Are titanium implants worth the cost? What can go wrong?
Are they worth the cost? It depends on whether any benefits they yield are commensurate with their increased cost over more conventional approaches to tooth replacement. In situations where the time-tested approaches are likely to provide satisfactory results, we will generally guide patients in that direction. This is a personal philosophy; you’ll hear others. We think some of the arguments used to advocate superiority of implants are specious and show a lack of ability on the part of the dentist to take the perspective of the patient. For instance, here’s one: “a single tooth implant is better and more conservative than a conventional 3-unit fixed bridge. Why drill down two perfectly good teeth if you can do an implant?” Well here’s our answer: “Tell us what’s conservative about cutting out a chunk of bone from the jaw?” In our experience, patients always dig their fingernails into the upholstery when we use the term “surgery”. That’s not to say that implants don’t present options in
