Dentist Dilemna - Implant or bridge for missing tooth??
 

Anyone have oral surgery to replace a missing tooth?

I had a tooth (back molar) extracted 7+ years ago and recently went back to the dentist. They recommend I have an implant to fill the gap. This is a procedure where they drill a small hole in the bone of your jaw and put in a screw to support the new implant. Is this safe ? :eek:

the other option is to create a "bridge" with the adjacent tooths, which was described as more invasive.

Any more info from people who've had this procedure would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

implants take longer (months) and cost much more. But, they don't have to hack the two teeth that will be used for a bridge.

Upper or lower?

I'd say just brush the gap--if it was a molar, I don't see a need for a replacement. Seems like they wanna make some money off of you.

lower... the dentist did say the screw would have to heal for 6 months before the implant was put on top.

the tooth adjacent to the gap is starting to turn and pivot inward, but not by much...

I broached the same question to a periodontist friend of mine after I had a tooth pulled and the oral surgeon was recommending bone grafting and an implant. He laughed, opened his mouth and showed me the same gap I was sporting. So I've lived with the gap for the last 10 years with no problems.

Bridge ruins the two other teeth, they will need to be capped forever. Bridges (and crowns) trap more bacteria. Bridges most likely will need to be replaced after 10 years. Bridges costs around 2700 per pop now (you will most likely replace it at least once if not twice in a lifetime).

Implant costs approximately 4700 total (implant 1700, top tooth, 3000. I may go somewhere else for the top part, since that seems awfully expensive). It's good for life, it's like a tooth. It doesn't trap bacteria like a crown or bridge does. I would go implant.

About six weeks ago, I got the post for an implant. I need to wait 3 more months to get the tooth put on. I have a steel post sticking out of my jaw, but it's in bottom, so it's not noticed. Took about 3 weeks before all pain went away, but I'm glad I went this route.

That's true...if it's way in back.....

cool chick , as I told my dentist, it's not about the money. The insurance will cover most of the bills. It's about the best solution long term.

The only thing I'm afraid of is a screw in my bone causing a bone fracture. and that's not good. my dentist didn't mention anything about the crown trapping bacteria and that it may need to be replaced every 10 years. hmmmm...

it's the 3rd tooth from the back that is missing so it's not noticeable. The bone, in that area, however, has thinned a little bit...the dentist said sometimes if the bone is not wide enough to accept a screw, they implant kadaver (sp) bone to make it thicker.

anyway, thanks for the response. I have some time to think about it, and consult the oral surgeon.

I can attest to crowns having to be replaced. My wife has 3 of them and sure enough they are all 10 years old and she has had to have 2 of them replaced.

I'm seven years post implant, good decision on my part as it was a lower front tooth. My third go around with braces the tooth broke off when they were removing the fixed retainer, was a tad painful. I had to have it replaced as I receive some income from modeling work from time to time. The orthodontists paid for the implant entirely, however I pay to have it bleached from time to time to match my other teeth.

On a side note, my wife never knew I had a false tooth until I told her, the implant is flawless and seamless to my smile.

That's where my screw is (not counting the wisdom). I had the cadevar bone thing done as well. It's not that bad. I think the best solution longterm is the post. God, you're lucky your insurance covers most of it. Mine covers none.

yep, the insurance is through my wife's job, which will cover about 90% of the dental work. Although the oral surgery is under the medial insurance and not the dental part of it.

so how does it feel to have part of a dog bone in your mouth ? do you ever get the urge to bark, or roll over and play dead ? :)

JK

According to my oral surgeon, it's human bone. shudders.

That is why I did not have it done. I'm not going to risk viral exposure for cosmetics (and I didn't want to donate my own).

No virus is going to survive the processing that they put that thru. Now, if you have a broken tooth in that spot . . .then you should worry about germs.

You think and then there are prions.

i had two implants done recently because a bridge came loose, taking one of the supporting teeth off at the gumline. i was sweating the pain and suffering but the guy was good and i had absolutely zero pain. no throbbing, nothing. i got the first estimate from the guy my regular dentist uses and he said it needed a bone graft. something about the guy didn't click with me and i saw another guy who is a partner of a dentist customer that i respect. he said there was no need for a graft. so get another estimate maybe.

Get an implant if you can swing it financially. My old roomate is taking out a failed root canal tooth at the end of the month and putting an implant in on me. I wouldn't even consider a bridge, even though I do dozens every year. I have never had a patient regret having an implant placed simply because once it is done, it feels completely natural. A bridge is going to feel foreign to most since you can't floss around it, food gets trapped under it, and you have two addition crowns holding it in. Why do I still do them? Most patient't insurance will cover them and for many, that it all it takes to convince them. The actual dollar amount between an implant vs bridge is very close if you factor out insurances. Bone grafting is usually needed in areas that are relatively poor sites for the implant (Anterior teeth that need to look natural, posterior teeth that have surgical extractions, and maxillary teeth that have little bone below the sinus's to name a few.)

Those prices are very high, at least compared to Pittsburgh. I don't place the implants, but they generally run $1500-2000. The crown on top is usually $1000. Fly to Pittsburgh and save some money;)

$4700 can not be correct for 1 tooth implant. I am not a dentist
but I worked in the field closely with over 400 dentists for several years
and the going rate for 1 tooth in LA, including post, buildup and crown is
about $1500-2000. Try to get a specialist, prosthedontist to do the work
rather than a general dentist who took a few courses.

To give you an exampke, I got my ex girlfriend a deal on a molar implant for about $1400, and the
normal price was $1900 but I knew the guy.

PS implants are very safe and good ones can last over 20 years.