Dental Implant Considerations

[Texas Proud]

Make sure you have enough bone mass after your extraction. I had an implant inserted a few years ago. It was a long process. The tooth could not be saved after a root canal and had to be extracted. There was a deep filling in that tooth from decades ago. A bone graft was performed after he extraction. About 4 months later the implant was inserted after they took a CT scan of the tooth and entire mouth. The implant became loose after about 1 week after installing the crown. The implant was removed and another bone graft was inserted and left to heal for 8 months with more mass. Another CT Scan was taken and then the implant was inserted. This time it was fine. I have had it in for about 3 years now without any issues. They are expensive but much better than other options such as a bridge.

Did the surgeon replace the implant for free? Our surgeon has done extra work on DW and has not charged anything... one bone graft did not take so he did another... one time he was going to do a graft but had complications with her sinus cavity which he fixed... well, I should not say for free as we did have to pay for sedation on all of these, but not for any material or his time....

 

[Freedom56]

Did the surgeon replace the implant for free? Our surgeon has done extra work on DW and has not charged anything... one bone graft did not take so he did another... one time he was going to do a graft but had complications with her sinus cavity which he fixed... well, I should not say for free as we did have to pay for sedation on all of these, but not for any material or his time....

Yes, other than my time, everything was covered at no charge. I went to UCLA faculty group dental. They are expensive but normally do a good job. The original cost was $440 for the extraction, $220 for the bone graft, $1950 for the implant, and 1250 for the crown, and $189 for the CT Scan. I did not pay anything the second time around. They used a different type of implant the second time around. They noted that the original implant device from Nobel Biocare was having issues with other patients also.

Here's a link to a story on this:

https://www.lawyersandsettlements.c...ants/nobel-biocare-dental-implants-01987.html

 

[athena53]

One thing on bone grafts: my oral surgeon had some substance he could use in addition to the bone graft to make it "take" better. After seeing the scan of my jawbone he said it wasn't necessary in my case and he was right- 3 years later the implants are well-integrated according to what my dentist sees on the X-rays. Sorry I don't know what this magic substance is- apparently it's pretty expensive, but could head off problems down the road.

 

[mountainsoft]

I have never had an implant, but may need to in the future.

Does food get caught "underneath" the tooth? Or does the implant tooth extend below the gums? Is any additional maintenance needed other than usual brushing and flossing?

Does the implant "feel" like a real tooth? Can you bite down on it hard like any other tooth?

 

[davismills]

I had one molar implanted about 10 years ago. The process took about 8 months because I needed a sinus lift as well. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

The tooth feels solid and perfectly natural.

Food does NOT get caught at all.

 

[mn54]

Yes, other than my time, everything was covered at no charge. I went to UCLA faculty group dental. They are expensive but normally do a good job. The original cost was $440 for the extraction, $220 for the bone graft, $1950 for the implant, and 1250 for the crown, and $189 for the CT Scan. I did not pay anything the second time around. They used a different type of implant the second time around. They noted that the original implant device from Nobel Biocare was having issues with other patients also.

Here's a link to a story on this:

https://www.lawyersandsettlements.c...ants/nobel-biocare-dental-implants-01987.html

Of all the implants we worked with, we had more problems with bone loss around Nobel implants. I would ask your dentist which implant he/she is planning on using.

 

[gerntz]

Had my first ever extraction (1st lower molar) yesterday & it's nearly pain-free with use of Motrin & Tylenol. Plan to back off their use later today.

Doc thinks I have good jaw bone mass such that an implant has high likelihood of being a good option. Thanks to comments here I'll be all for that. Need to go back in 4 months.

BTW, he placed "bone-growing putty" next to the jaw bone area where the tooth roots had been. Says it promotes the jaw bone to regenerate for implant screw insertion mass & dissolves over time. Says the stuff's been around like 7-10 years.

 

[Revlefty]

Highly Unusual

FWIW... I am in the process of getting an implant. Actually, the gum is still healing after extraction. In the mean time, my dentist wanted me to get a 3-D x-ray done so he can get the best possible fit. He doesn't have the software for the 3-d X-RAY, so HE drove me 45 minutes away to the office of a dentist friend of his to use that office's 3-D x-ray equipment (because that friend allows him to do this for free!). My dentist isn't a personal friend of mine, so I thought this was highly unusual, but free is free, so hey, why not?

He said the software to run a 3-D process on his x-ray machine would be $55,000! For that cost, he drives a patient a couple times a month.

 

[W2R]

FWIW... I am in the process of getting an implant. Actually, the gum is still healing after extraction. In the mean time, my dentist wanted me to get a 3-D x-ray done so he can get the best possible fit. He doesn't have the software for the 3-d X-RAY, so HE drove me 45 minutes away to the office of a dentist friend of his to use that office's 3-D x-ray equipment (because that friend allows him to do this for free!). My dentist isn't a personal friend of mine, so I thought this was highly unusual, but free is free, so hey, why not?

He said the software to run a 3-D process on his x-ray machine would be $55,000! For that cost, he drives a patient a couple times a month.

These machines are amazing.

My oral surgeon (for implants) has an office with several other oral surgeons, and they have one of those fancy new 3-D x-ray machines that swirl around your head. The x-rays are PHENOMENAL! The nice thing is that he is a good buddy with my dentist, so he sends copies of the x-rays to him, I think by email. Anyway his x-rays show a lot and have been helpful to my dentist in detecting other cavities and so on. My dentist has a pretty nice x-ray machine of his own, that is fairly new, but it just isn't as good.