Metal Mouth Message Board

So I have been walking around excited because of the impending removal of my braces but recent dental visits and calls have stolen some of my excitement.

I have three visible missing teeth and both my ortho and my general dentist had wanted me to get evaluated for implants and/or bridges. I thought "cool, sure I'll listen to what they have to say as long as I've come this far". Well first off my ortho sent a referral to a periodontist and didn't even tell me about it. I called his office and my general dentist's and asked for treatment direction. Both seemed to suddenly be in a rush to have me get implants and both were suddenly treating my last 2 and a half years in braces as no big deal- in fact the attitude was sort of like 'and now the treatment can *begin*'. Hmph. Funny it feels like it started some time ago.

And insult to injury... the cost. Dear lord the cost. Now cost was one of the reasons I put off braces in the first place but a decent payment plan helped me finally achieve that goal. The braces were approximately $5500. The periodontist quoted me, for TWO implants, $6500. And of course that doesn't include the teeth themselves, the crowns. THAT would be an additional $2800 from my general dentist.

Now way no how I can afford that right now. So my next question was about bridges. Of course I have no dental insurance so no break there. The bridge for the gap where I'm missing two teeth would be approximately $3000. Better? Sure. But STILL not within my range right now.

I asked the ortho's office if the retainer would hold the gap open enough for me to weigh options in the future and I got a noncommittal answer of 'well perhaps you can buy these false teeth that can be attached to the retainer and which would work like partial dentures. These supposedly are $50 each.

I'm tired (from having a newborn and a 21 month old) and have little capacity for thinking things through. All I know is that its depressing to suddenly have the same dental folk who encouraged me all the way through this process to suddenly take an attitude like I'm crazy for not being able to afford these implants. Frankly I'd be content to just spend some time with my 'new' teeth. Am I ridiculous for wanting this to be good enough for now?

sigh.

Thanks KK.

I will talk to them and will probably get 'falsies' ( ) but it still made for a depressing week. Its as if everyone agreed to implants ASAP except for... me!

I can understand why you want a break right now. Take your time.

yup, that is a bummer, sorry to hear.
i would not recommend a bridge; I had one (it was removed when I got braces to allow the teeth to move) and had I known the process involved shaving down the two teeth next to the missing one; i would NEVER had done it .
Don't they have a payment plan for the implants?

Bummer to hear the situation... now as for implants before treatment for me began I was given the option of the implants at get this "$1,000" per tooth. I had four extractions meaning I would have four implants at a cost of "$4,000" now that was just for the implant. Now for the sedation and the work to put these implants in....

HELL NO I won't pay "$5,000" plus cost of implants going in "$4,000" I know my teeth are important to me but not for $9,000 I hope things work out for you. Oh not to mention I have dental coverage and they tell me dental coverage doesn't cover implants... Whatever you damn lieing dentist of mine who I no longer go to as of 3 years ago

~Tim~

Hi, sorry that things haven't gone to plan right now.

I have a large gap plus an impending gap (tooth might be lost) and I nearly fell off my chair when my ortho told me how much 2 implants would cost. Approx. £2000 each plus there is no guarantee that i would be suitable because my gum disease might not have left me with enough bone. Given the cost and the fact that the gap is at the back so can't be seen I doubt I will go this route. Bridges are considerably cheaper but they have to file down the teeth either side to get the bridge to fit and I don't like the idea of that either.

I hope it all works out for you.

Here's a warning on the flippers. I have two spots where I am missing teeth (baby teeth with no permanent teeth behind them). I got my braces to make room for the implants - my teeth had shifted during the 40 years (!) after one of the baby teeth was pulled.

Everything went fine with my braces. I had a Hawley with two flipper teeth on it to hold the space. Then I started thinking "I could live with this longer term - my retainer will hold my teeth in place" until one of the flippers came off the retainer less than a week after I got the retainer. If anything could convince me that the flipper/retainer option wasn't viable long term, the flipper coming off did!

So, I can't offer many alternatives to what you have already heard, just a warning about flippers.

Sorry that this happened to you, I also had to take 4 molars out, my ortho told me that one of them wasn't going to close the gap entirely, and that most likely I would need an implant, I am just glad he told me all this before he started any work, just think that you already paid so much to have you teeth nice and you might just want to wear the falsies while you save some money

I lack one lower second molar on my right side. The upper second molar is a "barrel" filled with composite and waiting for to be crowned.

I need an implant and a crown. I dont have money for that, yet.
I am planning to check prices in other countries. You can get work done in half a price.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I'll post more later but I'm still frustrated with the attitude I suddenly seem to be getting from these dentist's offices. For the time being though I'm going with the retainer with the 'flips' (I guess that's the term) in them to hold the spaces open until such time as I can afford further treatment.

Well this is the week- four days left to go.

I had a couple of more annoying telephone conversations with my ortho's office in which they attempted to make me feel as if I was some sort of idiot for not being able to afford this 'next phase of treatment' (implants) and acting as if I had breached some sort of sacred vow with them. Whatever.

So we worked out that I'll have the retainer with the teeth attached and wear it until such time as something better comes along. I had to go pick the teeth up myself (!) from a local lab that crafts them so the new teeth are waiting in a baggie in the kitchen. Heh. I'll give the ortho the teeth when I go in for the removal and they'll supposed be attached when I come in later for the retainer fitting.

Well in less than eight hours I begin the de-banding! Da-da-duhhhhh!!!!

I'll post after pics as soon as I can, but to remind everyone what an amazing change its been here's the old set I haven't updated in awhile:

And here's some more recent ones:

10/17/2007



11/14/2007

Holy cow that's some impressive work. I do hope something works out positive concerning the implants. I would suggest doing some research. I might travel to a teaching hospital for mine as the price is much less than local. Its still expensive but I'm hopeful they'll come down with increased competition.

Mike

Thanks!

Mike- I will probably check into teaching hospitals around here. The teeth on the retainers are merely a stop-gap (pun intended!) and I do hope to be able to do something more permanent asap.

(and sorry about the HUGE pics!)