I'm looking for some input from anyone who has been down this path. Just FYI, I have consulted already with my regular dentist as well as an endodontist and an oral surgeon to whom I was referred. So what I'm really looking for is any real-life experiences from anyone who has opted to skip a dental implant or wait it out a while.
I have a very old root canal with a crown on a first molar that now needs either a retreatment or extraction. Both the endodontist and oral surgeon felt that the retreatment would likely not last long. So to me it is a no-brainer that I'll have the tooth extracted.
The oral surgeon says I am a good candidate for an implant, with enough bone to support it. He also said that if I want to, I can wait 6 months or so after the extraction before deciding on the implant, to see how comfortable I am without the tooth. Of course there are pros and cons to either option, and while I would like to save the money I am not really basing my decision on cost.
My goal is to minimize or eliminate any long-term issues with this tooth. With an implant, there are the possible issues with the procedure itself as well as long-term possibly needing repair or replacement of the crown. If I skip the implant, there is the possibility that teeth could shift and I could lose bone mass.
Has anyone decided to skip the implant, at least for a while, and if so what was the end result? I'm just trying to gather as much info as I can before I make the decision. Thanks for any input.
I have a very old root canal with a crown on a first molar that now needs either a retreatment or extraction. Both the endodontist and oral surgeon felt that the retreatment would likely not last long. So to me it is a no-brainer that I'll have the tooth extracted.
The oral surgeon says I am a good candidate for an implant, with enough bone to support it. He also said that if I want to, I can wait 6 months or so after the extraction before deciding on the implant, to see how comfortable I am without the tooth. Of course there are pros and cons to either option, and while I would like to save the money I am not really basing my decision on cost.
My goal is to minimize or eliminate any long-term issues with this tooth. With an implant, there are the possible issues with the procedure itself as well as long-term possibly needing repair or replacement of the crown. If I skip the implant, there is the possibility that teeth could shift and I could lose bone mass.
Has anyone decided to skip the implant, at least for a while, and if so what was the end result? I'm just trying to gather as much info as I can before I make the decision. Thanks for any input.