Dental implants in Miami

Basically anyone, as long as they really need them, is a good candidate for dental implants. However, there are some cases in which the use of dental implants is not recommended (either temporarily or permanently), in which implants of one material are preferred over another, or in which special procedures are required. These cases are:

• People allergic to metals: There are people allergic to metals, or to certain metals. Among them, allergy to titanium is very rare, because it is a hypoallergenic material, thanks to its nobility and its widespread presence in the earth’s crust. In cases of contact allergy to titanium (which is the most common material in implants and abutments), the use of zirconium implants or other ceramic material is recommended.
• Diabetic people: People with diabetes have a longer process of osseointegration or integration of the implant to the bone, or even have a risk that the implant will not integrate. The dentist may advise against the use of implants in these cases and suggest the use of bridges or removable dentures.
• Pregnant women: In the case of pregnant women, dentists advise against the procedure of placing implants during pregnancy. It is not that the implant itself brings problems to the pregnancy, but rather that, in the event that the woman needs to take antibiotics or anti-inflammatories due to complications from the implant surgery, she will not be able to take them because they are contraindicated during pregnancy.
• Patients with very poor oral hygiene: The placement of permanent dental implants in the mouth requires hygiene. If the person is not used to normal dental hygiene, the presence of implants in the mouth can cause complications.
• People with little bone: There are people who have little maxillary or mandibular bone, or have it of poor quality so that the implants will not be able to have a correct hold. In these cases, the dentist may recommend bone tissue grafting, but this makes the treatment considerably more expensive. There is a new type of treatment called a transzygomatic implant, which is highly indicated for patients with little bone, thanks to the fact that the implant is inserted in the area of the cheekbone (zygomatic bone).
• People with certain diseases or medications: Diseases or medications that can interfere with healing or osseointegration are usually a reason to discourage the use of dental implants. The recommendation not to use implants will be temporary or permanent depending on the disease or medication involved.
• People who smoke: The chemical components that result from the inhalation of burned tobacco smoke prevent the correct osseointegration of dental implants. Smoking affects healing and can cause local infections. If the patient is unable to quit tobacco permanently, the dentist will recommend that they at least temporarily quit. The person who is going to have dental implants cannot smoke for at least two weeks before the operation, and for at least 2 months after the operation. After this, it may be a good time to quit smoking permanently, since this habit will probably be related to the loss of the tooth that led to the need to place implants.

Patients often wonder if dental plans or insurance cover dental implant procedures. To a large extent, this question is due to the fact that people know that it is not common for insurance to cover aesthetic procedures. However, it is not as frequent that people resort to dental implants for purely aesthetic reasons (or at least not as frequent as in the case of cosmetic veneers or teeth whitening treatments).

So the answer is that if you are going to have dental implants for cosmetic reasons, it may not be covered by insurance, and if it is for functional reasons, it may be covered by insurance. But since this is only a possibility, it is better that you consult your case with your insurer and with your dentist.

Many US states have enacted laws that prevent dental plans from necessarily covering dental implant procedures and other cosmetic dentistry. The truth is that, except for a few States (Indiana and Maine), the vast majority of States have enacted such laws, which are called Non-Covered Services, and seek to protect dentists’ fees. Florida is one of the states where these laws are in effect. However, as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, at Miami Perfect Smile we accept all insurance plans for orthodontic procedures for which our patients are covered. 

You will be able to learn valuable details on the subject of the Non-Covered Services laws in the US if you read an interesting publication of the National Association of Dental Plan, entitled What You need to know About “Non-Covered Services”. In the following map, taken from said publication on the official NADP website, you can see the US States that have approved said laws, those that have not approved them, those that are pending, and others.

One of the data that the mentioned publication comments, on is that dental implants and teeth whitening will be Non-Covered Services (services not covered by insurance) depending on the laws of the State in question. State and not federal laws will stipulate whether or not the dental plan allows negotiating discounts with the dentist on services of this type, whether the policy covers some treatments and not others, or to what extent a plan partially or totally covers a treatment expensive (in the case of dental implants, for example, it can be 50% of the price), or if the patient has already exceeded the allowed annual amount, etc.

The procedure itself does not hurt, since it is performed under local anesthesia. After placement, dental implants may cause normal minor pain or discomfort, but not for more than a short time, ranging from 1 week to 10 days.

It is completely normal that, after a surgical procedure such as the placement of implants (which will always be invasive to some extent), the patient may feel some postoperative discomfort or pain. This is an acute or short-term sensation. After some time, which will depend on each patient but which usually lasts a few weeks, the body finally assimilates the dental implants, covers them with bone thanks to the aforementioned osseointegration process, and any pain disappears.

However, if the pain recurs frequently, in the long term, and chronically, then the dentist should be notified. Chronic or recurring pain is not normal. This can occur when the implant has been inserted too close to the dental nerve, and the body causes infection and inflammation of the tissue around the implant (peri-implantitis), which can affect the alveolar nerve. If peri-implantitis occurs at the maxillary level, it can lead to chronic rhinitis or sinusitis due to the proximity of the facial sinuses. The solution for these problems is the administration of adequate antibiotics, but a previous diagnosis must be made by means of X-rays.

Other reasons for unusual pain related to dental implants may be: that the implant screw has become loose, that you are allergic to titanium without knowing it, that the dental implant is loose because the body has not generated the osseointegration tissue, and in a tiny percentage of cases, it may be that the body is not assimilating the implant. But, as we say, these are not normal pains. The normal thing is that dental implants do not give more than slight discomfort and minor pain for 7 or 10 days, after which, as comfortable as they are, you will not even remember that you are wearing them.