Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) – Although they are reliable replacements for teeth that are already missing, dental implants are not always the best choice for diseased teeth, a new study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association indicates.

Instead, attempts to save the tooth with treatment, especially in cases of gum or periodontal disease, should sometimes be tried first, the lead researcher said. And although the study did not address expense, dental implants can be expensive, costing roughly $3,500 for the complete treatment.

"Preserving teeth by proper periodontal treatment and a careful and frequent maintenance program will probably give the same, and even better, results for the long run," said study co-author Dr. Liran Levin, an assistant professor of periodontology at the Israel Institute of Technology and a visiting assistant professor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston.

He reviewed 19 published studies that looked at either implant survival rates or tooth survival rates over at least 15 years.

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