BELTON FAMILY DENTAL
Modern Dentistry for the Entire Family
254-246-7177
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This is a question that we get EVERY day, and to get absolute clarity, I think it is important to understand the process for getting dental "implants" before I answer.
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When most people ask about the cost for dental implants, they are really asking how much it costs to get an actual TOOTH in their mouth, not just for the implant itself. The implant is similar to the root of a tooth, and you need something to go on TOP of the implant in order to actually use it.

IMPLANT
ABUTMENT
CROWN
As you can see above, there are 3 components required to restore an individual implant to a tooth: the implant itself (bottom), the abutment (middle) and the crown (top).
The cost for the dental implant placement and surgery will vary, depending on the difficulty of the surgery. Generally, the first phase including dental implant placement will cost anywhere from $1700-2200 dollars. If you lost your tooth a long time ago, it is not uncommon that you will need additional grafting procedures which may drive the cost of the "implant" surgery higher. Implants need bone width and height to be placed in the body; if you don't have enough bone because it has resorbed away, you may require grafting or alternative techniques with mini dental implants.
I HAVE AN IMPLANT? WHAT ABOUT MY TOOTH?
Now that you have a dental implant, you still need to get something on it. Most offices will take an impression and pour a mold, which will replicate where your tooth is on a model.

Once we have a model, the dental laboratory will take and design your abutment and tooth. Abutments come in two varieties, stock (premade) and custom. In OUR office, we use custom abutments only. Stock abutments are "pre made" and not specific to a patient. They are generally shaped like a cylinder and not like a tooth. I'll be frank: I don't use them because they can cause many long term problems with implants, including leakage, problems with the implant crown coming off and bone loss around implants.
Custom abutments, which are designed for YOUR mouth and YOUR specific situation cost generally around $550-800 dollars, depending on the design and case specifics.
Now that the lab has fabricated the abutment, we can finally put a crown on the abutment and you have your "tooth" at last. The cost of the crown for your implant may be anywhere from $1200-$1600, in general.
CUSTOM ABUTMENTS AND IMPLANT CROWNS

Getting body parts replaced isn't going to be cheap, but fortunately, a tooth is the least expensive body part you can replace. The total time frame from missing tooth to replacement can be anywhere from 3 months to 9 months and the approximate total cost is summarized below. If you are getting more than one implant and more than one tooth replaced at a time, often times we can reduce our time and I will also reduce the overall cost of the process at our office.
Abutment
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$550-800
Implant
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$1700-2200
Implant Crown
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$1200-1600
Total Cost Per "Tooth
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$3450-$4600
FOR SECURING PARTIALS OR DENTURES
Many patients with multiple missing teeth or that are GOING to have multiple missing teeth are outstanding candidates for dental implants as well. Dental implants don't always just "replace a tooth", but can be used to secure a denture, bridge, partial or other device in someone's mouth.
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If you suffer from ill fitting dentures or partials, the number one way to increase their fit is by attaching them to dental implants. An example video is shown below for a full lower denture on FOUR dental implants- TWO dental implants are the minimal option.
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If you are going to get a lower denture, I would STRONGLY suggest that you consider getting at minimal, two lower dental implants. Lower dentures are notorious for not fitting well due to the anatomy of the body, but their fit and your satisfaction can be greatly improved by simply having two dental implants placed.
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The total cost for implants in these situations can often be lowered because we can place the implants at the same time as the removal of the teeth. This lowers the surgical costs and can get you a much better fitting denture when the implants heal in ~3 months.
Total Cost, 2 Dental Implants Attached to Denture
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$4300-$5300
Denture Attachment Abutment
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$550-750
Implant (EACH)
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$1600-$1900

Some patients want to keep a removable device, but want maximum fit and retention. For them, a splinted bar with a denture fitted over is an optimal solution. The bar adds cost, but also maximizes the fit of the denture so that it does not touch the gums heavily, relieving pressure and irritation of the prosthetic.