Anybody have any experience with dental implants?  I'm going to have to make a decision on whether to have a dental implant to affix a bridge, or have a partial plate made.  Thoughts?

I don't have either but I would think with it only being a partial if the subject of dentures ever came up it might cause grief to have them removed.  Probably talking to your dentist would be a good thing or maybe consulting a peridontist to make sure your bone structure would handle the implants.  I just recently had a bone replaced in the front part of my mouth (not sure if it is considered part of the jaw or if there is another name for the bones around your teeth) and now am wearing braces - at the age of 42!  I'm beginning to think dentures would have been less painful than what I have went through in the last month - but hey I lost 10 lbs!

I have an implant, from a tooth that got damaged then essentially disintegrated.   It was quite painful, both during the implant process and after.  I had some soreness from it for 8 months to a year.  That was in 2003, and now I'm so glad I went with the implant!  They did attach a temporary tooth the same day the implant was inserted, so there was never a cosmetic issue.  The tooth portion just screws into the implanted socket.

The implant process itself consisted of removing the remainder of my tooth, then drilling a large enough hole into the bone in my upper jaw to insert the implant.  They had to re up my meds several times during the procedure, but did tell me that mine was extra lengthy (2 or so hours) because I had numerous tooth fragments to remove, rather than just a tooth to be pulled. 

I had to be exceptionally careful to eat soft foods for the first 6-8 weeks while the bone matrix grew around the the implant.  It's harder than you think!  I had a scare when, about 3-4 weeks after the surgery, I was eating crab salad - that I thought had all soft ingredients.  One small piece of celery hit at just the wrong angle, and I felt it jerk the implant.  Thankfully everything did heal normally though, and the soreness faded.  Now, when I go in for a cleaning, the dental techs cannot tell I have an implant without looking at x-rays.  It looks that natural.

If you go through with an implant, and I have nothing bad to say about them, just make sure you really take a lot of minerals (not just calcium) so that the bone grows in nice and strong.

Thanks for your comments!  The tooth that needs to be removed anchors a bridge.  Because it's infected, I don't know if they can do an implant right away.  I have to go to my dentist to have the bridge "resectioned" before the tooth is removed, so I will try to get more info from her then.  She did a phone conference with me earlier and basically told me to consult the oral surgeon about an implant, but I won't see him until the tooth is removed.  ..sigh.. 

I always heard that the ones the bridge are attached to eventually go bad too.  Don't know how true that is.  I never got the bridge  because I was pregnant and broke - we were 20 when we had DS.   He sucked everthing thing out of me and they broke off in peices.  I just had to do without so I don't give a toothy smile.

I was told I had to get braces to move one back that shifted forward before the implants or the one before and after the shifted spot will need filed down to look right cosmetically.   I've a missing spot, a tooth, 2 missing.

Everytime I have the cash to get it done some other disaster happens. That $6000 has been ready twice darn it!!  But I want the implants and have been told by my dentist that would be the better route to go.    Too bad I can't talk her into pulling the one that is causing me to need braces LOL. 

Please do let us know what happens.

I had to make this decision about 2 years ago after having problems with gum disease, teeth sensitivity and having a  baby tooth that fell out which caused my upper teeth start spreading .  I was so unhappy with my appearance, that I no longer smiled and dreaded occasions like teacher's conferences & social gatherings.  The denture route would have been the cheaper way to go but my vanity got the better of me so I have a permanent bridge on the entire front top of my mouth (6 teeth) anchored to implants.  I had to see the dentist for 2 sessions and each session was around 3 hours.  The first visit wasn't too bad, but the final one was brutal and I needed more than the usual amount of medication because I still keep feeliing pain.  I haven't had any problems with them yet, and am extremely happy with the results.   Insurance only picked up a small portion but I was lucky enough to find a dentist that didn't charge an arm and a leg.  Out of pocket, I had to put out around $2,000 - and I've been told that amount is very reasonable compared to the usual charge for that type of work.

The dentist doesn't think I'll be happy with a partial plate and recommends implants.  I have an appointment to go back to the oral surgeon in December to see if I have enough bone for implants.  He mentioned bone grafting if I don't, but I'm not so sure about that.  It sounds awful. 

Frankly, having these teeth removed has been bad enough.  Whatever happened to just pulling teeth?  This surgeon cuts and drills and snips and cuts and drills, and over and over.  When he's done I feel like I've been to h*ll and back.  Then the local anesthesia wears off and that's even worse. 

Bonnie,

Do you have dental insurance?  Ours pays half up to $4500, after that we're on our own.  Could you space it out over time, maybe do the uppers, then the lowers?  Did your surgeon's office offer any financing or point you toward financing?  Our surgeon has brochures in his reception area from dental financing companies.

Ill fitting dentures can cause TMJ, migraines and other problems.  Maybe your health insurance company could be talked into helping?

I hope you can work something out.  Keep us posted.

Hugs!!!

I think you should consult another dentist.  I don't know where you live, but $700 for the CT scan is over double what I just paid.

This is the price they quoted me:  $1500 for the first implant, $1300 if the second is done at the same time.  $1500 for the bridge to connect the implants.  It sounds like I don't have as much work to do since mine is lower right only.  Still....

Yes, make some calls.  You should be able to get quotes over the phone.  Let us know what you find out.

I just lost everything I typed!  I hate when that happens. 

So a short version: no, I've had to work, and had excuses, but just need more time to think about this. 

What about you?

I'm still trying to recover from the oral surgery last week.

Ann - as I mentioned in an earlier post I had a bone replaced in early August.  A friend at work recommended me to the dr her mom went to and he said we would have to do bone graphing.  He was talking about using cadavor (sp?) bones.  The thought of a dead person's bones in my mouth really grossed me out.  Luckily my family doctor referred me to someone else (who eventually was the one that did the surgery) and he used some sort of powder mix that imitates bone.  At my two week check up everything was great - I only used pain medicine for a few days.  The mom I mentioned early however has all sorts of problems with her cadavor bone replacement and is still having problems after 6 months.  I hope you and Bonnie all the luck - and relief - that you deserve.  I'm into the 2nd month of braces and glad that I am on the downside of all this.  I just keep thinking though "please don't let something happen and I have to go through the denture thing in a couple of years!"  I can't take any more - I'm ready to go buy the vampire halloween teeth and call it quits!LOL