"Dental implant freedom" is not far away? Dental implants will be included in the centralized procurement! All you want to know is here

Expert of this article: Zhao Qiang, Chief Physician, Stomatology Center, Air Force General Hospital, Professor

As the saying goes, "Good teeth mean a good appetite, everything tastes delicious and you are in good health." It is very important to have a set of comfortable, durable and beautiful teeth.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has a simple "8020 principle" for the dental health of the elderly, which means that an 80-year-old should have at least 20 functional teeth (teeth that have bite function, can chew food normally, and are not loose).

However, not only the elderly have unfavorable oral conditions, young people also face the need for dental implants.

However, dental implants are too expensive. There is a saying in the market: "Getting a set of teeth is equivalent to buying a BMW"...

Recently, the National Healthcare Security Administration announced that it will launch a local centralized procurement alliance reform for dental implants and other consumables in the first half of this year. As soon as the news came out, it immediately became a hot topic, and it seemed that it was one step closer to "freedom of dental implants".

What is the price of dental implants? Why is there such a big difference? Today we will provide you with a lot of practical knowledge about dental implants, which will make you feel better after reading it.

01

Why are dental implants so expensive?

The price difference of dental implants is mainly affected by the following four aspects: the cost of dental implant materials, the technical services of medical staff, the comprehensive strength of medical institutions and the difficulty of implant surgery.

First of all, implants are high-tech products, and the factors affecting the price of implants mainly include: brand, quality of raw materials, product processing technology and quality (precision and testing system), etc.

The differences in the above factors have led to the emergence of dental implants with prices ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan on the market.

Consumption needs to be rational, and choosing mature brands with high market share is a rational consumption choice for ordinary people.

Secondly, the technical services of medical staff. The medical qualifications and clinical experience of the implant doctor are a major factor in determining the price of dental implants.

There is a big difference in the price of dental implants between a newly graduated general practitioner, a specialist who graduated from a well-known university with a degree in oral implants, and an implant expert with more than 10 years of clinical experience.

Third, the comprehensive strength of the medical institution, which is reflected in the medical institution's surgical equipment, disinfection equipment, anesthesia equipment, and restoration equipment.

During the implantation process, some special surgical instruments may be used, such as ultrasonic bone knives, bone squeezers, bone drills, and matching implantation tools. In addition, there are also gradually applied digital implant restoration technologies.

Finally, the difficulty of implant surgery.

Each patient has different teeth that need implant restoration, their own bone conditions, and surgical plans. For patients with good conditions, the operation is simple and the cost is low. However, for patients with very poor conditions, they need periodontal treatment before the operation, and bone grafting powder, covering membranes, etc. during the operation, so the cost is naturally high.

To sum up, the price of dental implants ranges from several thousand to tens of thousands. Price should not be the only consideration when choosing dental implants. It is recommended to choose a regular hospital or a qualified high-quality clinic for treatment.

02

What are the benefits of dental implants?

Are there any differences between various tooth restoration methods such as dental implants, porcelain teeth, removable dentures, etc.?

Compared with dental implants, traditional porcelain teeth and removable dentures show great disadvantages: damage to adjacent teeth and mucosa, foreign body sensation when worn, inconvenience in use, and poor chewing function.

With the rapid development of implant technology in recent years, except for a small number of people who cannot undergo dental implant surgery due to psychological factors and poor systemic factors, most common missing teeth can be repaired by dental implants.

First, let us understand its outstanding advantages:

1. Good stability and high chewing efficiency.

The implant is deeply embedded in the patient's alveolar bone, has strong retention and stability, and can perform chewing functions like real teeth. It is called "the third set of teeth of mankind" and its chewing efficiency is much better than other traditional dentures.

2. The appearance is realistic, beautiful, comfortable and hygienic.

The crown can be made according to the patient's facial shape and tooth morphology to achieve an overall coordinated and beautiful restoration effect.

3. No damage to healthy adjacent teeth and gums. There is no need to grind the healthy teeth next to the missing teeth, and the problems of gum atrophy caused by traditional dentures can be avoided as much as possible.

4. Dental implants have a long service life. With the continuous advancement of technology, according to current statistics, the 5-year survival rate of a single dental implant has reached more than 98%, and the 10-year survival rate has reached more than 95%.

03

How to implant teeth?

Dental implant is not just “digging a hole and sowing a seed” as people often think. It has a scientific and complicated process.

The steps are divided into: preoperative examination, primary surgery, secondary surgery, impression taking, tooth wearing and other steps. Depending on the different situations, 3 to 5 follow-up visits are required.

It takes 3 to 4 months from the surgery to finally wearing the tooth. If there is a bone defect at the implant site that requires bone grafting, the time from the implant surgery to wearing the tooth will need to be extended to more than 6 months.

At the same time, regular follow-up examinations are required after the completion of dental implants to ensure the long-term effects of use.

In the future, as people pursue higher quality of life and improve their awareness of health, dental implants will surely become a high-quality treatment method accepted by the general public.

04

What should I pay attention to when getting dental implants?

1. Before receiving dental implant restoration, you need to undergo a series of examinations to determine the systemic conditions (blood pressure, blood sugar, bone quality, long-term medication, smoking, etc.) and the conditions of the oral implant area.

Severe bone defects, poor occlusion or intermaxillary relationship, pathological changes in the jaws, pathological mucosal diseases, postoperative radiotherapy of the head and neck, Sjögren's syndrome, and uncontrolled periodontal disease need to be excluded.

2. Preoperative blood tests and X-rays are essential.

The location, number, gap size, and occlusal relationship of missing teeth also need to be carefully determined for each patient.

3. The most important thing is to evaluate the amount of available bone, bone density and the quality of soft tissue.

The indications for implant surgery are determined based on the patient's own condition to develop a personalized treatment plan.

We hope that through efforts from all sides

Lowering the price of dental implants

Let dental implants benefit the public as soon as possible

This is also our common expectation

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