Dental implants are the best method to replace missing teeth. If you’re looking for replacement teeth that look and feel like the real thing, it really doesn’t get much better than a good, high-quality titanium tooth implant. But for all the buzz on how great they are, there’s also a lot of misinformation about this type of tooth prosthetic floating around. How do you know what’s fact vs fiction? Ask an oral surgeon! The internet is crazy; when it comes to having something installed in your jaw, you shouldn’t rely on websites and subreddits, when you can simply visit an oral surgery blog for the answers you’re looking for. As oral surgeons with years of experience, we’ve got the facts on getting safe and reliable dental implants installed in your mouth. There are a lot of misconceptions that have been fabricated about this incredibly common, non-invasive oral surgery procedure, so get ready.

Here are some of the most common misconceptions patients tend to have about the dental implant process:

8 Fictional Facts About Dental Implant Surgery

1. Dental implants are only for older people.

While some consider dental implants exclusively an oral surgery for elderly people, it couldn’t be further from the truth. If your bones are finished growing, you’re good to go as far as age restraints on dental implant installation. You just won’t see any pediatric dental surgeons popping in a fresh ceramic tooth implant into a toddler any time soon. Children can’t get the procedure, as implants are permanent and unalterable, so they can’t grow and change with the rest of a developing jaw. However, a senior in high school who gets a tooth knocked out, or a mid-20s adult in opioid recovery who lost some teeth to substance use? Totally! As long as your adult teeth are in and everything is done shifting around in your mouth, a dentist who administers tooth implants can install one in your mouth. Saying implants are exclusively reserved for older people is not only ageist, but it also creates a stigma surrounding younger people who have dental implants for one reason or another.

In fact, younger adults tend to be eligible more often than older adults, as the integrity of their jaws is often better. But that doesn’t mean the elderly can’t take advantage of dental implants, too – our oral surgeon is adept at holistic oral surgery techniques and geriatric oral surgery, including dentin bone grafting to supplement unhealthy jaws. If you are elderly and searching for implants, get in touch with an oral surgeon with a good track record and talk about options—you might not even need dental bone grafting around the jaw area to get a good-fitting implant.

2. Dental implant surgery is painful.

The procedure itself is nothing – you’ll be on anesthesia and sedation during the surgery, so you won’t feel a thing, and can be as aware or unaware of what’s going on as you’re comfortable with. In fact, when you have a well-trained dental surgeon who routinely performs dental implants, the pain after the fact is almost negligible. On a pain scale of 1 to 10, most people report a 2 or 3 as their pain level, and that’s only for the first 24-48 hours. In other words, the pain is manageable, and something like Tylenol or Advil can almost completely negate discomfort. We are a patient-centered practice, so we do everything we can to make your implant surgery as quick and painless as possible.

One of the ways we do this is with our holistic recovery kit for oral surgery, which is a bit of a misnomer, because it’s a 10-day regimen you start a few days before your procedure. This kit preps your body for the procedure, setting you up for a smooth surgery and simple recovery. If you’re looking to completely avoid any kind of pain medication, whether that’s prescription or over-the-counter, holistic treatment following a tooth replacement is a fantastic, all-natural option that delivers results.

3. Recovery from the implant installation is long and difficult.

Is the recovery process long? Sort of. The portion of the recovery process you feel is a few days of mild swelling and discomfort that is easily controlled with homeopathic methods or OTC anti-inflammatories. You should take it easy for a week or so – don’t strain or use straws – that sort of thing. But that’s about it as far as dental implant recovery being bothersome. As far as mouth surgery goes, getting a replacement tooth that is deceptively real-looking inserted into your mouth is at the bottom of the list as far as both pain and recovery goes—it’s not like you’re coming in for a full mouth and jaw reconstruction surgery. You’ll be back to eating and drinking your regular diet in no time.

The next few months after your dental implant surgery is technically recovery, but you’re not feeling a thing for it. Your jaw is trying to integrate the implant with the bone, so it all happens slowly and under the surface. Once the jawbone has fused with your titanium replacement tooth, you’re considered completely healed from the operation. And while it might happen slowly over the course of some time, you’ll never notice it. Claiming that recovery in this case is long or difficult couldn’t be further from the truth—if same-day dental implants are possible, surely the procedure and recovery time are just as quick. Recovering from having the synthetic tooth root installed is more about patience than anything else.

4. Insurance won’t cover dental implant surgery.

This is a case-by-case basis situation, but dental insurance is likely to cover dental implant surgery at least in part. Dental implants are more than just a cosmetic tooth replacement—they’re integral to the functioning of your mouth and jaw, and they can also benefit your mental health and self-esteem. In certain cases, they can be considered medically-necessary. Factors that affect whether your insurance will cover prosthetic teeth and what portion they cover include:

• Policy
  • Some insurance policies, like PPOs, are more likely to offer some coverage for implants than HMOs or limited benefit plans.
• Coverage
  • Some insurers may have separate plans or riders specifically for implants, while others might offer partial coverage within existing major restorative benefits.
• Waiting Period
  • Many plans have waiting periods before covering major procedures like implants, and you might need to be insured for a specific period before even submitting a claim.
• Pre-Existing Conditions
  • Pre-existing dental conditions like bone loss or periodontal disease may affect coverage eligibility or the amount covered.
• Medical Necessity
  • Dental implants for medically necessary reasons, such as replacing teeth lost due to trauma or congenital defects, are more likely to be covered than those purely for cosmetic purposes.
• Alternative Treatment Options
  • Insurance carriers might compare implant costs to other tooth replacement options like bridges or dentures and only offer partial coverage if the implant is significantly more expensive.
• Network Participation
  • If your provider is in your insurance network, you may face lower out-of-pocket costs compared to choosing an out-of-network provider.
• Documentation
  • Ensure your oral surgeon properly documents the medical necessity and details of the tooth implant procedure on your claim to maximize coverage chances.

Wilmington Oral Surgery works closely with your dental insurance to help you make the most of your policy, because dental implants as an oral reconstruction method aren’t just cosmetic, they’re comprehensive. As some of the most-trusted dental surgeons in southern Ohio, we’re dedicated to working with both you and your insurance provider to get the best possible outcome for both your mouth and your bank account.

5. Prosthetic tooth installations are really expensive.

While dental implants may seem expensive up front, they’re not as bad as they may at first seem, especially when you choose an oral surgery practice that takes measures to make implant surgery affordable. Plus, when you think about it, you’re investing in your oral health. Once your top-tier dental implant surgeon has installed the dental implant and it successfully fuses with your jawbone, you’re set. The only part you need to be mindful of is the crown on top of the metal implant. Consider these cost-effective factors of prosthetic teeth:

• They’re a permanent solution. Dental implants tend to last 25 years to life, especially if you take good care of your oral health. The implant fuses to your jaw and isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
• They protect the health of your jaw and teeth. Compared to dentures and bridges, which do not stop your teeth from moving or your jaw deteriorating due to the missing tooth/teeth, dental implants stabilize the structure of your mouth, reducing the chances you’ll need other costly oral surgeries in the future.
• Dental insurance is likely to offer at least partial coverage.
• Wilmington Oral Surgery offers CareCredit, which is an interest-free 6-month payment plan that allows you to spread the cost out over a longer period of time.
• Our practice only bills for the value and cost of the surgical services.
• We also only bill patients for the actual amount of anesthesia used. Standard practice in dental sedation and anesthesia is to bill increments, meaning even if you only needed 43 minutes of care, you get billed for 60. Not with us! When you stick with a trusted oral care doctor, you only get billed for the exact amount of anesthesia and dental sedation used rather than the “standardized” amount. We understand that not everyone is made of money—and even if you are, affordable dental surgery should be for everyone.

Wilmington Oral Surgery is able to save our patients up to $800 per dental implant, making the process of getting comprehensive tooth reconstruction affordable. If you’re in need of a quality metal dental implant to restore your smile, and you’re worried about the associated costs, chat with an oral healthcare provider who performs dental implant surgery. You might be surprised to learn it’s not as costly as you once thought, and there might be accessible payment plans available.

6. Dental implants require special care compared to natural teeth.

If you hear someone say that following a dental implant procedure that your oral care will never be the same, don’t listen to them! Once you’re all healed up and the implant crown has been installed, dental implants require exactly the same care as the rest of your mouth. Brush 2x/day, floss daily, use mouthwash, drink lots of water – the same ways you protect the health of your gums, jaw and natural teeth cover dental implants as well. Not only do dental implants look like an actual tooth, but they more or less behave like one too. If you’re fastidious with your regular oral care, you’re not going to have anything to worry about when it comes to an implant.

7. Implanted synthetic tooth roots are prone to rejection.

Dental implant surgery is successful well over 90% of the time. In all honesty, the likelihood of a dental implant getting rejected is largely up to the patient. If you don’t take care of the health of your mouth, it’s more likely to be rejected – just like your natural teeth are more likely to fall out if you neglect your oral health. When the dental surgeon who installs implants gives you a post-op care sheet and explains what needs to happen, you need to listen and follow the instructions as closely as possible. It’s a no-brainer that if you neglect to properly clean the area around the implant and the implant itself, that there’s a good chance you might wind up with complications that could lead to a rejection.

The right oral surgeon does all they can to make the chances of your implant surgery being successful, which is why consultations and exams are so vital to our process. Titanium and ceramic implants are extremely biocompatible – bone easily integrates with them. However, for people with certain health conditions, we need to more closely manage their care to ensure their dental implants last for decades to come. Certain conditions can impact your oral health, so it’s important to share this information with your experienced mouth surgeon prior to operation. A little bit of information can go a long way in ensuring optimal health and keeping your implant secured in your mouth for decades to come.

8. People with health conditions can’t get dental implants.

This is another total myth – if everyone with a health condition or on certain medications were barred from getting dental implants, no one would be able to take advantage of this holistic oral surgery technique! We would certainly be seeing a lot more people with smiles that are missing teeth if top-notch oral surgery and implants weren’t available to them. There are measures we take to make prosthetic teeth a viable option for as many of our patients as possible:

• Close monitoring during osseointegration for people more prone to rejection due to immune problems
• Working in tandem with your other health specialists to coordinate care
• Utilizing the latest in holistic dental bone grafting with PRF to strengthen the jaw and encourage the growth of new, healthy bone
• Providing patients the option of ceramic zirconia dental implants for those especially sensitive to metals and/or with especially difficult immune issues. A quality zirconium dental implant has almost as high of a success rate of integrating with the bone as titanium does, and it’s just as long-lasting. Some people just don’t respond well to metal—but thankfully, science has thought of other options.

In addition, titanium is one of the only metals that is safe even in MRI machines, so people who often undergo these types of scans can still get dental implants and not have to worry about limiting their diagnostic options. If you’re unsure of what kind of material will be best for you specifically, open up a conversation with your local oral surgeon who has tons of practice—they’ll be able to steer you in the right direction and share some options that will work for you and your unique situation.

See? Having implants installed at the site of missing teeth isn’t all that scary or mysterious. And it doesn’t even take that long, nor is the recovery time associated with well-fitted dental implants long either. And with the right oral surgeon, dental implant surgery is available for many more types of patients than you might think. If you’ve got a missing tooth or even several, dental implants can help reconstruct your smile the real way – from the inside out. Not only do they repair your smile, but long-lasting implants for missing teeth can actually help restore your confidence in your smile and self-image. Are these holistic prosthetic teeth the right solution for you? Contact Wilmington Oral Surgery to schedule a consultation.