My first two implants were from Columbia Dental School around 1995/6. Both of them are still in, totally fine. The crowns were from there, too. Columbia Dental School is in Manhattan, part of Columbia Presbyterian, and the students who do the surgery and make the crowns were all graduated from dental school and then specializing in the specific thing (i.e. endodonty, etc.). At the time, the cost was $700 for the surgery and 700 for the crown.
The third implant was from a regular periodontist and that was like 1800 for the implant, 1800 for the crown and 500 additional for a mouth scan from an x-ray place.
If you have a really good dental school around, I wouldn’t hesitate to go to it. The issue with going to the dental school is that it takes multiple visits, which for me meant getting a ride down to NYC – a bit of a hassle but definitely do-able. With the third implant from the regular dentist, it takes less visits. If you have the time but not the money, the dental school is a good alternative.
Also at the dental school, 25 years ago, I had a defect filled, which is a bone loss, that was between my back two teeth on the bottom. They fill it with cadaver bone, and then it (hopefully) solidifies) and it’s just like your own jawbone. That was included with the 700 for the implant.
I always recommend implants. For me, they’re great – as someone said above – just regular teeth, eat what you want, they don’t rot, no taking them out, no dealing with teeth shifting around in your head. Once you’re done with the hassle and the cost, you never have to think about them. The downside is the cost, as you know.