Tooth Implants

[hpnutty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne What is the going rate in your neck of the wood ? In mine it's about $3500, give or take.

I had an implant done last November and it was $1,800. Cypress, Texas. That is the implant cost only, no extraction or crown in that amount. At the time I had Metlife dental via COBRA plan.

[waynezo]

Here in South Florida I did a bicuspid 8 years ago for $2800. Last year I did two molars for $7000. Now I am doing a molar and bicuspid anchored Implant bridge for $8000 to replace 3 teeth. Also an incisor that needed extra bone graft for $4000. Delta Dental Ins. only covers the extraction. They gave me a pre treatment estimate that was less than the dentist wanted. I was able to negotiate these prices.
I believe $3500 to $4000 is a fair price. There are a lot of variables and most dentists will try to get more. Kind of like buying a used car

[NoEZmoney]

Upper left incisor had two root canals that failed. Got an infection in bone, had extracted and bone graft, post installed, Zirconium crown. Looks great, all healed nicely. About $8K after all was said and done. This was in 2015.

[indiajust]

I had an I40 cross country roadtrip from LA to Birmingham. I called every major city for a root canal and crown. Cheapest place was a short bike ride from my parents old house in Homewood, at the apex of the steepest hill around, that I used to bike up on an old beater single speed because it was there. I drove the old route and got the work done for about 65% less than new england. Alabama had a light regulatory touch and low fees, plus less extreme wealth, that all conspires for much lower prices. Its rather like going to the Oklahoma Surgical Center in OKC, they run closer to 90% off, and with fixed price quotes.

[RaySharpton]

Atlanta, Georgia 2022-2023
Medicare, cash only.
$5,810.00 for One Implant with One Crown depending on extra procedures.
$2,800.00-Endosseouus Implant and tempoary Abutment Healing Cap Screw
$1,875.00-Crown permanent Abutment fused to hi-nob
$237.00-Provisional retainer crown (if needed)
$452.00-Surgical Extraction of Tooth (if needed)
$1,595.00-Root canal (if needed)
$350.00-Bone Replacement Graft (if needed)
$130.00-General Anesthesia 15 min (if needed)
$148.00-3D x-ray
$263.00-Office consult 30-min.

[Murph]

Interesting thread. I just don’t understand why implants are so darned expensive!

[Buckeye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishgirlyc58 So true! My dental covers $2,000 also but cleanings take about $400 of that. As a side question: I currently have dental insurance through my former employer which ends when I turn 65 later this year. I asked my dentist office what insurance they recommend and she told me any of the ones outside of being offered through an employer are crappy and don’t usually cover what they say they will. Is that your experience as well?

If you happen to be a veteran, the VADIP (VA Dental Insurance Program) offers group policies from Delta Dental and another company. I have the DD high tier for $43 a month. It's a PPO so the coverage is excellent. I think the total cost of my extraction and implant was about $3500 and about half was covered by DD. The procedure was in 2 calendar years.

[Catkins]

I went to Costa Rica for my implant. Saw an oral surgeon well known in the world of mandible surgery and educated at Baylor U in Texas. Costa of surgery and entire trip was half of that in the US and because it was necessary, not cosmetic, my CPA could write off entire trip. This was years ago, and I don't remember exactly numbers, but far less expensive than CA.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catkins I went to Costa Rica for my implant. Saw an oral surgeon well known in the world of mandible surgery and educated at Baylor U in Texas.

The trick is finding a good doctor/clinic outside of the US. I saw a few when I was in La Paz, Mexico but have no idea of the quality. Unlike the US, if it goes bad, you're not going to get recompense in the courts (which is one reason it's cheaper).

I once watched a train-wreck Netflix series called "Botched-up Bodies" that showed some of the disasters from medical/dental tourism. Some of the implant jobs were just awful- I think I might have been able to do better with a couple of hours of instructional videos on YouTube.

[fh2000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murph Interesting thread. I just don’t understand why implants are so darned expensive!

I don't know.

My friend just finished a laser periodontal scaling for whole mouth, in just 2 sittings, that cost him $7000. He has insurance but it does not cover this procedure.

I went thru the scaling using old method one quadrant at a time. Periodontist surgically opened my gum and sewed it up when done. Each recovering took at least a week or more. I do not remember the cost, but should be cheaper than $7000 total.

[Gearhead Jim]

I've had four implants over the years, oldest is probably 15 yrs old. No problems with any.

My wife and daughters have good teeth, unlike me. We joke that with three women in the family, I'm the only one with "implants".

[rodi]

From my reading/research (son has had two ameloblastoma tumors removed from his jaw) the issue of whether you need a bone graft or not depends a lot on whether you have a solid/healthy jaw.

If you have a good solid jaw, they can drill and implant the post, and use bone powder to fill in. If your jaw is medium solid they may be able to do it with bone chips and bone powder.

If you don't have enough strength in your jaw - they have to do a bone graft.

My son had a conservative surgery - they didn't take out the entire section of mandible, but did scoop out 60% of his jaw diameter on the first surgery and more like 75% on the second one. (Jaw had regrown completely after the first surgery by the time of the 2nd surgery 4 years later.)

If he'd had the more radical surgery (which will happen if the tumor returns) then they'll take a piece of his fibula, put in the posts, put that fibula with posts, along with what looks like a stainless steel bike chain to replace the section of mandible removed.

We're hoping it doesn't come to that... and waiting to see what happens and looking at implants for the 4 molars he lost to the ameloblastoma tumor.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi We're hoping it doesn't come to that... and waiting to see what happens and looking at implants for the 4 molars he lost to the ameloblastoma tumor.

Best of luck, but at least be glad he's still young. If that happened to an older person there might not be any good options.

[FindingForward]

Quote:

Originally Posted by athena53 The trick is finding a good doctor/clinic outside of the US. I saw a few when I was in La Paz, Mexico but have no idea of the quality. Unlike the US, if it goes bad, you're not going to get recompense in the courts (which is one reason it's cheaper). I once watched a train-wreck Netflix series called "Botched-up Bodies" that showed some of the disasters from medical/dental tourism. Some of the implant jobs were just awful- I think I might have been able to do better with a couple of hours of instructional videos on YouTube.

Unfortunately, patients don't have as much protection as they think in the U.S. Unlike medical screwups, proving dental negligence is much more difficult with a higher burden of proof on the patient and far lower payouts.

Many attorneys won't take dental cases on contingency. I had terrible care years ago that screwed up my dental health for life, but couldn't get anywhere. Several attorneys told me it would cost me more in legal fees than it was worth to pursue it.

[RobbieB]

Went to the dentist today and found I'm also going down the implant path. Cracked off a tooth from the top to below the gum line. Got a constant infection going on and the dentist recommends extraction and implant. Got an appointment with the tooth puller next week.

Yeah, cost estimated around 5 grand. Woo-Hoo, Blow That Dough -

[SecondAttempt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi From my reading/research (son has had two ameloblastoma tumors removed from his jaw) the issue of whether you need a bone graft or not depends a lot on whether you have a solid/healthy jaw. If you have a good solid jaw, they can drill and implant the post, and use bone powder to fill in. If your jaw is medium solid they may be able to do it with bone chips and bone powder. If you don't have enough strength in your jaw - they have to do a bone graft.

I think you are correct. In my case I needed a bone graft. The doctor who did the implant work (MD) did not expect to have to do a graft. He did several "tests" and scans in advance and said I had very good bone density, no apparent issues near the tooth, etc. But when he went to install the post he could not get it to hold so he did a graft. It was no big deal. He just put some bone powder, as you put it, in the hole and sent me home for about 3 months. There was no extra charge and he even admitted that he may have misjudged and should have drilled a bit differently.

The only thing it changed about the procedure was adding about 3 months. When I went back after the graft there were no issues setting the post.

I have a missing tooth (not visible) from a botched crown over 20 years ago. I asked my former dentist, the one I liked, if I should get an implant. He said it was a personal decision but added he has been missing the same tooth for over 30 years and he has not would not get an implant.

All in all, I found the implant process very smooth and pain free in spite of my complication! Like any surgery, I would not blindly trust any doctor without references of some sort but I don't think it is fair to suggest that foriegn doctors/dentists that are cheaper are somehow inferior. The dentist who messed up my crown and caused me to lose a tooth was Indian but educated at a good school in the US. The dentist who fixed it was Cuban, educated in Cuba, but practicing in the US. (Presumably he had to attend dental school again in the US but I'm not sure how that works.)

[SecondAttempt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FindingForward Unfortunately, patients don't have as much protection as they think in the U.S. Unlike medical screwups, proving dental negligence is much more difficult with a higher burden of proof on the patient and far lower payouts. Many attorneys won't take dental cases on contingency. I had terrible care years ago that screwed up my dental health for life, but couldn't get anywhere. Several attorneys told me it would cost me more in legal fees than it was worth to pursue it.

I mentioned in my previous post that I lost a tooth due to a botched crown. My next dentist is the one who saw what had been done. But he said almost exactly what you said, even though it was almost certainly malpractice, there was probably little to be done about it. He suggested informing my insurance company, which I did, but they did not seem to care at all. The same company covered me both times but under different employers so different policies.

[kevink]

I'm on the last (and most expensive) leg of the three-part implant experience myself, having had a key chewing molar (that had already been through a root canal and an apioectomy and infection - very painful) pulled last February. I've got the post in and am due to have the crown/fake tooth made next month. Cost has been in line with what others are reporting here but I will likely have the crown down in Mexico. Here in Tucson we are less than 90 minutes from the Nogales border crossing, on the other side of which there are a horde of dentists. Many friends here have had all of their dental work done down there for years. Same thing when we lived in New Mexico; in Silver City NM there used to be what was locally called the "margarita and a crown" senior bus that drove to the Las Palomas border crossing monthly, let a horde of seniors cross over to get their dental work done, and then allowed time for a meal washed down with a margarita before the trip home to kill off any pain the novocaine hadn't addressed.

Sad reflection on the cost of U.S. health care but an option that can save many thousands of dollars. During our 5 years at Lake Chapala we met many people who had flown down there or to Puerto Vallarta to get a ton of work done (usually people that needed multiple crowns and/or implants), oftentacking on a week at the beach, and the total cost including airfare was still a fraction of U.S. prices. It's so popular there are even concierge services like this one:

https://coyotedental.com

[SecondAttempt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevink I'm on the last (and most expensive) leg of the three-part implant experience myself, having had a key chewing molar (that had already been through a root canal and an apioectomy and infection - very painful) pulled last February. I've got the post in and am due to have the crown/fake tooth made next month. Cost has been in line with what others are reporting here but I will likely have the crown down in Mexico. Here in Tucson we are less than 90 minutes from the Nogales border crossing, on the other side of which there are a horde of dentists. Many friends here have had all of their dental work done down there for years. Same thing when we lived in New Mexico; in Silver City NM there used to be what was locally called the "margarita and a crown" senior bus that drove to the Las Palomas border crossing monthly, let a horde of seniors cross over to get their dental work done, and then allowed time for a meal washed down with a margarita before the trip home to kill off any pain the novocaine hadn't addressed. Sad reflection on the cost of U.S. health care but an option that can save many thousands of dollars. During our 5 years at Lake Chapala we met many people who had flown down there or to Puerto Vallarta to get a ton of work done (usually people that needed multiple crowns and/or implants), oftentacking on a week at the beach, and the total cost including airfare was still a fraction of U.S. prices. It's so popular there are even concierge services like this one: https://coyotedental.com

I grew up in southern Arizona and even 30-40 years ago it was common for people to get their dental care in Mexico. My dad worked for the federal government so we had insurance that only worked in the US so we never did that. But I would not hesitate to get work done in Mexico although I would want to look into the dentist and that could be challenging.

[kyzymurgist]

Central KY, cracked molar. First estimate one year ago. $5200 for extraction, graft, and implant, plus sedation. Also recommended laser gum treatment for periodontal disease at $5300. I decided to delay.

Second estimate last week after the molar with crown broke off at the gum line or a bit below. $2600 for extraction, graft, and implant with local anesthesia only. Doc says won't be any pain during the procedures. Also said my gums are in excellent condition with no sign of periodontal disease and to keep doing whatever I'm doing. Hmm.

Both periodontists recommended by my dentist with excellent online reviews. Both with same 6 month schedule from extraction to crown.

I believe my Dentist charges about $900 for a crown after the Dental Plan discount. The $200 annual family Dental Discount Plan is well worth it just for savings on cleaning, x-rays, and evaluation for DW and me. The rather substantial savings on any crowns is just gravy.