The background - about 15 years ago I had a root canal done. Last year the root canal went bad and I had it redone. About 6 months back the tooth became infected. I held out on it for as long as I could and had it removed about 2 months back.

I talked to my Dentist and I have the option of getting a bridge or an implant. He told me the implant is not covered by insurance and will cost $3500.

Since I thought $3500 was a ton of money for an implant with no guarantee that is will work (I am pretty sure I read that sometimes they fail) I did some shopping around for a better price and I think I found something but I wasn't sure about it

I live in NJ near Rutgers and the University of Medicine and Dentistry. I contacted them and they can do the implant for about $1600 (1/2 the price) which sounds pretty good to me. Has anybody else used UMDNJ for implants? Is there a big concern having them done by somebody that is still in dental school? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

The cost factor isn't the only thing you need to be concerned about with implants. It is the skill of the professional placing them. If you go to someone who does this everyday and has placed hundreds of successful implants then the chances of failure really reduces. If an implant fails all they have to do is remove it and replace it once the bone heals.

You must do your homework and ask for referrals of happy patients. Ask how long they have been placing implants and their sucess rate. You have the right to ask questions like this. You are not shopping for a car so you cannot compare prices. Sometimes you pay for their skill unfortunately. It is an investment in your smile for a life time.

Dr. Thomas Balshi founder of Prosthodontics Intermedica Dental Implant Center in Fort Washington, PA. Is my Doctor. I believe in them 100% They are mainly implant specialists.

Check with your insurance about the crown part of the implant. Many insurances do not pay for the part of the implant which goes into your jaw but the crown part which covers it is covered like any other crown you might get. It is only partial payment, but every $$ will help.

Implants have a success rate of about 98%. You should check which students are placing the implants whether its a pre doctoral or post doctoral student. The dental school in my area only allows the Periodontal and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Residents to place the implants. The pre doctoral students usually place the crown after the implant has healed.