Dental Implants

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In this segment, Dr. Jorge Centurion discusses dental implants with Drs.
Edward, Kathryn and John Martin.

In the past, if someone lost a tooth, there were basically two options
available to treat this: a removable or a fixed bridge. The fixed bridge was a
prosthesis, where the natural teeth are cut down, and the bridge cemented onto
the teeth.

A new and better option is to use a dental implant. The implants consist of a
titanium screw which is placed into the bone. The tooth is then placed onto the
anchor screw. It will last longer than a regular bridge, and you don’t have to
cut down any teeth to place the implant. The implants are also helpful to people
who have a full denture. You can snap a denture onto two implants, so that it
will hold better than a normal bonding material.

There are some limitations to the number of implants that can be placed, and
you have to have healthy bone to have implants. When you see your dentist, he
can devise a treatment plan, with the implants usually running about $2000 a
piece. Unfortunately they are not usually covered by insurance.