The (dental) choices are ...

R

rayinpenn

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Joined
May 3, 2014
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So I was a racketball nut when I was in my early 20s, I just loved the game until a reckless opponent hit me with racket and broke several of my front teeth. There was quit a bit of trauma to my mouth, caps then post eventually bridges. Last week one three tooth bridge failed. It has two teeth with root canals and a missing tooth that cantilevered off the others 2. Well it snapped and although it is re-glued in place, it will need to be replaced. I knew it was a big deal and now I am faced with a choices. Not tomorrow mind you but he said “I would be proactive.”

1. Rebuild the two remaining teeth with posts and a new bridge. It could last 10 years or more. I’m 65
2. 3 implants, 2 extractions and 3 new teeth. One and done but pricy and probably 4 months with a temporary teeth. Implants must have time to fuse.

Any thought out there.. the thought of 3 implants scares me.
 
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Yep. Teeth are expensive. Through car wrecks, bad dentist work, bad luck and old age, I have had everything done to my teeth that one can have done. And I am having a bridge replaced at the moment ($2300).

I had two implants at age 74. Simple surgery and great stuff. Easy if there are no bone grafts needed. A bit more time is needed and another procedure if a bone graft is required. Costly though'

In the last four years, i have had two root canals, several caps made, two partial bridges, an extraction, two implants (ouch expensive!), and a post replaced with a new tooth.

I call the work and cost my "new F150".
 
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If you live near Mexico, maybe you could explore going to a Mexican dentist. There is bound to be someone on this forum who has gone to a foreign country for dental issues, especially expensive ones, and could provide a recommendation on where to go so you’d be safe and not get ripped off (or worse).
 
Poopycat said:
If you live near Mexico, maybe you could explore going to a Mexican dentist. There is bound to be someone on this forum who has gone to a foreign country for dental issues, especially expensive ones, and could provide a recommendation on where to go so you’d be safe and not get ripped off (or worse).
Click to expand...

Ray lives in PA I think. And yes, there are established dental facilities in Mexico near the Arizona border and also in Costa Rica where Americans can get good work for a less expensive cost.
 
DW did three implants last year to replace a failed bridge. Cost was ~$5G. Expensive but worth it.

Best.
 
I have two bridges that were done in 1992 courtesy of your tax dollars while stationed in Japan in the Air Force. I consider myself very fortunate they have lasted this long and don’t have any signs of failing yet. When the time comes, I’ll go the implant route. My wife had a couple and she’s very pleased with her dentist that did the work.
 
I have started going to the local university's dental clinic. Treatment is at the current state of the art, quality control (professors' checking everything) is excellent, and they have no motivation to sell me anything that I don't need. Cost (which is not my main criterion) runs maybe half or less what I would pay outside. I've been told that some university dental clinics are free.

If you have the option, I'd suggest getting a second opinion and a quote from your local school clinic.
 
Wow. That's a great price. Did insurance cover most of it, this reducing your coat to $5,000 for the 3 implants,? I had one implant last year covered 60% by dental insurance and the cost to me was still 3 grand.
Red Badger said:
DW did three implants last year to replace a failed bridge. Cost was ~$5G. Expensive but worth it.

Best.
Click to expand...
 
From what i understand with what you stated I would go with implants.

Check your PM's
 
I am a retired dentist who teaches at a local university. with the little information given it is impossible to say which treatment option is best. If the two remaining teeth are in good condition,( root canals look good still and no fractures), it would be less expensive to do new post and cores and make a new bridge. your dentist has all the information to look at and give the best advice. you say he/she thinks this could last 10 years or more. that sounds pretty good to me. If your not sure, get a second opinion.
 
I think as an engineer, to fix the root cause (no pun intended there) it means implants. Assuming you can do them without excessive bone grafts as mentioned.
A new bridge, using two teeth that are less than 100%, seems risking problems in future. Sure it's cheaper, and you had current for many years. Permanent fix, even if costlier, avoids future problems .
 
Rayinpenn, what is it that "scares" you about the 3 implants?
 
Ray - I would do the implants 1 and done option. Then you're done.

I currently have a dental dilemma. Broke off a molar a couple of months ago. Same one that my dentist put a temporary fix on a year ago. Temporary because I left for the winter shortly thereafter, and he didn't have time to get an implant or whatever made. He gave me a tube of filling cement in case it broke while I was gone.

I went for my last regular checkup and told him that the temp fix was holding together. Then came Covid shutdown and the current tooth break. I don't want to go to the dentist yet and I don't have the confidence to fill it myself with the cement he gave me.

I have an appt July 10. Hopefully I can hold out until then. Not sure what current dentist office visits guidelines are.
 
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aja8888 said:
Yep. Teeth are expensive.

I call the work and cost my "new F150".
Click to expand...
Is that the cost of a XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum or Limited? :)
 
CDRE said:
Rayinpenn, what is it that "scares" you about the 3 implants?
Click to expand...


1) I have 2 already and one doesn’t feel quite as normal as a saw the many caps and crowns I have had.
2) it will require 2 extractions
3) walking around with 3 implants ‘settling in’ for several months with a temporary teeth.
 
mn54 said:
I am a retired dentist who teaches at a local university. with the little information given it is impossible to say which treatment option is best. If the two remaining teeth are in good condition,( root canals look good still and no fractures), it would be less expensive to do new post and cores and make a new bridge. your dentist has all the information to look at and give the best advice. you say he/she thinks this could last 10 years or more. that sounds pretty good to me. If your not sure, get a second opinion.
Click to expand...

Another retired dentist here: and I echo mn54's thoughts.

It's all about the strength and integrity of the abutment teeth. An implant is likely to be stronger than a weak natural abutment. I will say, that later in my career as implants became more tested, I became increasingly squeamish about putting bridges on root canal and posted teeth. But a lot of that would depend upon the bulk of the root, and how much natural tooth remained.

It's a tough call. And, BTW, implants can fail also. The batting average is pretty high, probably higher than with restoring on endodontically treated teeth with posts, by a significant margin, but they aren't infallible.
 
Given your two choices, I’d go with the implants.

I’m 59 and made the $8,000 decision nine years ago - when I had 3 teeth removed, 2 implants placed and a partial created.

I fretted over this decision for 3+ years but finally bit the bullet. It was well worth the cost and has been in place for 10 years.

In fact, I’m going to have to make the decision again very soon as I have decay in my upper molars. I will definitely make the same decision as opposed to getting dentures.
 
If bone grafts or sinus cavity relocation are not required for the implants, then choose the implants.
 
Implants all the way.

The alternative for a new bridge that "lasts 10 years" means you're facing this same decision again at 75. That would be more complicated and scary, and dental stuff usually gets in the way of other procedures (as you probably know from your TKR's). FIL is about 76 but had to delay getting a shoulder done because of a wobbly crown that needed fixing.

I have one implant from a couple of years ago. Extraction was cake, put in a "stump" at the same time (didn't need a temp because of the position). Got the new tooth a few months later and it's never felt odd.
 
All the bridges my husband and I had lasted 20 years. I had full implants on the bottom so the price was 33k and the pain significant for the first 4 days because they put in 4 to hold the teeth. Plus I was quite swollen. But no alternative except a denture.
 
rayinpenn said:
..

1. Rebuild the two remaining teeth with posts and a new bridge. It could last 10 years or more. I’m 65
2. 3 implants, 2 extractions and 3 new teeth. One and done but pricy and probably 4 months with a temporary teeth. Implants must have time to fuse.

Any thought out there.. the thought of 3 implants scares me.
Click to expand...

Any option to rebuild the 2 remaining teeth, and do a single implant. ?
 
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