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I’m wondering why everyone’s dental issues get to this point? If you neglected your mouth for all these years…why? Pay now, or pay later. Sorry.
It's not always a question of neglect. Some of us are blessed with better/stronger teeth than others. As has been mentioned, some had fluorinated water while others did NOT. Some inherit a tendency toward cavities/tooth decay while others don't. As a child, my best friend and I ate all the same junk and candy together. I took after my mother (who had dentures by 40 despite NOT eating candy) and have had a terrible time with my teeth despite brushing and flossing properly. My former best friend still hasn't had her first cavity all these decades later. So it's not necessarily anyone's "fault."
One option is medical tourism. Go to Mexico, for instance, and get the work done a lot cheaper than you can in the US.
That didn't work out so well for the Americans who were recently kidnapped and murdered (assuming "medical tourism" was the real reason they traveled there).
I’m wondering why everyone’s dental issues get to this point? If you neglected your mouth for all these years…why? Pay now, or pay later. Sorry.
I was raised by parents whose lives were ruined by alcoholism and poverty. They did not attend to their children in general, let alone their children's teeth. As soon as I could go to a dentist myself, I did. I had to have a lot of very bad teeth removed. Since I was getting charity dentistry, high end fixes were not an option. Later on when I had more resources I ended up getting more restoration work done, but that work itself doesn't last forever, so I've spent a lot on fixing the earlier fixes. I'm really not taking on the implicit judgement of a random person on the internet that I have "neglected" my teeth, but I hope should a random person imply such a thing that they feel a lot better about themselves for having done it.
Sorry if I missed it up thread, didn't read all the replies...
One option is medical tourism. Go to Mexico, for instance, and get the work done a lot cheaper than you can in the US. I had some dental work done there for a fraction of the cost.
The downside of course is that if something goes wrong you don't have the legal recourse you do here. But the guy who worked on my teeth lived in the US (he drove across that morning just like me), was trained in the US, had lots of equipment etc. He told me he did business on that side because of how expensive malpractice insurance would be in the US.
25 years later, I have no complaints. A root canal and crown ran about 80% less there.
Implants can take multiple visits over 6 months. So unless you live near the border it might not be feasible for implants.
First the Oral Surgeon:
Have teeth pulled and bone graft material inserted. Wait 3 months for bone to fill in. Get implant posts inserted. Wait 3 months and then get checked that bone has grown around the posts.
Then back to the Dentist for:
Impressions.
Wait for teeth to be made.
Installation of teeth.
I've always said that I could travel the world on the money I've spent on my teeth.
I never had great teeth and as a teenager I needed a few root canals and crowns. Lots of cavities because we didn't have flouride back in those days.
So when I had to get an implant I did my homework and asked around. It really makes a difference whether you go to an honest, experienced dentist or a guy who just cares about money. A good reliable friend recommended the dentist who made my implant (upper and near the front) and then I went to my regular dentist to have it put in.
It's been about 18 years now and the only problem I've had was that it felt sort of loose one time. But the dentist I have now joked around and said I had a screw loose !!!!! lol and he went ahead and fixed it. That was a few years ago and it's been fine.
Maybe the implant was about the only good luck I've had with my teeth. I've never had dental insurance and always tried to get recommendations from reliable friends when looking for a dentist. You go to those dentists who are part of a chain and I think you get what you pay for. My friend who recommended his implant dentist has an entire mouth of implants! It's been over 20 years now and he's never had a problem.
I lost a back molar and asked about an implant and was told no one would put an implant back there unless it was to support a bridge. The second molar is the chewing tooth. I let the back one go after a long fight to keep it - I just wanted to keep it as long as possible and there was no infection, so I got an extra 3 yrs from it. Since losing it, I've had no issues at all and they tell me the area around the one next to it has improved greatly in terms of stability.
The problem is that everyone's mouth is individual and what happens is nothing you can predict. However, if you're taking a poll, I'm in the camp with replacing the last molar in back with an implant is a waste of money. But if you ask a surgeon about surgery.... Old saying about if the only tool you have is a hammer, your problems all start to look like nails.
I lost one molar due to stupidity (neglected to treat a cavity, it got infected, had to be removed), and got an implant, im very careful with my remaining teeth and will floss 2-3 times a day if needed. Eventually. I do plan to get full veneers.
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