[deltadoc]

I'm 57 and my wife is 54, and we just got back from a consultation for dental implants. 4 for me, 2 for her. Can you believe that the total estimate came to $32,000??

For 6 friggin' teeth between the two of us!

There's something wrong, but you just don't know what it is, do you Mr. Jones?

It's almost to the point of putting me off my food.

Like in "A Clockwork Orange", when Alex gets all sick from the Ludaviko treatment when he visits his home and finds the Lodger renting out his room and starts to feel violent and then gets all sick and whatever.

Should I be happy I don't have cancer? SHould I throw that much money at some friggin' dentist who couldn't cut it as a "real" doctor, so he makes his hay as a dentist?

Or do I just grin and bear it? And hope that these crowns (without upper molars at all) hold up?

I feel like creating a "stem cell" clone so's I can steal his choppers for me.

Thanks for listening. I'm really fed up for someone who has few teeth to chew with!

doc

[KAYLINDA]

Pull all of them and get dentures! That's only about 2,000 a person. Implants would be wonderful but they sure aren't cheap!

[epicous]

If I join the Army, would the implants be free?

[AprilB]

At 30 she decided to have all her teeth pulled. She made herself 3 sets of dentures and lived with them until she passed away at 85.

IMHO...Screw this dentist. Find a different one and go through as many as you need to to get a decent opinion. Ask your friends.

I don't know anything about implants. I know about (well, the concept of) root canals, caps, bridges...all the early 1900's plus I had a broken tooth repaired in Australia with some sort of compound that worked great and is still going strong like the Energizer bunny 7 years later. Cost 300 AU to do.

I'm currently living with a broken molar. Can't afford to have it fixed and so far <knock wood> it is bearable just like the one that I lost a few years before having it fixed in Australia.

Do your teeth issues interfere with your life? (Other than knowing they're there) Is it a cosmetic issue? ...

<BTW...what is an implant anyway?>

April
<I'm 53>

[deltadoc]

Originally Posted by AprilB

IMHO...Screw this dentist. Find a different one and go through as many as you need to to get a decent opinion. Ask your friends.


Do your teeth issues interfere with your life? (Other than knowing they're there) Is it a cosmetic issue? ...

<BTW...what is an implant anyway?>

April
<I'm 53>

I've had 3 implants done several years ago. The top right hand molar implant fell out less than 3 years after that. Therefore I did a LOT of research to find a "great" oral surgeon this time around, and especially because my wife is involved, and I only want the best for her.

Its not a cosmetic issue, its because I have no upper molars on either side, and am missing premolars too. Nothing to chew with against a full set of teeth on my lower jaw (albeit they're mostly crowns, but they've held up well).

What is an implant (dental implant)? First, assuming you have enough bone mass where the missing tooth is (if not, you get bone grafts, or in my case I need sinus grafts). When that heals, then they cut your gums open and drill a small hole into the bone. INto the hole goes a little titanium post. Then it takes 3-4 months for that to heal over.

When its healed, they then cut your gum again (not as much this time) and they take the "cap" off the top of the implant, and screw in another titanium thing called an "abuttment". The abuttment sticks out of you gum. That takes another 2-3 months to heal. Finally you go to a regular dentist (not all implant surgeons will do the crowns) and get a crown attached to the abuttment.

Then you got teeth again. Won't decay, but sometimes will "fail" a few years down the road due to "tangential" forces, such as grinding, which they don't hold up against as well. It is very important to have the total implant as perpendicular to the surface of the bite as possible to eliminate the tangential forces.

doc

[felixe the dog]

Had 1 last year and it cost $6500, so your quote sound about right.