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A lump that forms on the inside of the lower jaw under the tongue is called a mandibular torus. ..........anyone had complications and what are they?
I have two oral specialist and one says the torus needs to be removed for dentures or a bridge.
The other specialist says leave the torus there and use a bridge held in place with 3-4 mini implants.
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I have two oral specialist and one says the torus needs to be removed for dentures or a bridge.
The other specialist says leave the torus there and use a bridge held in place with 3-4 mini implants.
Specialist #1 is approaching this in a very conservative and cost effective way. You can still have implants later if you choose- but don't wait too long due to bone loss after extractions.
Specialist #2 is offering a more costly but state of the art method.
To me, neither is "better". It's more what you can afford and your comfort level.
Specialist #1 is approaching this in a very conservative and cost effective way. You can still have implants later if you choose- but don't wait too long due to bone loss after extractions.
Specialist #2 is offering a more costly but state of the art method.
To me, neither is "better". It's more what you can afford and your comfort level.
#1 (dentist) and the oral surgeon he referred me to for the tori removal, and 3 extractions, has a cost of $4,388.00. That does not include going back to the dentist for an upper partial and lower partial and their prices are $784 each. We are up to close to $6,000.
However, the oral surgeon has asked me what % I can afford to pay, of that $4,388.00.
The dentist does have a sliding scale for dental work, but not for the plates.
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#2 (Periodonist who took impressions, extracted 5 teeth and fitted a front partial at a free clinic) owns 11 dental offices. He said "if it were him," he would try to afford 3-4 mini implants, and a full lower bridge, and leave the tori there.
From a web page on the cost of the minis, I see this:
"When considering implants for dentures we typically place 4 implants in the lower jaw to lock the denture to it, and 6 in the upper jaw. These implants are always used immediately and cost $750 each."
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That would be $3,000 for 4, not counting the cost of the extractions of all 9-10 lower teeth.
[quote=howard555;25776902#2 (Periodonist who took impressions, extracted 5 teeth and fitted a front partial at a free clinic) owns 11 dental offices. He said "if it were him," he would try to afford 3-4 mini implants, and a full lower bridge, and leave the tori there.[/quote]
Personally, this would be my option. Mini implants have less downside and are easier to deal with if they fail.
Personally, this would be my option. Mini implants have less downside and are easier to deal with if they fail.
I agree with the periodontist myself.
Too much surgery just for a 4 tooth, left side, lower partial plate.
He was volunteering his services at a free clinic, 150 miles from my house.
There was 0% chance he ever saw me again, so his opinion would seem to have no motivation as far as $$.
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The dentist who has the full mouth plan, referred me to an oral surgeon. I saw him on Monday.
I asked for all the possible options, on the lower teeth.
Twice I said my Uncle had suggested a lower bridge and 3 minis.
Both times, the surgeon said that the dentist's plan to remove all tori, pull 8 teeth, repair 3 teeth, and create upper and lower partials, was their opinion, on what was best for me.
I got the 5 teeth pulled and have an upper partial. I got the 3 teeth repaired.
That leaves 3 more extractions, plus the tori removal plus a new upper and lower partial.
This oral surgeon is basing his plan, directly on the plan from the dentist and no wavering. He is agreeing with the dentist, that all of the above, is the way to go. He said, the tori will get worse and worse and at some point cause problems. I asked what those problems were. He said soreness.
The periodontist on the other hand, felt that the tori, which may be 40+ years into it's lifetime, is not worth removing, just for a side partial.
I agree with him, but I'm in a corner with the other two. They are basically saying, take our plan or never come back. That is the feeling I get. I'm not supposed to be my own dentist.
If the surgeon agreed to let me pay 20% of the $4200 then that is $850 plus the two partials is another $1568 or a total of $2418, unless the dentist has some way to give me a discount on the plates.
Any other dental services through him, my co-pay is 20%.
My idea, is to leave everything like it is. If one of the 3 teeth they want to extract, becomes a problem,. I can then make a decision on their plan. As long as I do not totally walk away from their plan, I'm sure they would see me in the future. If I get one of these pulled, or repaired, somewhere else, then go back to them, they'll know I was going around them, and politely refuse to offer me services, especially at a huge discount which is due to my income.
You're already having problems with your brand new plate that didn't cost you anything, because the guy who put it in for free wasn't able to fit it properly, due to these bits of bone sticking out from your gum.
Imagine spending the *rest of your life* with that problem, except, it gets worse every 2-3 years, so after around 30 years of having problems, it's around three times as bad as it is now. And - in 30 years, it's around 8 times more expensive to fix, because - not getting it fixed when it's recommended, leads to even MORE problems down the road, and those problems compound on previous problems, creating new problems that you never would've had at all, if you had not tried to get the cheap way out, and gotten the most appropriate way out instead, in the first place.
Sounds to me like you got what you paid for. A mouth full of problems and a badly fitting partial.
You're already having problems with your brand new plate that didn't cost you anything, because the guy who put it in for free wasn't able to fit it properly, due to these bits of bone sticking out from your gum.
Imagine spending the *rest of your life* with that problem, except, it gets worse every 2-3 years, so after around 30 years of having problems, it's around three times as bad as it is now. And - in 30 years, it's around 8 times more expensive to fix, because - not getting it fixed when it's recommended, leads to even MORE problems down the road, and those problems compound on previous problems, creating new problems that you never would've had at all, if you had not tried to get the cheap way out, and gotten the most appropriate way out instead, in the first place.
Mandibular torus is lower bone between the tooth (as you know)
So, partial top plate, some minor bone outside top gum, are all top.
This plate is an economy over night model.
It can also be trashed a few years down the road for another one.
The periodontist had no motivation to give me bad advice, since he'd never see me again.
He knew my age, he saw the tori, and he said he would leave it exactly where it is.
He surely was looking "long term."
On the other hand, the local oral surgeon is following a script written by a dentist.
A dentist who is not an implant specialist like a periodontist.
When a periodonist says the lower tori should not be removed, when there was a 0% chance that he would be the one to "sell" me a lower bridge and 3-4 mins, his opinion is to be respected.
When a local oral surgeon says that a lower bridge on 3-4 minis still requires the tori to be removed, you must begin to wonder.
A. I can take the opinion of a periodonist who owns 11 dental clinics.
B. I can take the opinion of an oral surgeon who caters to patients from the county health dept.
I'm leaning toward A. for obvious reasons. He was the one who spends his 40 hours per week, doing nothing but surgery, implants. He leaves the rest to his other 10 offices.
The perio guy had no motivation to give you -good- advice either, because he knew he'd never see you again. He has no vested interest in caring about you, or your mouth. He probably told you what he felt you wanted to hear, based on the tone and wording of your attempt to get advice from him. It's easier than spending a lot of time dealing with one "patient" when there are over 1000 on the conveyor belt waiting to send down to the next available dentist in the church yard.
Get'em in, pack'em up, move'em out. That's what they volunteered to do, and that's what you got. If you don't like the answers you're being given, don't ask the questions. Seems like you've already made up your mind to take the easy way out. Good luck to you.
I do not see anything abnormal about getting two opinions on my lower teeth.
The health dept. dentist sends several referrals to the oral surgeon, per month, maybe more.
There were 3 of us in the office at the same time last Monday.
They have a system - process in place, and for the oral surgeon to abandon the plan created by the dentist, would be a slap in the face of someone who is sending him (the oral surgeon) dozens and dozens of patients per year. (= $$$$)
I'm convinced the periodontist gave me his honest unbiased opinion.
When you get two opinions on a car repairs, medical surgery, whatever, you have to pick one.
The bottom line, at this point, is that I do not think I want to have a lower partial and an upper partial.
I'd prefer a complete lower bridge with 4 minis. But, it's not something I can afford right now.
I'll give my teeth a breather for a few months and re-evaluate.
Well, well, well, a 3rd dentist-surgeon-periodontist opinion. We had a family reunion over the weekend and a cousin mentioned tori when they found out I had a plate. My tori is 2 pieces about equal in size. Their's is 3 pieces.
Now their dentist had a great opportunity to sell them surgically removed tori, but they did not.
What was his dentist's opinion? At their age, their tori won't grow any more.
That's 2 opinions to leave the tori where it is, my mouth and cousin's mouth.
The periodontist felt, as I do, that such surgery was too much just for a 4 tooth side partial.
If I was going with a full lower, yes, take the bone out, if a bridge was not affordable.
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