lose our teeth now there won’t be a fresh set waiting to grow back. Thankfully if our dreams do come true and we lose our “grown up” teeth there is something we can do about it.
Dentistry has come a long way in just a few short years to be able to offer to the average person a very secure and permanent solution to our nightmares—dental implants. Dental implants are titanium rods that are placed in the jaw that allow a very real looking false tooth or a set of teeth to be attached to it.
This procedure can also help to strengthen other treatments such as dental bridges and crowns. An implant isn’t necessary but there is no other alternative that offers the same quality and stability of real teeth as an implant will.
The cost of dental implants, on average, is about $1,500 to $4,500 for a typical procedure but there are several factors that can influence the price such as the scope of the work needed, the type of dental implant being used, the cost of the dentist, where you live, and if you’re dental insurance will help cover any of the costs. The price can sky rocket up to $100,000 if the mouth needs intense cosmetic dentistry to extract and fix all the teeth.
photo credit: brittbird15.
Dental insurance may cover some of the procedure but because it is classified as “cosmetic” they might not cover it. It helps to get a quote from your dentist faxed or emailed to your insurance company so they can see an itemized list of what exactly is going to be done. Then they can see if they will help pay for some of the procedure or not.
Take care of your “grown-up” teeth with proper maintenance and good health habits so you can keep your natural teeth for most of your life but if you find yourself needing a tooth extracted or, by some circumstances outside of your control, lose a tooth then you can rest assured that there is a very life like alternative to help fill that gap.