Dental Challenges

[Silver]

There are a couple other threads about dental issues, so I thought I would start one that will, hopefully, help me to make some tough decisions.

I will not bore you with details, but I have spent many, many hours in dental chairs in my life....and probably put a couple of dentists' kids through college.

I have had so many root canals that I lost track at #14. My teeth just decay, but my gums look great. It's hereditary, I believe. And now...things are just breaking.

I'm faced with possible dentures at this point, and have seen a specialist that uses six implants upper and six lower to fixate them. The cost is $49K and months of visits every two weeks. Some places do four implants....but I don't know if they really are as durable.

I'm not going to Mexico to lower the cost, so I'm doing this locally. My choices seem to be implanted dentures versus regular....or a combination of implanted lower and regular uppers, still at a cost of around $30K. Yes...I have the money but don't want to spend it on teeth that will probably only be used for one more decade, part of which is spent in the dental office. I am depressed, angry, and sick and tired of having so many dental problems.

Anyone have any experience that might help me see the path forward?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Silver, I have been down this road. 4 years ago I paid 33k for the four on four on the bottom. I used a oral surgeon and the screws are very long so not coming out. I had to wait 5 months for my gums to heal before the implants. I didn’t get the tops done because the cost was 38k. I have dentures on top. It took a period of 3 years and 3 dentures before the tops fitted tightly because your gums are shrinking during that time. Bottom dentures don’t stay in because they cannot get suction like the tops. Therefore they hop up and down. It’s hard to eat and talk.

 

[OldShooter]

... Anyone have any experience that might help me see the path forward? ...

Sort of. Almost any private practice dentist is effectively a commissioned salesperson that really believes in his/her products but also has no quality control function to inspect his/her work.

I have solved this problem by switching to the local university's dental clinic. Young dentists near graduation are closely supervised by faculty and their work is carefully inspected. They and their professors know about all the latest products and techniques but have no economic interest in selling me anything. I can trust the advice and I can trust the work.

Try this: https://dental.ufl.edu/ See what they say about your past experience and get all your questions answered.

 

[blueskyk]

About 5 years ago DH got full upper and lower permanent dentures. IIRC correctly, it was about $32K. He got his magnificent smile back and has not had a single problem since. I love watching him dig into a great steak. The trick there is you need to have enough healthy bone to screw everything down.

It was life-changing for him and we don’t regret the money spent at all...

 

[Teacher Terry]

If you don’t have enough healthy bone they do a bone graft with cadaver bone.

 

[euro]

Sort of. Almost any private practice dentist is effectively a commissioned salesperson that really believes in his/her products but also has no quality control function to inspect his/her work.

I have solved this problem by switching to the local university's dental clinic. Young dentists near graduation are closely supervised by faculty and their work is carefully inspected. They and their professors know about all the latest products and techniques but have no economic interest in selling me anything. I can trust the advice and I can trust the work.

Try this: https://dental.ufl.edu/ See what they say about your past experience and get all your questions answered.

I will second that opinion, not from personal experience but because my DD recently graduated from dental school and she agrees with your assessment. Moreover, while they do charge for the work, it is significantly discounted compared to a regular commercial place. Finally, it will actually help out one or more of those students because they have quotas of types of procedures that they have to perform, both as practice and under "certification exam" conditions in order to graduate. So, in some cases the schools/students are very eager to find such patients. One word of caution though: you'll probably spend MORE time in the chair because everything gets checked and double-checked.
So, if there is a dental school nearby (there actually aren't that many dental schools in each state), it is worth checking out.

 

[OldShooter]

... Moreover, while they do charge for the work, it is significantly discounted compared to a regular commercial place. ... One word of caution though: you'll probably spend MORE time in the chair because everything gets checked and double-checked. ...

Yes, I neglected to mention both those things. I have been told that some dental school clinics are free. Ours charges 1/3 to 1/2 what a private practice dentist would. Truthfully, I would pay full price but getting a nice discount on improved care is a real two-fer.

Re appointment times, yes. Each student has one morning an one afternoon appointment. Two hours in the chair seems to be about the norm for me. As @euro says, it takes time due to the student's plan discussed with the professor, sometimes the professor stays to follow the work and always a professor does the QC.

 

[W2R]

I have terrible teeth too, many root canals, and so far about five dental implants.

The implants are great, if you can possibly afford them. Or at least, mine have been. They don't hurt, feel like natural teeth, and don't decay.

 

[dfarr]

Silver....I'm in the exact same situation as you. Years of dental issues and patching things up until I could no longer keep things together. Had a bridge that wobbled for years finally give out completely. Had a partial made and hated it. Finally decided to just go ahead and have total restoration done. Found a somewhat local dentist that specializes in reconstruction work and comes highly recommended. Started the process back in January and have lost some time due to covid. Currently have 5 implants done which are still in the healing process. Go tomorrow for a 3 hour appointment where they will fit my uppers with temporaries while all the porcelain crowns are being made. Mine will be all individual crowns on implants and restored teeth, not the "all on 4/6" setup. Total will be right around $50k. Mentally it was a real relief once I made the decision to proceed and it's really encouraging to look forward to being able to smile again. So far I'm happy with how it has been going. Good luck with your decision and keep us posted!

 

[Silver]

Thank you all for your comments. I will need bone grafts so I worry about the dentures held by four implants. I'm sure that if I got a consult from a dentist doing the four implant procedure they would reassure me it would be fine. I know they are just doing what they need to do to get the business, but if people have had good experiences with having just the four, that's helpful to know. Blueskyk; do you know how many implants your DH has in each denture?

The local dental university is a great idea, but it looks like the closest would be St. Petersburg, which is about 1 hour 40 mins one way. Using I-4 is the only way to get there which is taking your life into your hands to drive. I need to do more research to see if there are any other closer options. But thank you....excellent thought worth spending some time looking into.

Thanks again, and please continue to tell me your experiences, good and bad.

 

[aja8888]

There is no easy fix for big dental problems.

I have had implants (2), posts and crowns (2) , and a whole bunch of normal crowns, etc. I also have a small partial plate for three teeth that never made it past my teens. I declined bone grafts and implants for the uppers where the partial is. Too risky and I was going through a hip implant recovery at that time. I am 76 and have spent a ton, but up-to-date!

Now it's just cleanings, inspections, xrays...visits about three times per year. Pick a highly qualified dental surgeon for any implant surgery.

Good luck!

 

[athena53]

Pick a highly qualified dental surgeon for any implant surgery.

Totally agreed with this. Like W2R, I have individual implants to replace teeth that have gone bad over the years and LOVE them.

The bone grafts aren't necessarily a worry; if they do what they're supposed to, they help the implants to bond ("osseointegrate") even better. I had them for all my implants- just didn't like being deferred from donating blood every time for 6 months because they're derived from cadavers. I'm sure my oral surgeon used grafts from only the FINEST cadavers! The oral surgeon said here's even some compound they can apply to help the bone grafts integrate although I didn't need it.

 

[candrew]

I'm sure my oral surgeon used grafts from only the FINEST cadavers!

"I see dead people" - at least that's what I told DW after my oral surgery that required cadaver bone grafts.

 

[aja8888]

"I see dead people" - at least that's what I told DW after my oral surgery that required cadaver bone grafts.

 

[blueskyk]

Blueskyk; do you know how many implants your DH has in each denture?

.

He got four anchors each on top and bottom (“all on 4”). Honestly, it was such a relief to decide and start the process and the staff and all the techs he worked with were great. I looked up what we spent - it was $38K, not $32K. Worth every penny was our assessment.

 

[bolt]

I've shopped numerous multi-discipline DDS/DMD/& Dental Specialists recently.
I'd suggest extensively researching ones specific dental needs.
I've never seen rates as high as those posted here in competitive markets.
R.I. Affordable implants has implants @1200-1800.
I'm not endorsing, promoting, or profiting on this advice.
https://www.affordabledentures.com/office/providence-greenville/

They have 143/4.5 rating out of 5 satisfied reviews on both yelp & google, plus a lifetime friends recent positive opinion.
Good luck & Best wishes!

 

[blueskyk]

In addition to your suggestion to research extensively, I would also recommend getting exams and formal quotes from multiple providers even though this may cost a little more upfront. In our case, it was a lot of money and we were forgoing purchasing a newer car...Speaking only for our situation, the cost for the services we received (oral surgeon, restorative dentist specialist, ceramic dentures, xrays, interim care, etc.), were very competitive for a complete set of permanent dentures.

 

[Golden sunsets]

I've shopped numerous multi-discipline DDS/DMD/& Dental Specialists recently.
I'd suggest extensively researching ones specific dental needs.
I've never seen rates as high as those posted here in competitive markets.
R.I. Affordable implants has implants @1200-1800.
I'm not endorsing, promoting, or profiting on this advice.
https://www.affordabledentures.com/office/providence-greenville/

They have 143/4.5 rating out of 5 satisfied reviews on both yelp & google, plus a lifetime friends recent positive opinion.
Good luck & Best wishes!

These prices seem very low. I had an implant in 2019 which cost $6,000.

 

[blueskyk]

Agreed. Often the cost quoted in this kind of marketing is for a single implant and does not include any tooth to go along with it. The level of restoration required/desired in any given situation is extremely variable.

 

[OldShooter]

... The local dental university is a great idea, but it looks like the closest would be St. Petersburg, which is about 1 hour 40 mins one way. Using I-4 is the only way to get there which is taking your life into your hands to drive. I need to do more research to see if there are any other closer options. But thank you....excellent thought worth spending some time looking into. ...

WADR, @Silver, I did make that suggestion and provide the link knowing that the clinic was in St. Pete. To me that is not a big drive, but obviously YMMV. Regardless, though, with your troubled history and now facing some very serious decisions, I think that some inconvenience and expense is probably warranted in order to get an expert and unbiased opinion that you can trust. Whether the clinic does the work is a subsequent question. Can you get someone to drive you? Have you considered booking a motel room so you don't have to drive the round trip on the day of your appointment?

 

[Silver]

Thanks OldShooter....I appreciate the advice and I am considering going in that direction. Information is power, so I am willing to do what it takes in order to feel assured of my chosen direction.

 

[RockyMtn]

I had three on four implants on top. Two single implants on lower. Total cost was about $40k. Best decision I ever made. Wish I had done it earlier. Teeth look great, feel great. I can eat anything I want again. No more pain. No more endless hours with the dentist.

Don't go cheap. You will regret it.

 

[steelyman]

This and the other current thread about implants are very interesting to me: I’m about to make the leap for the first time. Can’t say I look forward to it or the bills but am hopeful that the results will be worth it!

 

[OldShooter]

... I’m about to make the leap for the first time. ...

Same advice I gave the OP: If you have access to a university dental school clinic, that's a great place to get an unbiased opinion and probably a great place to get the work done. In your area you probably do have that option.

 

[bolt]

These prices seem very low. I had an implant in 2019 which cost $6,000.

FWIW, My pal that went to the R.I. location is 81, cost/quality conscious & he engaged their services a week or so back.

I plan on going next week. I'll update my findings.

Good luck & Best wishes....