$1500 for dental work

[frank]

200k for implants. they must be a cash cow. why do people in that situation not use dentures, instead of all implants? its been done for years.

[scrabbler1]

Insurance paid for 50% of the cost of my crowns, so it paid for $500-$600 for each one.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamaman In that case, they'd do 4 implants and screw false teeth plates into the implants to hold'em solid.

While waiting to see my doc the other day, I watched a film being played showing this procedure. Looked like a more cost effective way to replace teeth when doing all at once. But for people who are having implants done for a broken tooth here and there over a period of years, it's going to add up. It's just going to depend on the situation.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank 200k for implants. they must be a cash cow. why do people in that situation not use dentures, instead of all implants? its been done for years.

If they're done all at once they're more like $30-$40k. Mine ran $5k each but I still have most of my own teeth.

Why implants? My understanding is that when you get dentures the jawbone shrinks over time because it's not stimulated by the chewing action of natural teeth. So, you need new dentures every once in awhile and the narrower the jawbone, the harder it is to fit them well. Hence the clacking you hear when people with ill-fitting dentures talk. It also can limit what you eat- the dentist who did mine had a friend who couldn't eat a hot dog on a bun at a baseball game. He said the implants changed his life.

Remember, too, that fresh, crunchy fruits and vegetables are out if your dentures don't fit- so then there's the impact on nutrition.

[euro]

If you live near a university with a dental school, consider signing up for services there - you can get pretty significant cost savings. Downside is that the appointments/procedures tend to take a little longer because the work is extremely thoroughly supervised and double/triple checked.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by euro If you live near a university with a dental school, consider signing up for services there - you can get pretty significant cost savings. Downside is that the appointments/procedures tend to take a little longer because the work is extremely thoroughly supervised and double/triple checked.

A friend needed major work. I pointed her to the dental college and she was amazed at the cost. Everything she needed at a fraction of the cost. She even went to this guy's state boards for him. Thinking she gets discounts for life.

[braumeister]

Coincidentally, there was a bit in the WSJ today that included a startling (to me) statistic: 25% of the US population over age 60 have lost all their teeth.

Makes you realize how important it is to take good care of your mouth.

[folivier]

Dare I even say it? Mexico!

[gerntz]

I thought Costa Rica was the place.

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by athena53 If they're done all at once they're more like $30-$40k. Mine ran $5k each but I still have most of my own teeth. Why implants? My understanding is that when you get dentures the jawbone shrinks over time because it's not stimulated by the chewing action of natural teeth. So, you need new dentures every once in awhile and the narrower the jawbone, the harder it is to fit them well. Hence the clacking you hear when people with ill-fitting dentures talk. It also can limit what you eat- the dentist who did mine had a friend who couldn't eat a hot dog on a bun at a baseball game. He said the implants changed his life. Remember, too, that fresh, crunchy fruits and vegetables are out if your dentures don't fit- so then there's the impact on nutrition.

We are getting them done piecemeal.... but the ones going in right now are 4 uppers in the back... total cost of $17K....

Also, this is the second round and she has needed bone grafts for both... probably will for any new ones...

She did say that she would like to get larger chunks done, but I worry about her front teeth... we paid $1k (oh, forgot to add that into the cost!!!) for some false teeth... she does not wear them as it gags her.... and since it takes almost a year from start to finish I know she would not want to be without teeth...

[John Galt III]

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Originally Posted by street Last fall I had a tooth that a filling came out and I broke a piece off the same tooth. I go to a different guy and he had to fill and build this broken part up and only charged me $40 for the job. I have known him for 35 years and has always done a great job for me. My wife won't go to him so that is that. lol

I have a similar thing. One of the upper front teeth is starting to chip at the corners, and it feels like the enamel is coming off the back of it, or a filling has come out. Afraid to see the dentist since they will try to find all sorts of other problems while I'm there! But I'm hoping he can just put on some composite resin (filling) and shape it like the original tooth.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank 200k for implants. they must be a cash cow. why do people in that situation not use dentures, instead of all implants? its been done for years.

I feel like my latest set of dental visits ($2.2K) were cheap! For decades, I suppose, dentists have been telling me that without removing the fillings, there was no way to tell if the exterior visible cracks went farther in the teeth. So I had all the amalgam fillings replaced, and got the bad news that I've got deep cracks in 6 or 7. I wish I would have asked beforehand to have him take pictures after cleaning it out and before refilling. He said those teeth with cracks "really should have crowns" and that "they could break tomorrow or in 10 years or never". But if I were going to do a bunch of crowns, I might check the expat communities outside of the US...why not get a vacation and crowns for less than crowns only here?

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Galt III I have a similar thing. One of the upper front teeth is starting to chip at the corners, and it feels like the enamel is coming off the back of it, or a filling has come out. Afraid to see the dentist since they will try to find all sorts of other problems while I'm there! But I'm hoping he can just put on some composite resin (filling) and shape it like the original tooth.

I have a problem with a corner of a front tooth chipping. It turns out it is from grinding my teeth (bruxism). So the back of the tooth is thin and the corner is the weak point. I had a white resin repair which lasted a year, then it chipped off. Additional attempts only lasted weeks. The dentist wanted to do a veneer, but found stress cracks on the back of the tooth so, a full crown is needed. I decided to go with the chipped look until it gets worse, then do a crown.

[bjorn2bwild]

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Originally Posted by Texas Proud For me it is a big cost... she has horrible teeth and over the next 10 to 20 years she will probably have every natural tooth pulled and an implant in its place... so probably a total of $200K when all said and done!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by folivier Dare I even say it? Mexico!

Blog post and specific recommendation/referral for getting implants done in Mexico from popular "mobile codger", Randy Vining using the Yuma/Algodones portal ----

1st - Mobile Kodgers: THE JOY OF GETTING A TOOTH BACK

2nd - Mobile Kodgers: GETTING MY SMILE BACK IN ALGODONES

[Teacher Terry]

I lost all my teeth a year ago due to my CPAP machine. They don't bother to tell you that it causes severe dry mouth which causes your teeth to decay, lose their enamel and come loose. It costs 33k to just have the bottoms done. The tops would cost 38k due to also needing a bone graft. Most people only get the bottoms done due to the top denture fitting better due to suction. It has taken a year. I have to cut everything into small pieces to chew it. It takes me forever to eat and often my food is cold before I am done. I also have a lisp now that I never had. Eating is no longer much of a pleasure.

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover I have a problem with a corner of a front tooth chipping. It turns out it is from grinding my teeth (bruxism). So the back of the tooth is thin and the corner is the weak point. I had a white resin repair which lasted a year, then it chipped off. Additional attempts only lasted weeks. The dentist wanted to do a veneer, but found stress cracks on the back of the tooth so, a full crown is needed. I decided to go with the chipped look until it gets worse, then do a crown.

Interesting. I may be grinding my teeth in my sleep, too. I do have a slight underbite, since I had braces as a teen, which left me with lower teeth that I cannot retract behind my upper teeth, meaning the tops of the lower front teeth hit the bottom of the upper front teeth every time I bite down. Been living with this for 30 years and hasn't been a problem until now, although you can clearly see wear patterns on the top teeth where they connect with the lowers . Maybe just the repetitions over the years finally wore this particular tooth down too much and it's crumbling away. I'm going with the chipped look also, for now.

[MRG]

For several hundred dollars your dentist can provide a bite guard for bruxism. You can get cheapies at a Walmart etc. Amazon has some DIY molds that are supposed to be pretty good.

I eat one ever 24 months, but they've saved thousands in dental repairs.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG For several hundred dollars your dentist can provide a bite guard for bruxism. You can get cheapies at a Walmart etc. Amazon has some DIY molds that are supposed to be pretty good. I eat one ever 24 months, but they've saved thousands in dental repairs.

I've worn one for 40 years, but there was damage done before I got it and there is slight damage when not wearing it if I unconsciously grind my teeth.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover I've worn one for 40 years, but there was damage done before I got it and there is slight damage when not wearing it if I unconsciously grind my teeth.

I understand. When I w*rked an unintentional nap might break something. I don't believe I grind as much now, but I'm still wearing mine to bed.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry I lost all my teeth a year ago due to my CPAP machine. They don't bother to tell you that it causes severe dry mouth which causes your teeth to decay, lose their enamel and come loose. It costs 33k to just have the bottoms done. The tops would cost 38k due to also needing a bone graft. Most people only get the bottoms done due to the top denture fitting better due to suction. It has taken a year. I have to cut everything into small pieces to chew it. It takes me forever to eat and often my food is cold before I am done. I also have a lisp now that I never had. Eating is no longer much of a pleasure.

Sorry to hear that.

Very interesting to learn about CPAP oral health issues. And the prices you mention for dentures are crazy high! I had no clue.

I have all of my original teeth at this point, but two are "non-viable" (aka, they've had a root canal). My position has generally been to leave things alone (if it ain't broke, don't fix it). But I've got several that are now reported to have cracks that are subject to failure...a failure that could take the tooth. A crown would prevent that. Crowns seemed expensive, that is, unless I compare it to dentures!