Dentists pushing implants (vs other options) (tooth, pain, infection, sinus)
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I am seriously considering dentures at 62. I just broke a back tooth and I've been putting off getting another tooth fixed on the other side where the old filling came out. I don't have insurance and I'm not interested in paying thousands for crowns or implants.
I have an implant on a front tooth and it's been great.
And dental insurance is not a rip off. With a coupon that costs like $150 for the year you could save something like $1500 on an implant procedure.
My implant when all was said and done was something like $1500. I've had it for 4 years and its been great. Considering I wore a flipper for almost 2 years before that, that was the best $1500 I've ever spent in my life in terms of cost/benefit.
Anyway, the bottom line is if you want a crown, then some dentist will more than glad to give you a crown whether it's the wise move or not...
For me personally, I would never do a crown or bridge for a front tooth.
But to answer the question, it is my experience that they push the lower options first. Because of ease of procedure more than cost. An implant takes a long time. My dentist recommended a crown first and then when it failed, I went to an Oral Surgeon who pulled the tooth and put in a post. I don't think too many dentists would recommend a bridge these days when implants are so plentiful.
I have an implant on a front tooth and it's been great.
And dental insurance is not a rip off. With a coupon that costs like $150 for the year you could save something like $1500 on an implant procedure.
My implant when all was said and done was something like $1500. I've had it for 4 years and its been great. Considering I wore a flipper for almost 2 years before that, that was the best $1500 I've ever spent in my life in terms of cost/benefit.
Anyway, the bottom line is if you want a crown, then some dentist will more than glad to give you a crown whether it's the wise move or not...
For me personally, I would never do a crown or bridge for a front tooth.
But to answer the question, it is my experience that they push the lower options first. Because of ease of procedure more than cost. An implant takes a long time. My dentist recommended a crown first and then when it failed, I went to an Oral Surgeon who pulled the tooth and put in a post. I don't think too many dentists would recommend a bridge these days when implants are so plentiful.
It depends on the situation and health of the tooth. I have one tooth with resorption and at one point tried to get a post/crown (abroad, at a dental school, where it would have been really inexpensive) and was flat-out told no. My tooth was too weak, the resorption could come back, and the only option if I needed a replacement would be an implant. For now, the dead tooth is just there, looking terrible, until I need a new tooth. It has been there, looking terrible, since 2002. It is a lower canine.
"Implants sound great! But since they are so costly, I will go to Mexico for the implants at 30% of the cost. Are there any other options I should consider before I schedule my trip?"
When we lived in South Korea, we found a lot of dentists who were trained in the U.S. And their costs were around 50% cheaper than the U.S. (and my South Korea friends still said I paid too much).
As a side note, prescription glasses with frames were about 80% cheaper than in the U.S.
When we lived in South Korea, we found a lot of dentists who were trained in the U.S. And their costs were around 50% cheaper than the U.S. (and my South Korea friends still said I paid too much).
As a side note, prescription glasses with frames were about 80% cheaper than in the U.S.
But this is America, the land of major capitalism...high costs, high living and lots and lots of WASTE.....
To the OP, when I had a major problem with my teeth I sought out a prosthodontist instead of a dentist. They are trained in all manners of teeth correction and mine didn't push one over the other. Dentists will always push implants.
first off do you have dental insurance ? if so that is why they are pushing implants they want to bleed your insurance for all it is worth . Dentures are not pushed so much anymore because they dont bring in the big dollar amounts like implants do . It is a money game plain and simple . My cousin wanted to have implants at one time after a car accident and her dentist was so gung ho . She started researching problems with implants and she decided against it and i think you should do the same research implants try and find everything you can on implants . They wanted me to get implants too but I did not and never will have dental insurance . So therefore the talk of implants died real fast . again a money game . Dental insurance is a rip off does not pay to have it . but if you already have it then research everything on implants . Good luck .
IF I had mega-bucks I would chance implants, however, I've read about many implants gone bad after some time.
I have except for one tooth a full mouth of bridgework done about 25 years ago and now my lower front 8 unit bridge is in danger of being lost because of the 4 teeth holding it failing - the bridgework though has held up quite well.
I now have gum recession and one tooth on the top shows its root.
My Tuesday dental appointment will tell if dentures are in my future and 18 extractions one being a lower wisdom tooth (eek), I'll see if I'm happily proven wrong.
Since my adult teeth grew in, it has been a real real struggle to keep them and my mouth happy no matter how many times per year (many more then 4) I go to the dentist or how many times per day I brush my teeth.
first off do you have dental insurance ? if so that is why they are pushing implants they want to bleed your insurance for all it is worth . Dentures are not pushed so much anymore because they dont bring in the big dollar amounts like implants do . It is a money game plain and simple . My cousin wanted to have implants at one time after a car accident and her dentist was so gung ho . She started researching problems with implants and she decided against it and i think you should do the same research implants try and find everything you can on implants . They wanted me to get implants too but I did not and never will have dental insurance . So therefore the talk of implants died real fast . again a money game . Dental insurance is a rip off does not pay to have it . but if you already have it then research everything on implants . Good luck .
The insurance isn't a big factor. Unless you have some Cadillac plan, the moist insurance will pay in a year for EVERYTHING is typically $1,500-$2,000 and the percentage they pay on major work such as implants is usually 50% or so. So- if you have had nothing else done in that year (not even cleanings) they might pay that $1,500 or $2,000 on a $5,000 implant. That will get reduced by the cost of any other work you've had done during the year. Future work done in the year won't be covered since you've maxed out your annual limit. You're on the hook for the rest of the cost of the implant.
Dentures aren't as popular, IMO, because from what I've read, the jawbone shrinks over time due to loss of stimulation from the teeth chewing. So, your dentures start to slip and eventually you have to have new ones made. Rinse and repeat every few years. Have you ever been around someone with ill-fitting dentures? They slip when they talk and what they can eat is limited.
I have 5 implants. put in over the last 10 years. I love them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jobaba
And dental insurance is not a rip off. With a coupon that costs like $150 for the year you could save something like $1500 on an implant procedure.
My implant when all was said and done was something like $1500. I've had it for 4 years and its been great. Considering I wore a flipper for almost 2 years before that, that was the best $1500 I've ever spent in my life in terms of cost/benefit.
Technically that's not dental insurance- I think that's more like a discount plan if you use dentists and specialists in-network. My dentist had a patient who used an in-network oral surgeon- the implant was just a teensy bit crooked so the prosthetic tooth didn't go in at the right angle. I don't know how he fixed that but I'm glad it wasn't in my mouth.
Kara, don’t get dentures unless you have no other options. A top denture can be made well enough to work but bottoms never fit right because there’s no suction to hold them in. They will hop around when you talk. Imagine cutting even a sandwich into child size pieces to eat.
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