Anyone have a dental implant?

[TKay]

I had a little emergency oral surgery on Thursday. Long story short, I had to have a tooth pulled and prepared for a tooth implant. All of this was completely unexpected and I'm now freaked out about it. The cost? $4000. There goes any home improvements we had planned for summer. :(
Anyway, I'm curious as to the experiences others have had. I don't do well with dental anything. In fact, for years now, I've taken Xanax just to get my teeth cleaned. I was doing much better until I read about the implant process and how they have to grind and push and....:eek: I'll learn more on Monday when I go in for my follow-up appointment (and stitches removal, I think). But I'd love to hear about what others have had done and how much they've paid.
TIA.

[blazedog]

I have an implant -- I think the cost varies depending on how many roots are needed -- a molar has three roots so it's the most expensive -- and of course there is the cost of the "crown" that goes on top of the implant.

I had mine done about 10 years ago so I don't know if the cost would be valid but $4000 with the crown doesn't seem that excessive. You could probably check the price in your area fairly easily but at a certain point one wants to opt for skill over price -- i.e. I would want to go to a surgeon recommended by my dentist or other very trustworthy person.

As to the procedure, I am pretty stoic regarding dental work because what is the alternative -- I never opt for anything but local because why bother -- I just zone myself out of the experience but I think you can have more stuff. With my surgeon, it would have been more expensive of course which is an excellent justification for stoicism.

The noise is unpleasant in the same way as having a tooth drilled is unpleasant -- I used a cassette player (dark ages prior to iPOD's.:D ) It didn't hurt during the procedure and it wasn't particularly painful or uncomfortable as it healed -- I had no complications or infections.

As for the actual implant, it is fantastic -- I am absolutely unaware of it being there.

[sneezles]

I had one done years ago and we had dental insurance at the time. I've no idea of the cost. The procedure was no worse than a root canal. Though part of it was a little unsettling, it didn't last too long. I don't mind dental work so I might not be the one to give you details.


BTA: I just read the synopsis over at Wikipedia and seems the procedure has changed, for the better. AFWIW, I used all available drugs as I see no reason to be stoic when they're drilling and other stuff in my mouth. ;)

[wallycat]

We had dental insurance when DH needed an implant.
Insurance considered it "cosmetic" because he could have had a bridge (which I thought was stupid in terms of cost/benefit).
I think we spent between 3500 and 4000....never wanted to add it all up and get freaked out :eek: :)

In terms of the procedure: It was all fairly uneventful. Of course, I have a DH that doesn't complain about anything so I wouldn't know if it was bad :o .

[tea4one]

I am going to watch this thread as I am interested in this because I have had dentures for years and woukld like to do this instead because the dentures are such a pain.
I think I do remember being told that it takes about 3 months before your completely done with the procedure.

[JHaris]

The cost seems to be the going rate. I had 3 on the lower left put in. It was that or a partial denture and I just didn't want to go that route. The oral surgeon was a good one and I felt very little discomfort because I was slightly sedated. I could "talk" and hear him talking to me asking how I was doing, etc. which was very reassuring. It has been about 7 years now and for an occasional sensitivity of the gum area when I am not being diligent about using the water pik around the edge of the crowns and bridge, everything has been great. I recommend having implants even though there is a big expense. Don't forget you are chewing everyday and not to have dental problems certainly helps with quality of life.

I was back at work the next day and there was only a slight swelling. Most of my co-workers didn't even realize I had had any work done. Putting in the posts is the first step. You wait for healing then a temporary crown and then the final crown. The time mentioned by tea4one is about right. Amazing what can be done in this age and time. I remember 40 years ago, DH's neice who was 17 at the time, was allowed to visit us from Hungary. She only had the top and bottom front teeth. Dentists then and there only pulled if there was a problem with a tooth.

[Debralynn]

You should have been given some options, not just a $4000 bill.
You could opt for a partial, a bridge (several types available), or do nothing at all. Since it was an emergency and the tooth was pulled, what else did they do to prepare the area for an implant? Usually the extraction site needs to heal before the are can be prepared for an implant. Very interested to see if you were given any CHOICES ! Sorry to hear about your bad experiences with dentists and need for meds. Debbie

[JackieO]

You should have been given some options, not just a $4000 bill.
Debbie

Exactly! Three years ago, DH cracked a tooth with lots of fillings (by biting into frozen leftover Halloween candy! :eek: ) Our "friendly, compassionate neighborhood dentist" told him an implant was his best choice. We had good dental insurance at the time that covered at least half of it, but we were left with a $1400+ bill at the end of the day and it took at least a year before the process was finished.

Five years earlier, I lost about half a molar that was mostly fillings just by chewing gum -- my dentist filed down what was left of the tooth and gave me a crown for $500.

I don't have the slightest clue about what's involved with a simple crown vs. an implant, but I wouldn't take the implant option first thing out of the chute. Ask some questions, get a second opinion. If your tooth is already extracted, however, the options are probably limited.

Good luck.

[Gumbeaux]

A few years ago I had a tooth pulled and the dentist used a fixed bridge. I wish I had an implant instead. If you have a bridge installed, the dentist will grind down perfectly good teeth on each side of the missing tooth to anchor the bridge. So you are basically destroying two good teeth to cover the gap. I don't like the bridge at all. It doesn't feel natural in my mouth and food pours in underneath the bridge when I eat and gets trapped there and is hard to remove.

If I ever have another tooth pulled it is going to be replaced by an implant no matter what the cost is.

[JackieO]

This thread has convinced me that I have pursued the right path since gaining decent dental insurance three years ago that covers 50% of restorative work, up to two crowns each year.

I'm 50 and grew up in the sticks with well water and no flouride treatments. Braces twice because of impacted teeth, and lots of cavities when they were removed. Based on my current dental insurance, I have proceeded with having two teeth each year for the last three years crowned. Not fun, but an investment that I think will pay off in the long term.

I marvel that my son (17 y/o) has yet to experience a cavity. My nieces, who are late 30s have never had fillings, either. What a joy.

Flouride in the water is NOT a communist plot!

[blazedog]

The only disadvantage to a transplant is cost -- it essentially gives one back a "real" tooth with all the advantages of a real tooth.

As Gumbeaux points out, the alternative to a transplant is a bridge -- or a hole.:eek: A permanent bridge can create additional dental complications as well as just not looking and feeling the same.

[sneezles]

I marvel that my son (17 y/o) has yet to experience a cavity. My nieces, who are late 30s have never had fillings, either. What a joy.

Flouride in the water is NOT a communist plot!

All my DSs had fluoride "painted" on their molars and have never had a cavity. My oldest is 26. Even the family dentist who has taken care of us for 25 years marvels at that fact!:)

[TKay]

You should have been given some options, not just a $4000 bill.
You could opt for a partial, a bridge (several types available), or do nothing at all. Since it was an emergency and the tooth was pulled, what else did they do to prepare the area for an implant? Usually the extraction site needs to heal before the are can be prepared for an implant. Very interested to see if you were given any CHOICES ! Sorry to hear about your bad experiences with dentists and need for meds. Debbie

I actually was given choices. The impant is the option I chose. Sorry that I didn't mention that. The dentist told me I could have a bridge, but I opted for the implant because of the disadvantages mentioned by Gumbeaux. The price was only a few hundred dollars less anyway. What I do feel dumb about is that I didn't put off the extraction. I went to the dentist, he told me he needed to pull it and I just let him. I was so overwhelmed, I felt like I didn't have a choice. THAT's the part I think I should have been more cautious about. I guess I can't worry about that now.
Thanks so much for all your replies and information. I'm not looking forward to the procedure at all. I guess I won't be having anything else done until this hole in my mouth heals, so that's good news. I suppose I'll probably just get my stitches removed today and then see what he says.
The good news is my mouth seems to be healing nicely. I did take pain pills for the first 24 hours but have been fine since then. I'm also on antibiotics and my sinuses are feeling better.
Thanks again for your support. I'll keep you posted as I learn more.

[CompassRose]

Fluoride in the water is not a communist plot.
All my DSs had fluoride "painted" on their molars and have never had a cavity. My oldest is 26. Even the family dentist who has taken care of us for 25 years marvels at that fact!:)
Eh. It may help, but it's all genetics. My brothers have my father's teeth; I think my older younger brother has one cavity (and for years, he existed on sugary pop).

My sister and I, who inherited my mother's weak teeth, probably have about forty percent of our original teeth left, including a couple of crowns apiece.

My dad just got a couple of implants (he lost some teeth in a bike accident). I know it sounds icky, but I can't imagine it would be any worse than the root canal and crown I had... which was just a matter of lying there for HOURS while the dentist worked with my jaws wide open.

Of course, I've been getting major dental work since I was six years old, and it really doesn't bother me.

[Middydd]

What I do feel dumb about is that I didn't put off the extraction. I went to the dentist, he told me he needed to pull it and I just let him.

Just curious, what was the original problem with the tooth that it needed to be pulled?

[sneezles]

Eh. It may help, but it's all genetics. My brothers have my father's teeth; I think my older younger brother has one cavity (and for years, he existed on sugary pop).

My sister and I, who inherited my mother's weak teeth, probably have about forty percent of our original teeth left, including a couple of crowns apiece.

My dad just got a couple of implants (he lost some teeth in a bike accident). I know it sounds icky, but I can't imagine it would be any worse than the root canal and crown I had... which was just a matter of lying there for HOURS while the dentist worked with my jaws wide open.

Of course, I've been getting major dental work since I was six years old, and it really doesn't bother me.

May be genetics except for the fact that neither DH or I have particularly good teeth (I have 4 crowns and should have 2 more but I'm a grinder) and my mother had dentures (uppers) by the time she was 35 (got the lowers in her 50's.

The worst part of the implant was when the gums had to be burned away. Had a metal plate placed behind my back that was attached with a long wire to the floor so I was grounded. The smell was not very nice...no pain though!

[TKay]

Just curious, what was the original problem with the tooth that it needed to be pulled?

It had had a route canal and crown in the past. Then I had braces about two years ago. (The dentist told me a tooth can only take so much.) The tooth got infected and I had no idea. It has bothered me without me realizing what the problem was. The gum had been receding and I just assumed I had something stuck in there--like a popcorn kernel. It started to affect my sinuses but I STILL didn't realize it was a big problem. Thursday morning I woke to find an absess on my gums. Duh. Finally I thought I better get myself to the dentist. It was badly infected, all the way up into my sinuses.
Now, I can't really say more specifically than that what the problem was. This guy is a new dentist for me and he kept asking, when was the last time you saw a dentist? I'd had my teeth cleaned in February and this guy was shocked that my previous dentist didn't catch the problem. So I think it's been there, festering, and I just didn't realize. I'm not sure if there's any recourse with my previous dentist--or if it's even worth persuing. I've changed insurance (that's why I have a new dentist), so I'm not completely clear on what I can do. I've done no research into it as yet.

[TKay]

Almost a year later, I am done with this process. I got the tooth put in today. Hooray! It looks exactly like my other teeth and I am so relieved it's over. I gotta admit, the whole process was easier than I'd expected. Costly, but not all that painful. As the appointments proceeded, I got more and more used to things and my fears eased up a bit. Of course, I did need to be gassed for the post implant, but hey, I'm only human.

Now to finish paying for the darn thing.

[Kristena]

Glad to hear that your procedure went well! I'm looking forward to having 2 implants done this summer. Two of my front teeth have abnormally short roots and will eventually fall out. Or as my dentist said, "I'd take care of those before you spit them out at a soccer game one day." Ok! That did it for me. Unfortunately mine won't be covered by insurance (well, a few hundred will) and I'm looking at a total bill of about 5500.

[Angelina]

Almost a year later, I am done with this process. I got the tooth put in today. Hooray! It looks exactly like my other teeth and I am so relieved it's over. I gotta admit, the whole process was easier than I'd expected. Costly, but not all that painful. As the appointments proceeded, I got more and more used to things and my fears eased up a bit. Of course, I did need to be gassed for the post implant, but hey, I'm only human.

Now to finish paying for the darn thing.

It takes a whole year to get the implant ready?? Wow! I got a tooth pulled yesterday, and the dentist told me he wants to put an implant...I will talk with him when I see him again, because if it is that expensive I don't think I can handle it. It's a tooth in the back and I would prefer a different option.

On the other hand, I have a tooth near the front that needs to be fixed, and I might consider an implant there.

Do you guys have really good dental insurances? I have never heard of one that would cover more than $2,000.00 at the most! :eek:

I wish I could get a better one...