Dental Implants St. Augustine

Initial Dental Implant Consultation

You will first need to schedule a consultation with Dr. Lee, who will make sure you’re ready for this treatment. During this visit, you have the perfect opportunity to learn about the cost and timeline of your implant journey, address any concerns you have, and understand the game plan for your restored teeth. He will use our CT/Cone Beam Scanner to identify how much bone density you have and then craft a personalized treatment plan that indicates whether you require additional preliminary treatments or not. For example, if necessary, he can administer gum disease therapy to better prepare you for implants.

Dental Implant Surgery

Total Dental Care: Tony Lee, DMD does not perform dental implant surgery in-house, so we will refer you to a trusted specialist outside our office. With their years of clinical expertise and experience, you can be sure they will place each implant into the appropriate area along your jawbone to ensure maximum support. Although this portion of the treatment process occurs elsewhere, we will work with your specialist to maintain the high quality of your care.

Dental Implant Osseointegration & Abutment

Once your surgery is complete, you will return home to heal for a few days and start osseointegration, which is integral to implants. This involves the posts fusing with your jawbone, and it can take 4-6 months for the bone tissue to grow and surround the implants. Fortunately, osseointegration occurs without any extra effort on your part. You will then have your abutment(s) inserted in a minor procedure, which ensures your restoration and implant remain firmly connected and stable.

Delivery of Dental Implant Restoration(s)

During your initial consultation, Dr. Lee will determine which type of restoration you will need (i.e., crown, bridge, or denture) based on the number of teeth you are replacing and their location in your mouth. He will have the prosthetic created and ready for placement once you are fully healed from the abutment insertion. At that point, you will have a complete smile again, one you can rely on to function and feel like the real thing!

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

In order to determine if you’re a good candidate, our dental implant dentist in St. Augustine, Dr. Lee, needs to review your medical history, take a look at your latest X-rays, examine your gums and any remaining teeth you have, and learn about your daily habits. From there, he can determine:

• If your gums (and any natural teeth you have) are healthy
• If your jawbone is dense enough to support dental implants
• If you’re willing to break bad habits, like smoking
• If you’re committed to doing what’s necessary to care for dental implants

Important reminder: Even if you aren’t a candidate for dental implants at your initial visit, that doesn’t mean that will never be the case. In fact, we may be able to provide the preliminary care you need, like gum disease treatment, right here at our office!

Missing One Tooth

Whether you’re missing one of your molars or one of the teeth that’s on display when you smile, we may recommend a single dental implant. If that’s the case, then an implant post will be surgically inserted into the open space. After the implant and the jawbone have fused together (a process known as osseointegration), a custom dental crown will be secured on top with an abutment.

Missing Multiple Teeth

Previously, patients who were missing several teeth consecutively had one option: a dental bridge. While this is still a reliable solution, it requires the teeth surrounding the gap to be altered, even if they are healthy. Fortunately, that’s not the case with dental implants! After placing a dental implant on each side of the gap, the bridge can be attached in place, giving you a complete smile and a strong bite again.

Missing All Teeth

If you are missing all of your teeth, but you aren’t thrilled about the idea of wearing traditional dentures since they can slip and slide out of place, then you should consider implant dentures! If we decide during your consultation that this is the best tooth-replacement solution for you, then your denture will be securely held in place with 4-6 dental implants that are strategically positioned throughout the arch.

Preliminary Treatments & Dental Implant Surgery

Although many experts consider dental implants the ideal way to replace missing teeth, that doesn’t automatically make them the best solution for everyone’s unique circumstances. Before proceeding, you must consult with Dr. Lee to determine whether you’re a good candidate. He’ll examine your mouth for signs of issues that might interfere with your results, like cavities or gum disease, and treat those first. You’ll be expected to pay the rate of any required procedures.

Then, to improve the accuracy of implant placement, we’ll refer you to an outside specialist who can surgically place your dental implants. We partner with the best local experts, who will discuss their separate pricing with you so you know what to expect.

The Parts of Your Dental Implant

The total amount due for your new teeth depends significantly on your unique circumstances. Several different factors can influence your final invoice, such as:

• How many you need. Those receiving multiple implants can expect to pay more than someone who only needs one.
• How it’s restored. Dental crowns, bridges, and dentures can all anchor to implants to rebuild your smile; each with its own associated rates.
• The size/material used. Longer implants require more material by necessity and may be more expensive.
• The brand. Several different brands tailor their dental implants to certain patients’ needs, which can affect the cost.

How Dental Implants Pay For Themselves

Plenty of people assume that dental implants are beyond their budget and settle for less expensive replacement teeth, like dental bridges or dentures. You might feel tempted to opt for one of these options to save money, but the truth is, these restorations tend to last 5 to 10 years and then require repairs or replacements due to issues like chips, cracks, stains, or simply wearing down over time. Furthermore, they often require special pastes, cleaning solutions, adhesives, or other accessories to maintain, which can add up over time.

Meanwhile, dental implants can last 25+ years and are less likely to be harmed, decreasing the likelihood of costly fixes down the road. Plus, they are easy to clean so you’re less likely to develop cavities, gum disease, or injuries that involve expensive or complex procedures to address.

Does My Dental Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

There may be some exceptions, but most dental insurance policies don’t cover the cost of dental implants. However, other services required before your procedure, like gum disease therapy, may be included.

If you’re unsure whether your policy contributes to dental implants, please let us know. Our friendly office staff is familiar with different insurance providers and can help you maximize your benefits.

Making Dental Implants Affordable

If you’re concerned that you can’t afford dental implants, don’t lose hope! Dr. Lee and our staff believe that everyone deserves a healthy, happy smile and we don’t want your finances to hold you back.

As a result, we offer the following methods to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses:

• In-house discount plan. For just $100 annually, you receive a 20% discount on different treatments we offer. Contact us for more information!
• Flexible financing. We also have partnered with CareCredit, so that if your application is approved, you can divvy your total invoice into more manageable payments over a designated period.