I'm not losing a tooth, I'm gaining a ____?

[El Chivo]

implant? denture? bridge?

After 13 years and three root canals, my right molar is giving up the ghost. It wears a gold crown but is cracked somewhere and is letting in bacteria. So it has to go.

My dentist is suggesting an implant, whereas I am leaning more toward a removable denture. Basically I want no more infections down in the jaw, and I'm thinking once it's healed - keep it that way. Anything I can take out I can clean. I REALLY don't like the idea of a giant titanium screw lodged in my jawbone. But people like them. I'd like to hear from those who have been down this road.

I'm not sure I trust dentists anymore, the last one kept asking me "Is it safe?"

[Tycer]

.......the last one kept asking me "Is it safe?"

Chills just ran down my spine. Ooooooooh.

"It is not safe!"

[Griff]

...a more interesting smile???

I've lost my RRL molar, the 2nd has broken in half and now the 2nd RL is just a shell. I'm having the same discussion w/my dentist next month. I'm thinking about the implants, but need more facts before I go that much farther in debt.

[Old Ironsights]

Hillbilly smile?

[jager3]

I just had a crown put on my left rear molar 5 days ago to complete the "implant" procedure. My dentist (a cousin) recommended the implant; for I had a "dead" tooth that had to be removed. The procedure was in 3 stages: (1) removal of the tooth, implant "socket" put into the jaw bone (drilled), and a "post" installed (2) I was to give the implant two months before the next procedure to make sure there were no problems of "rejection" or infections, which there were none, and I had a "mold" done on the 2nd appointment so the crown could be made (3) my 3rd and final appointment (5 days ago) "torqued" the implant "post" into the socket and the crown "fitted" precisely in place. Very little pain was experienced during any of the procedures or after.
I am very pleased with the results and prefer it greatly to a "bridge" or temporary tooth that has to be taken out and cleaned (I've had one of each of those for 15 years!). The "temps", if attached to another tooth tends to destroy the adjoining tooth over time and seems to collect every food particle put into one's mouth. (Others may have had better experiences, but I have not.) Although fairly costly, I much prefer the implant to other alternatives. I hope my experience is of some help.

[jnyork]

My wife has three implanted teeth, they have been in there for several years with no problems. From living in a senior citizen community, I know LOTS of people who have them and have never heard of anyone having any complications, other than having to pay for them.

[mikld]

Just pull them. Hurts for a while, but trouble free from then on...

[Hagler]

I'm not sure I trust dentists anymore, the last one kept asking me "Is it safe?"

Yes, Olivier & Hoffman, 1976. A little clove oil will soothe it:



Shawn

[rossim92]

I'm not sure I trust dentists anymore, the last one kept asking me "Is it safe?"

Yes, Olivier & Hoffman, 1976. A little clove oil will soothe it:



Shawn

I know that feeling! When i had my crown put on, the dentist used compressed air to dry my original tooth before gluing the crown on, made it feel like five hangovers at one time, I howled at the moon on at one. No problems so far though. the only thing i hate about doctors is dealing with needles!

[Pitchy]

Hillbilly smile?

Yep that`s what i`m doing, hate them dentures.

[Mike D.]

My upper right rear molar has been gone for years. Now the lower right rear is cracked and has to go because it's doing the same bacteria thing. Don't know if the ortho will remove a chemo patient's tooth. That'll make three teeth gone, not counting wisdoms. Uncle Sam pulled those 45 yrs ago.

[Blaine]

Implant. JMHO

[msmith1228]

Which molar (it makes a difference) ?

[rjohns94]

My son had 6 implants after a mountain bike accident. He has no problems in 7 years. It's quite a process but worked out well for him

[El Chivo]

I just had a crown put on my left rear molar 5 days ago to complete the "implant" procedure. My dentist (a cousin) recommended the implant; for I had a "dead" tooth that had to be removed. The procedure was in 3 stages: (1) removal of the tooth, implant "socket" put into the jaw bone (drilled), and a "post" installed (2) I was to give the implant two months before the next procedure to make sure there were no problems of "rejection" or infections, which there were none, and I had a "mold" done on the 2nd appointment so the crown could be made (3) my 3rd and final appointment (5 days ago) "torqued" the implant "post" into the socket and the crown "fitted" precisely in place. Very little pain was experienced during any of the procedures or after.
I am very pleased with the results and prefer it greatly to a "bridge" or temporary tooth that has to be taken out and cleaned (I've had one of each of those for 15 years!). The "temps", if attached to another tooth tends to destroy the adjoining tooth over time and seems to collect every food particle put into one's mouth. (Others may have had better experiences, but I have not.) Although fairly costly, I much prefer the implant to other alternatives. I hope my experience is of some help.

Thanks for the info, I don't want anything to destroy the "good" teeth. I would almost rather leave it out and have the space there but she says it lets the other teeth move around, especially the one above it, without any opposition it tends to drop down and get sensitive. I wouldn't mind something put in as opposition to fill the space, and could take it out to eat. But I didn't like the look of the attaching wires on the sample I saw.

I've seen a lot of dentists advertising implants for $399 and my dentist offers them for $599 - but it might be a trick. Remember the old Midas commercial? A guy walks into the muffler shop and says "I want the $19.95 muffler special". They hand him a box and say "here's your muffler". The guy, taken aback, says, "A-aren't you going to install it?" They say, "Oh, you want it INSTALLED? Gonna run ya a little more".

I could imagine my dentist coming out of the back room, handing me a little box with a screw in it and say, "OK, here's your implant. Oh, you want INSTALLED? Gonna run ya a little more".

[El Chivo]

Which molar (it makes a difference) ?

lower right molar, second from the back - my main chewing anvil for 50 years.

[deafrn]

I had a cracked molar replaced by an implant within this last year and have and zero problems with it yet, while the roughly half century of miscellaneous old-school dental work (and rework) is a continual pain in the... mouth. The time it takes for the bone to grow back seems a tad long, but the procedure itself is no big deal.

Would I have it done again? Yes! A couple of fellow over-the-hill types have lamented to me about their not even being given the implant option when they got their bridgework.