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Orthodontist just mentioned to us today that after braces my daughter would need an implant or bridge for the gap she now has in her front top teeth. What the heck is he doing? I'm kind of wondering if maybe he messed up, pulled to many perminant teeth and now this is how he gets out of it.
I had braces when I was a kid and never heard of this implant stuff. I was thinking about legal action because he never said a thing about an implant in the beginning or we would not have gotten the braces. Is this really common practice today or do I have a problem? Please help..
Quote:
Originally Posted by BLAZER PROPHET
A few thoughts from a claims adjuster who specializes in dental malpractice.
Implant- The upside is that you're not messing with any other teeth. It's a very invasive process and more can go wrong, ie, infections, lack of proper integration, grafting that doesn't work well... and can really mess up that area. But when they work, they are the best thing. Also, it is something I would never recommend having done by a general dentist- only by an Oral Surgeon or other specialist as so much can go wrong and having to re-do an implant is not a fun experience. Make darn certain the bone they are drilling into is wide enough. My general dentist was just going to drill it in, but I went to an oral surgeon for a second opinion and found my bone was not wide enough and I would have had a mess on my hands.
Bridge- The upside to a bridge is that it's safer (in general) and bridges can easily be re-made or replaced if they break or wear out. The down side is that you are essentially crowning the two abuttment teeth. If the bridge is not very well made (suggest a prostodontist) you will have problems with the abuttment teeth, that will usually lead to root canals and eventually loss of teeth. However, for some people (like me with my bridge) it's the only option as I cannot have an implant.
All this to say these types or procedures have their own set of risks associated with them. I would perfer an implant myself. The success rate is over 90%- and that's pretty good.
If you have any other detailed questions, feel free to PM me.
Orthodontist just mentioned to us today that after braces my daughter would need an implant or bridge for the gap she now has in her front top teeth. What the heck is he doing? I'm kind of wondering if maybe he messed up, pulled to many perminant teeth and now this is how he gets out of it.
I had braces when I was a kid and never heard of this implant stuff. I was thinking about legal action because he never said a thing about an implant in the beginning or we would not have gotten the braces. Is this really common practice today or do I have a problem? Please help..
well, my POD (plain old dentist, she calls herself) told me that I needed implants, when I wanted the bridge replaced, and told me that the bridge w/ 2 pontics (sp?) would be $4K, and the 2 implants would be $12K, so it is very expensive. Problem with my POD, is that she really did not give me all of the information, I trusted her and paid $500 for a bone graft that it now seems I did not need or want, since it was not required for the bridge. Going for a second opinion, what a mess, have had this hole in my mouth since June! How do you find a dentist that you can really trust?
Two years ago I lost two of my front two teeth in an assault when I was punched in the mouth. The injuries were so severe that I lost a small portion of bone that the two teeth were attached to. As a result of this, I could not have implants installed. I had a bridge installed. So far so good. The bridge cost close to $5000 and I had to wait 4 months to have it installed until my injuires healed. I hated being toothless for that time. It was humilating and and speech wasn't the same. My dentist told me that the bridge should last years without any problems. However, I was warned that I needed to be careful when I eat certain foods because if I bite too hard into something very solid and then tear away, this could make the bridge break. So I have to be careful when I eat things like bagels. In addition, I have to keep my dental hygiene good because if acids start to build up, this can possibly eat away at the cement that was used to attach the bridge.
I hate dental work!!! I have a bridge, and after 4 years there has been no problems. Although I already had the front 4 teeth capped, I ended up losing a tooth, thus needing a bridge. I was able to stretch the temporary bridge for 1.5 years, as I ran out of money! The dentist was amazed.
My dentist did not tell me about the possibility of needing root canals in the future, but why would he...
I recently had mini-implants put in by an excellent dentist. I know people who had a lot of trouble with their implants and I had to be talked into getting even mini-implants but I'm so glad I did.
i'm starting to get chips in all of my front teeth now and don't know why. The dentist says a I need 4 root canals, several crowns and a deep tissue cleaning that includes general anesthia. So far the estimate is over $12,000 and have lost a lower front tooth since I visited him. My dental insurance only covers $1000 per year until I'm elegible after one year and I'm worried I will be toothles by then and I'm only in my early 40s! None of my siblings have these problems and I'm at my whits end because I don't know what to do.
i have crowns on my top 4 teeth in the front the 2 canines on both sides completely shot. cant be saved they will have to come out so far they have not bothered me.and i've been going to a dental school to lower the costs but they have done nothing they keep putting me off. saying i may need a bridge instead,implants or they may be able to just do a root canal. but the way they are shaped(like pointed at an angle)they may find it hard to cap. so i think im just going to apply for 2nd mortgage and go to a real oral surgeon and get it done right. but then i think that my 4 front capped teeth are almost 15 years old.wont they fall out sooner or later and need to be replaced then i think well maybe full dentures for the top but im only 42 and in good health. i just dont know what to do...
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