Why are dental implants so expensive? The main reasons explained in one go
If you think an implant is just a simple matter of screwing a screw into your mouth, then you are greatly mistaken! If it were merely a matter of inserting a screw, then at today's market prices you could absolutely buy a platinum diamond-studded screw!
The price of a dental implant is determined by factors such as implant research and development, the implant itself, the difficulty of implantation, and the doctor's skill and training.
R&D costs
At present, many implant companies invest a great deal in research and development. Facing different oral conditions, there are many implant models, and the related accessories multiply accordingly. From implant placement to the final completion of the crown, at least seven or eight precision components are used, not to mention patients who need some parts custom-made to their individual needs, for whom the related costs are certainly higher. The smaller the part, the higher the precision requirement. Oral implant accessories currently rank among the top in precision within the medical field.
Implant materials
The material cost of the dental implant process is quite high. The material is made of pure titanium or titanium alloy, which has the best biocompatibility, causes no rejection by the human body, can bond tightly with the alveolar bone, and is strong and durable. This titanium "disguise" is a prerequisite for successful implantation. Whether osseointegration occurs after implant placement or the implant becomes encapsulated by fibrous connective tissue, that is, whether the implant restoration succeeds or fails, depends importantly on the mechanical stability of the implant after placement.
Difficulty of implantation
When living tissue (such as bone tissue and soft tissue) comes into direct contact with non-living material (such as an implant), various reactions occur, such as corrosion/inflammatory reactions, ultimately leading to the formation of a fibrous connective tissue capsule around the implant, that is, the body's tissue reaction attempting to isolate the foreign object. Therefore, the difficulty of implanting an implant into the jawbone so that it does not loosen or fall out and can still function as a tooth lies in making the load-bearing implant directly contact or connect with living bone tissue, and ensuring that no fibrous connective tissue exists between the two; this too is a difficulty of implantation.
The doctor's skill
From implant design and production, to the doctor placing the implant into the alveolar bone, to the patient's personal lifestyle habits after implantation is completed, every step and every detail affects the dynamic balance of bone remodeling on the implant surface, and in turn affects whether the implantation ultimately succeeds or fails. Therefore, this technique places very high demands on the doctor's skill. Generally, doctors who are able to perform implants mostly have advanced degrees and many years of clinical experience; thus, much of the expense lies in the skill.
The principle is the same as how bricks themselves are not expensive, but building a house with them is expensive; and how fabric itself is not expensive, but when a famous designer turns it into clothing, it becomes expensive.
The doctor's training
Implantation looks simple, but it is actually the culmination of oral medicine. Implant dentists often need to be well versed in oral surgery, periodontics and prosthodontics. Even these three most basic disciplines each have professional certification abroad, and recently the combined application of geriatric dentistry, sleep dentistry and orthodontics with implantation has also been becoming the norm. So the most expensive part of implantation lies in the doctor's training; a mature implant dentist needs at least more than 10 years of professional training and education.
A dental implant is not something an ordinary dentist can do; it must be completed through the joint cooperation of a team composed of an implant surgeon specially trained in implantation, an implant restoration dentist, an implant technician and the corresponding assistants, requiring a relatively large input of manpower, materials, financial resources and technology. In many cases, the price of dental implants has always been very high. Besides the cost of the materials themselves, and in light of the factors mentioned above, this is why the price of dental implants has not fallen but has instead risen, and there are reasons for this.
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