Implants vs dentures

[spirits]

Oh, to be getting old. My dentist wanted me to get upper dentures 2 years ago but I resisted since my front 4 teeth are fairly good. I have since been referred to a peridontist in the hopes of keeping my bottom teeth which have deterioted quite a bit in the last two years. I have an upper denture already paid for just waiting but the peridontist thinks he can work with the uppers with some implants coupled with partial dentures. Same with the bottom. Any opinions re dentures versus the other route?

 

[McKShr6]

I have a partial upper denture and I am very satisfied with it. I had root canals and crowns on several of my upper teeth, which I eventually still ended up getting extracted. It is embarrassing when a crown comes off . I wasted a lot of money before I gave in and got the partial plate. Now if I have a dental emergency while travelling I just carry an extra partial plate.
I have my own lower teeth , my dentist warned me to take very good care of my lower teeth, because a full lower denture doesn't usually stay in place very well. If it becomes necessary I will probably pay for implants for the lower jaw.

 

[DeniseM]

This is an informative thread from the past - Dental Implants

 

[Passepartout]

Oh, to be getting old.

Beats the alternative...

I have full plates upper and lower. I was told my bone structure wouldn't support implants. With adhesive, I can eat anything and nothing clicks or whistles. I had the upper plate for 4-5 years before I took the full plunge. I got uneasy about having constant low grade infection around the roots of my still-good teeth. If you can have some implants for anchors, the dentures will be more secure. It really depends on how well the studs bond to the bone. And how well your insurance covers. Dentures take some getting used to. At first they feel like you have 2X4's in your mouth. I know you and your dentist will make the best decision for you....

Good Luck!

Jim Ricks

 

[summervaca]

I have had dental problems because of an accident I had when I was very young. It is tiresome!

Last year I had implants on two of my front teeth and two crowns on the teeth surrounding them. Mine was a bigger than usual pain because I had to have extractions and a bone graft before the implant surgery. While everything was healing, I wore a partial plate. As it turns out, I do not love the way the implants feel, but it is certainly a huge improvement over the plate!!

In my opinion, the implants are the way to go. Just be prepared for the fussing around and expense that goes with it. To my knowledge, there are no dental plans that cover dental implants. (I may be wrong on that. I hope so We paid $12,000 for mine

Good Luck! I'm sure you will be satisfied no matter what you choose. Dentistry has improved so much in the last 10-15 years!

 

[normab]

I love implants!!!!

I have had lots of crowns and root canals over the past 20 years--my roots are not so great. 10 years ago I got my first implant (when a failed root canal forced the pulling of the tooth) at the cost of about $3000 (NJ pricing)for the implant work and the crown. It is the best tooth in my mouth.

As my roots continued to deteriorate, I was getting second root canals and then new crowns. I added up the cost and realized that it is cheaper in the long run and IMHO, better for your gums, to get implants. They are permanent, and since they reside in the gum, the gum actually stays healthier.

Also, I went to an endodontist this time around, who did the extraction and implant in one sitting, which costs less than traditional extraction followed by implantation weeks later.

One more bonus, in the last couple of years my dental plan started to cover part of the implants, which it did not 10 years ago. So under my plan it now is costing me about $1600 for all the work even though costs have risen. And that is a tooth that will never have pain or decay!!!

If you decide to go the implant route, seek out a dental professional who does the one time extraction/implant. It really was a quick heal and saves some money too!

Best wishes for a pain free mouth!

 

[Wonka]

One more bonus, in the last couple of years my dental plan started to cover part of the implants, which it did not 10 years ago.

)

I sure wish I had your insurance plan, which is it?

 

[normab]

to wonka

My plan is through Metlife. I am not sure if all of their plans have the coverage or just my employer's plan. But it is the first time I have seen such coverage.

 

[bogey21]

If you have good bone, implants are the way to go. I've had six for almost 10 years now. 1000% satisfied.

George