Dental Implants?

[Dakota Rose]

I had an abscessed upper molar back in April and under normal conditions (not being pregnant) the dentist would have pushed to do an implant right away. But I get to wait until the end of July to make the decision. I just don't know. Besides being ridiculously expensive, I'm really nervous about the potential complications. My DGM had a few implants 13 years ago and the complications basically led to her death. I know I'm not 77 like she was, and I know the technology is much more advanced than it was. But it is still in the back of my mind. I'm really thinking of just skipping it all together. You can't see the gap when I talk, smile or even laugh.

So, anyone have implant advice? Don't worry about scaring me.

[drummerboy]

I have one toward the back of my lower jaw and DW has a couple. Part of the success probably depends on how strong your jawbone is and part depends on how competent the dentist is. Both of ours have done very well so far (after several years).

The healing process takes a while, as with any other surrgery, and you have to follow whatever regimen the dentist says to keep it healthy. Every time I floss, I have to run the floss around the post at the base of the tooth (sounds icky, but I got used to it).

In my case, I had to wait quite a while to get the implant because the tooth that had to be pulled didn't want to go, and they really had to dig to get it out. On the other hand, that meant that I had really tough jawbones.

[DizNee143]

im in the process of getting one right now..
i decided to go with an implant..instead of a bridge or crown or whatever else was avaible for me to do...everyone kept telling me implant would be best..so thats what im doing..in february i got the screw put into my jaw (sounds great dont it?..lol)..and i actually just went for a check up on tuesday..everything is going good..and they are gonna start on the actual tooth next month!!! i cant wait..its a front k9 tooth..so ill be able to have a full smile again!! i wont look like a hillbilly anymore!!!
but so far everything is good with the implant..and i just hope it continues to go that way..

[Dakota Rose]

Thanks for the replies. :) I know I don't want a bridge or the other thing, but I can't shake the nervous feeling about the implant. We'll see...

[meldan98]

Thanks to a Mickey Ice Cream bar, my DH is trying to make the same decision. It's his front tooth though, so it a really tough decision. It is so expensive. Right now, we think we are going to do it, but will wait until the open enrollment period so that we can get double coverage, and hopefully decrease our out of pocket expenses.

[Dakota Rose]

That's the other problem. We don't have dental insurance. If DH gets this new job, then we will have dental coverage. But I was told that a lot of insurance companies won't pay for implants. Anybody know about this?

[drummerboy]

We had to pay for ours out of our own pockets. Some dentists will let you do a payment plan because it is so expensive.

[DizNee143]

most of the time an implant is considered cosmetic and we all know most insurances dont pay for that..so thats why you usually have to pay out of pocket..
if you can get your dentist/oral surgeon to say you need it for medical reasons your insurance should pay it..
but i guess i got lucky..i have dental insurance..and plus my mom works for my dentist and knows the oral surgeon real well from working with our dentist...and all i have to pay was 200 bucks out of pocket!!! :D
plus my oral surgeon picks up the rest as long as your medical insurance and/or dental insurance covers at least 80%..they pick up the rest!!
oh ya thats another thing..they took my regular insurance also since it was surgery..so it wasnt all dental..

[Dakota Rose]

good to know. we don't even have dental coverage right now. but i probably won't do the implant until next spring. too much going on right now with a baby coming and all that.

did any of you have to have a bone graft first?

[tinklover]

My DBF just went to teh dentist yesterday about a bad tooth and he is getting it pulled on monday. the dentist talked to him about an implant or a bridge due to the fact that when the tooth is gone his molar under it on teh bottom will start to raise up to meet the missing tooth so he suggested teh implant or bridge so that ther eis a tooth there to keep the bottom molar still. if that makes any sence it can be considered medical if you look at it that way.

[azdisneymom]

Dakota Rose - My heart goes out to you. I can understand you being hesitant after losing your DGM. Dental procedures have improved so much making them easier on the patient and safer. My supervisor's 18 yr DD had 2 implants 1 year ago without any complications.

As for not having dental insurance. Implants are expensive. Have you ever looked into being a patient at a dental school. My daughter is currently being seen at one and we are very pleased. The fee is about 40-50% less.
It is an option.

[Dakota Rose]

Good advice azdisneymom! I'll check into dental schools. I don't think there are any up here, but who knows.

I had to have another tooth removed on Thursday. Evidently pregnancy makes teeth susceptible to problems. And I had had problems with these 2 teeth for many years, so I guess they finally had enough of my grinding and ice-chewing. So now I'm looking at two implants. *sigh*

What about bone grafts? Anyone have that done before the implant?

[DizNee143]

bone graft -
i think i had it..lol..im sorry im not to sure..i know when i finally had the tooth taken out..he put some 'stuff' in the whole to get the bone to grow or something...and then put packing in and stitched it all up...so i think thats bone graft but im not to sure..i know...i then had to get special xrays done..its a loooong process..but its worth it..i cant wait to have a full smile again!!! :D

[LauraF]

I had mine done about 18 months ago and I love them and had no complications. :cool: I had an autologous bone graft at the time too. I was missing these teeth since birth and after YEARS of braces to close all the spaces between the remaining teeth, I got implants. Best decision for my oral health I ever made.

I had two done on the top of my mouth very near the front. It was very smooth, much more so than I expected. Since bone loss had occured over the years without teeth there, the dentist made a small cut elsewhere in my jaw to get the bone they needed. It didn't hurt at all - I only knew it was there afterwards because of the extra stitches.

Success does depend where the implant is placed - those in the front of the mouth and upper jaw tend to do better according to my dentist.

The total cost for the two teeth was about $7500, and my insurance covered $2500. I paid for the rest via a tax-free medical savings account. It was a bit of a pocket pinch but worth it in the long run. My dentist offered me a payment plan, but the FSA was the better way to go.

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about it further. Good luck with it all!

[Dakota Rose]

Thanks guys. I appreciate all the feedback. Honestly, I don't know if we can make a $7500investment in my mouth. Time will tell...

[LauraF]

Check to find out - $7500 was what it cost me. Your cost might be different . . . hopefully lower.

My dental insurance paid for some of it , but I had also talked to my medical insurance company to get them to help foot the bill. I phrased it in terms of "medically necessary procedure" and "excellent oral health has been shown to reduce other diseases" and with my dentist to back me up, they magically coughed up some money to help with non-covered surgical costs.

[tennantsrwe]

Let me premise my post by saying I am a Certified Oral Surgery Assistant and have a bit more knowledge than just the average person when it comes to all aspects of Dentistry. Dental Implants can be a great thing...depending on the situation. My mother has some and they have been such a blessing for her. I don't know your case personally but from my experience you have the following options:

1)Do nothing. With it being a rear molar it isn't noticable to the untrained eye. However, over time the opposing tooth will start to super (over) erupt to compensate for the whole left from the extraction. This could cause the lower tooth directly under the space to have exposed roots & decay. There is no telling how long this might take to happen, but it will eventually happen.

2)Partiral Plate. These are a less expensive and removable option to implants. They anchor to your surrounding teeth...much like a retainer...and have a false molar on them. These, too, can be a good option but they do require proper care...and they are not permanent.

3)Bridge. If the space is inbetween 2 healthy teeth they dentist can affix a bridge over the gap. It's more permanent than the partial b/c it is cemented in. Again, proper care is required for these as well.

4)Get the impant. Yes it is expensive and their are complications....most insurances do not cover the cost...fyi. And you need to make sure the quote your given is for both the IMPLANT AND THE CROWN (tooth.)If you're looking for a more permanent fix than this is the best option. We did many implants at the practice I worked for and the success rate was very high. Granted it is a case by case situation.

Whatever you choose you need to get a second opinion...be it from another General Dentist or an Oral Surgeon. Make an informed decision based on your personal needs....good luck!

[Jasper]

As Tennantsrwe mentioned there are a number of bad things that can happen if you don't do something about the missing tooth. So I hope that you are trying to decided between the implants and a bridge (or whatever else they might suggest) and not between the implant and nothing at all. While I am not a dental professional I am someone who choose not do to something about two different molars that I had taken out several years ago and am now regretting that choice so please choose to do SOMETHING!!

Having said that I can also say that my Mother and a Sister-in-Law each have a couple of implants apiece and are VERY happy with them. There is no question that the technology is much improved in more recent years and since it is so common there are far more dentists and oral surgeons that have performed lots of implants. I do know from watching my Mother and SiL that it is certainly painful but just like any other surgical procedure the pain is just temporary and the results are well worth the pain!

As a former Human Resource Professional who spent a lot of time dealing with insurance issues I would definitely suggest that you contact your insurance provider and get a pre-determination of benefits before you make up your mind as to whether you can afford the procedure or not. A pre-determination of benefits allows the insurance provider the opportunity to contact your health care professional and determine exactly what would be done and then they will provide you with a written statement as to what is or is not covered and how much you would pay out of pocket and how much they would pay, etc. That is also nice to show to your dentist or oral surgeon so they know they will get paid.

[azdisneymom]

Thanks guys. I appreciate all the feedback. Honestly, I don't know if we can make a $7500investment in my mouth. Time will tell...

At the risk of being pushy...You are worth the investment. Take care of yourself. If you would like to pm me I can share a bit of our experience at a dental school. :blush:

[Dakota Rose]

Worth it I may very well be, and certainly am. But to keep things in perspective, I'm a SAHM and my DH is self-employed. This means we have bare bones medical insurance for which we pay our premiums and our deductible is
$10k/year before they pay a penny.

And honestly, even if I had 10 grand laying around, I don't know that I'd spend it this way. I have a terribly real fear that I'll have serious complications. Not just pain, pain doesn't scare me.

So I just don't know. I wish I could just have more time to make a decision. My dentist wants me to have the bone grafts within weeks of my daughter's birth and the implants within 3 months of that. Sounds like a summer of surgeries beginning with a c-section. If I could stretch it out a bit more that would be good.

I do appreciate all the feedback. DH's aunt is a retired periodontist and we've discussed it ad nauseum, I'm just not convinced.

[azdisneymom]

Please accept my sincerely apologies. I guess I came across a bit condecending and I really didn't mean to. However, I did cross the line from being helpful to being inconsiderate.

I will be more mindful of my words in the future.