Cost Of Dental Implants In India:

Hello everyone, I hope you’ve had a wonderfully healthy day! This is Dr. Akash Chakravarthy with another episode of Dentistry 101 where we discuss the most frequently asked question about dental implants- “What is the cost of dental implants in India.”

If you haven’t watched my previous videos on what are dental implants and what is the difference between dental implants and removable prosthesis, click on the links below to watch them.

Dental implants are an expensive affair when compared to conventional modalities of treatment like dentures and crowns and bridges. Typically a dental implant in India approximately costs in the range of 20,000 to 30,000 INR and the cost difference arises from the brand and type of implant used, surgeon etc. We will be discussing these factors a little later in the video.

The point to be noted is that while these costs may seem high, it has to be considered a one time investment. You see, the life of a dental bridge is for about 8 to 10 years following which the bridge has to be replaced, or the tooth extracted, if the natural tooth has decayed further. In the latter case, again the best solution is implants but this time you’d be investing again, bringing your costs to the same as before, or possibly more.

So, naturally, the question arises, “Why are dental implants so costly?” A lot of factors have to be worked into this question.

• Gold standard of treatment:

Smoking and consumption of other tobacco products can have a fatal effect on your body. Although the adverse effects of smoking on overall health have been reinforced time and again, not many are aware of the problems smoking can bring about in the oral cavity. The ill-effects of smoking on oral health are outlined below:

•  Armamentarium:

Dental implants are made of titanium, which once manufactired are packed to be completely sterile till they are placed in the mouth. The technology behing manufacturing such a device incurs a large amount of cost. Also a number of specialized instruments are required to accurately place the implant. Burs have to be routinely replaced as they tend to wear down and worn out burs can produce imperect results. As there are so many intricate components of ta dental implant armamentarium, which have to be adequately sterilised before each surgery, there are costs incurred.

• Increased incidence of gum diseases and tooth loss

Smoking can lead to gum diseases by interfering with the normal functioning of the gum tissue cells. It can also cause rapid progression of existing gum diseases by impeding with the oxygen circulation. This eventually causes depletion of the bone supporting the teeth and leads to tooth loss.

• Dental Surgeon:

The cost of a dental implant placement also depends on the surgeon’s expertise, the number of implants he has placed and the type of impants he has placed. An implantologist who has been practising for long, especially specialized implant procedures will be charging for his skill and expertise.

Although tooth decay is associated with the intake of sugar and poor oral hygiene, smoking is also considered to be one of the causes of tooth decay. Various studies have associated nicotine intake to the increase in growth of several caries-causing bacteria.

• Materials:

Just like any other surgical procedure there are a number of disposable materials like gloves, saline, doctor’s aprons, syringes etc which go into placing a dental implant. Since they are not reused, these essentials are purchased newly for patients every time.

• Additional procedures:

Quite often, additional procedures like bone graft placement, sinus lift or other procedures have to be performed when there is insufficient bone to place an implant. Since these are specialized procedures requiring specialized material and expertise to guarantee successful results, an higher initial investment seems worth it.

• Number of implants:

Depending on the prosthesis planned, the numbers of implants are decided. A dental implant can be loaded with a bridge too, which means more teeth than the number of implants, thus reducing the number of implants used.

While the placement of a single dental implant in the US can cost 1300 to 1500 USD, considering, the charges in India are much reasonable, thus making this procedure affordable to a larger number of people.

So, why not go in for something that will give you a lifetime of comfort, instead of postponing it for later, when degrading anatomical changes call for complicated procedures, which in turn are more expensive!

Think of it as your savings, something that is always worth it.