A Surgical Case of a Male Patient in His 70s Restoring Healthy Eating Habits with Insurance-Covered Implants

서울오브치과병원 서울특별시 송파구 백제고분로 196 4층, 5층

Hello.

This is Seoul Eve Dental Hospital.

Today, we would like to introduce a case of a male patient in his 70s who had been inconvenienced by missing teeth and found eating and speaking much easier through insurance-covered implants.

Treatment period: February 10, 2025 – May 10, 2025

It hurts when chewing food, and my gums hurt

The patient had been living for a long time with broken and missing teeth in both upper sides.

He had been wearing a partial denture, but its retention was weak so it often came loose, and he said that his gums would be pressed and hurt every time he chewed food.

He developed the habit of chewing only on one side at every meal, which led to discomfort in the temporomandibular joint as well, and he visited us for full treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment plan:

As a result of the panoramic X-ray and oral examination, the alveolar bone condition was good, and it was possible to place insurance-covered implants.

✔️ Seoul Eve Dental Hospital explained in detail that if the patient is a National Health Insurance subscriber aged 65 or older, up to two mandibular implants can be covered by insurance.

The patient was very satisfied that the cost burden would be reduced and decided to proceed with surgery.

Treatment process

Treatment process

① Detailed diagnosis and surgical planning

– A 3D CT scan was used to precisely analyze the nerve position and bone density.

② Placement of 2 insurance-covered implants

– Under local anesthesia, two implants were placed in the mandibular molar area.

– The surgery took about 20 minutes, and it is a method that can be performed without significant burden even for elderly patients.

③ Waiting for implant osseointegration (about 2–3 months)

– During the osseointegration period, when the bone and implant firmly bond, we combined soft meals with oral hygiene management.

④ Prosthesis placement and completion

– After confirming osseointegration, we connected the abutments → placed the final prosthesis → adjusted the occlusion to finish.

Changes after treatment

Changes after treatment

✔️ Being able to chew evenly with both molars improved meal efficiency.

✔️ Temporomandibular joint pain was also greatly relieved, significantly improving overall quality of life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can anyone receive insurance-covered implants?

– If you are a National Health Insurance subscriber aged 65 or older, insurance coverage is available for up to two implants in the mandible over a lifetime. The out-of-pocket rate is about 30%. (Additional support may be available for recipients of basic livelihood assistance, etc.)

Q. Is surgery possible at an advanced age?

– Seoul Eve Dental Hospital has a system for checking overall health status and emergency surgery infrastructure, so elderly patients can undergo surgery safely.

Q. Isn’t post-surgery management difficult?

– We provide management through accurate explanations and regular checkups, and offer sufficient education so that elderly patients can manage it on their own.

Like this case, using insurance-covered implants makes it possible to receive prosthetic treatment with strong retention at an economical cost.

If dentures are uncomfortable or eating has become difficult due to gum pain, please receive a detailed diagnosis at Seoul Eve Dental Hospital.

Seoul Eve Dental Hospital is an S-class medical institution in Songpa-gu that can provide insurance treatment, advanced surgery, and digital diagnostics.

Through accurate diagnosis and skilled cooperative care, we will help provide the treatment that best fits each patient.

All photos used in this post are case photos from treatment at Seoul Eve Dental Hospital, and this post was published with the patient’s consent for the purpose of providing medical information.