Great question -- I’m not sure how long you have been in the process of learning about dental implants, but you will find that they are an extremely valuable tool in dentistry. There are situations that are simple that cost less, and there are situations that are very complicated that cost more. We don’t quote specific prices here because the situations are so variable and individual needs and time requirements vary so widely. We feel that the only way you can get a fair evaluation is to have a complete examination that includes photography, x-rays and a direct, visual examination and conversation with a doctor who is well-versed in the subject.

Again, the cost of dental implant treatment varies widely. It will all depend on the complexity of your dental needs. Dental implants are simply one tool that we use in dental restorations. In patients with advanced needs that need complex restorative dentistry, implants are sometimes the key element that allows us to achieve good results in difficult situations. The additional strength that implants add to the foundation of dental restorations is amazing. The use of implants has revolutionized modern restorative dentistry. In assessing the cost of treatment, we take into consideration the time requirements for each phase of treatment & implant procedures, the health status of the patient, and the difficulty to achieve what that patient needs and wants…. and whether we can provide what they would like to obtain. Even diagnosing and organizing treatment is a time-consuming process that is important to your understanding of options.

We will be happy to discuss the cost of what we feel are the appropriate options for you. Please come and have an exam that will teach you all the facts that you want to know. We will try to fairly give you a proper understanding of your situation and your options.

Labels: cosmetic dental implants, dental implant procedures, dental tooth implants, houston dental implants, titanium dental implants

There was a man we will refer to as Cooper who came to us. Years before, he had lost several teeth in the lower arch of his mouth. He lacked the funding at the time to pay for dental implants, and not knowing much about tooth replacement to begin with, had chosen to take the economical route of removable, partial dentures. He found that they worked to a degree, but caused him to experience difficulty chewing certain foods he liked to eat.

This situation is common for people who wear partial dentures. While they are cheaper than titanium dental implants, they come with a price of their own. Partials are by nature softer than titanium and porcelain (the materials used to make dental implants), and consequently limit what a person can and cannot comfortably chew.

Partial dentures are also a source of embarrassment for many people. Almost no one who dentures has not been caught at some point in time by a child or close relative with his or her teeth in a glass, so to speak. The clicking sound made by dentures while chewing is also embarrassing, because everyone at the table knows where that sound is coming from, and who has false teeth and who does not.

Dental implants, on the other hand, can fool even the most critical of self-styled smile experts. They look identical to natural teeth, and they work even better in some cases due to their rugged constitution. They can also be made very affordable to patients like Cooper through financial plans that allow for payments to be spread out over a period of time. This is a common courtesy we offer to all intake patients like here at the Houston Cosmetic Dentistry Center of the Medical Center Dental Group.

Once Cooper qualified for one of our many financial plans, we scheduled an appointment to make a thorough examination of his mouth. We took x-rays first to assess the condition of his jaw bone. This is standard protocol in implant dentistry, and almost universally the first step we take in replacing missing teeth. The reason for this is because bones begin to recede when teeth fall out or become decayed to the point they must be extracted. Without tooth roots to form around, bone mass deteriorates and flattens.

The degree of bone loss determines just how many cosmetic dental implants we can actually place in the jaw. The lesser the bone loss, the more implants the jaw will support. However, very few people have come to us with an ideal jawbone just waiting to be filled with implants. Most people like Cooper have already experienced severe bone deterioration. These patients, like Cooper, must be treated with a combination of dental implants and fixed bridgework.

In Coopers case, we were able to successfully place four implants at key locations around the bottom of his mouth. We then used these implants as anchors for fixed bridges. The cosmetic dental bridges that we use in full mouth reconstructions are different than the standard bridges used in general family dentistry. Unlike standard bridges, they rarely are affixed to natural teeth, but are made instead to attach directly to the porcelain crowns that cover the titanium implant base. This avoids damaging healthy teeth which can actually lose enamel when bridges are anchored to them.

When we removed the acrylic roof to the partials and replaced the dentures he wore with dental implants and bridges, Cooper was now able to enjoy total freedom of diet for the first time in years. He immediately called us back to thank us not only for expanding his menu, but also for making it possible for him to smile securely knowing that only he knew the true origin of the bright healthy looking teeth that gave him a new face to the world.

For more information on dental implants and new forms of dentures, read the following articles on our main site:

Dental Implants
Cosmetic Tooth Implants
Dental Implant Procedure
Dental Implant Surgery
Denture Implants

Labels: cosmetic dental implants, cosmetic dental procedures, dental implant, dental implant procedures, retained dentures

Two years ago we treated a woman named Susanna, who was in her early sixties. Over forty years ago, she had lost all but 6 of her lower front teeth. At that time, a removable upper denture seemed her most workable and convenient option. True, she did not like having to take it out and clean it in front of her husband and children, and she was embarrassed at times by the sounds it made when she chewed certain foods.

After she retired, however she decided to look into implant dentistry. She called our office and asked if we could help with some kind of payment plan. We told her it is routine for a good majority of our patients to pay for dental implants over a period of time. Susanna was more than happy to come in upon hearing this news, excited to hear that an alternative to dentures had finally presented itself within reach.

It is unfortunate that so many people like Susanna assume that implant dentistry is beyond their budget, and that they must settle for a lifetime of removable dentures. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While it is true that this treatment is certainly much more expensive than other forms of tooth replacement, implant dentistry does not have to be paid for all at once. A full list of financial options can be explored by visiting this link on our main website. Any number of these can be within the realm of possibility for a gainfully employed or comfortably retired person to qualify for. She had very good credit and a comfortable income from her savings and retirement plans, and her credit immediately qualified her for one of our plans.

Susanna was a unique case in that she had lived without her natural teeth for over 40 years. However, she had not experienced the severe bone loss that often ensues after teeth remain missing for a period of time. In most cases like hers, there is seldom enough bone mass to place more than a few implants. The remainder of a full-mouth reconstruction has to be done with fixed bridgework attached to implants that are used as anchor points. In fact, we were a bit shocked at this remarkable condition after looking at the x-rays of her mouth. Susanna simply told us that she took good care of herself by eating healthy and taking daily supplements.

We never complain when a patient is this proactive in self-care. Over the next 18 months, we placed a total of 15 dental implants in Susannas upper jaw. In the few gaps between these implants, we placed porcelain cosmetic dental bridges to completely rebuild her smile.

Susanna reports today that she loves the new freedom she has to eat anything she wants (although she still eats only healthy foods). She also remarked that it is a genuine pleasure to finally be able to brush her upper teeth—something she has not been able to do since her early twenties. Again, it makes us feel good as dentists to hear a patient so passionate about dental hygiene.

For more information, visit the following articles on our main website:
Dental Implant Procedures
Dentures Dental Implants
Dental Tooth Implants
Dental Implant Surgery

Labels: cosmetic dental implants, cosmetic dental procedures, dental imlplants, dental implant, dental implant procedures, Dental Implants, implant dentistry

What can I expect to pay for four implants in my top gum please. I require to just get an idea of whether it is affordable?


Thanks for your question – it is what everyone wants to know. The problem is that the costs vary widely, according to the different situations that different people present with. The only way that you can get a good answer for YOUR situation is to make an appointment to come in and have a comprehensive exam and x-rays to find out what is possible for you.

After teeth are removed, the gums change drastically as healing occurs. This is something that can be seen to happen over the first few weeks following the surgery. What you cannot see is what has happened to the underlying bone. The function of the bone is to hold teeth, so when the teeth are lost, there is a progressive loss of bone that continues for the rest of your life. The bone gets shorter and thinner -- shorter and thinner – until sometimes there is only a fraction of the bony support left. This is why partials or dentures become loose over time. That bony foundation changes as time passes, and it is different for everyone. Some people have drastic changes, some have slower changes, but everyone has some changes to their bone after losing their teeth.

Our problem is that we need that residual bone to hold the implants. We have different sizes of implants, narrow and wider, shorter and longer, and it is our challenge to design a scheme that works for you. Some cases are easier than others. With a large amount of bone, we can design a very strong restoration for you, with very thin bone, it is much tougher to get a solid foundation. Some people can create enough strong foundation to achieve fixed bridge work, that requires strength, others just do not have enough foundation, even with implants, and different types of restorative options apply to them.

So, with all the variables of your health, bony status, health and condition of your teeth, etc., it is really impossible for us to give you costs without seeing you. It is just more complicated than that. Please come in and have an exam and discussion appropriate to your personal situation. You will learn what your options are, and you will learn what advantages or disadvantages you have. Dental implants are exciting. They provide many more options of care in dentistry, and patients benefit from the use of implants. Come let us teach you about what is best for you.


Chuck Campbell, DDS
713-795-5905

Labels: cosmetic dental implants, dental implant, dental implant procedures, Dental Implants

People often ask their dentists if dentures will work just as well as dental implants. The truth is, dentures are better than nothing at all, but they can offer only limited benefit to a person. Dental implants, on the other hand, offer full tooth replacements that can potentially last a lifetime. Whereas dentures will help maintain the muscle tone of the face, dental implants provide both facial structure and a reliable chewing surface.

Dentures have a number of disadvantages that limit their usefulness as well as their appeal. For one thing, they have to be removed and cleaned on a regular basis. Consider how this can scare small children when they discover the teeth of a parent or grandparent soaking in a glass in the kitchen. Dental implants do not have to be taken out and cleaned in this fashion because they are fixed in the bone and work just like natural teeth. They can even be brushed and flossed.

Dentures can also make embarrass people during meals by making clicking sounds that people can hear across the table. Dental implants make no such noises because they are anchored within the bone. Dental implants do not fall out either because they are screwed to the jawbone and stay in the mouth just like natural teeth.

Dental implants also allow a person to eat any foods that natural teeth can normally chew. Dentures are much more limited because they do not provide enough of a hard chewing surface. Porcelain, the substance used to make implants, is one of the hardest substances known to medical science, and is also stain resistant and impervious to chipping and cracking.

Virtually any cosmetic dentist will tell you that the biggest advantage of dental implants over dentures is their ability to reverse bone degradation. You see, when teeth fall out, the bone has nothing to grow around, and it begins to recess and deteriorate. This causes it to lose surface area, flatten, and become increasingly fragile. Bones, as living tissue, must have something to connect to in order to maintain surface mass and growth. Dentures do not connect with the bone and therefore cannot provide this. However, dental implants work just like natural tooth roots, growing into the bone and giving it a mass to grow around. This not only stops bone degradation, it most often reverses it.

For more information on the benefits of cosmetic dental implants, read the following:

Dental Implants
Titanium Dental Implants
Dental Implant Surgery
Dental Tooth Implants
Dental Implant Procedures
Postoperative Instructions for Dental Implants

Dentures are much cheaper than dental implants, but dental implants give people much more value for their money. Most cosmetic dentists also offer payment plans to help people cover the costs of implants, and many insurance companies will cover a portion of the costs as well.

Labels: cosmetic dental crowns, cosmetic dental implants, dental implant procedures, dental tooth implants, implant dentistry, retained dentures