WWYD????

What if your dentist told you that, due to trauma and orthodontics YEARS ago, your tooth had a very guarded prognosis and may need to come out?

What if this was your front tooth?!?

What would you do - do the "guarded" treatment which means root canal and watch the tooth, or just have it extracted and place an implant?

I am worried because I am not sure how esthetic an implant in the front will look. Things look very nice right now, and if she didn't tell me anything, I would never have known there was an issue.

I have good insurance, and the guarded treatment (which may not even work in the long run) will cost less than $200, while I don't think very much of the implant is covered (probably over $1000).

I don't know what to do, and obviously it is causing me to lose much sleep over this!

Re: WWYD????

i would fix it so you wont have issues in the future... if that means spending the $$ for the replacement tooth... then thats what i would do... i dont mess around with my teeth... if something needs to be done, even thought it may be more expensive, i do it

ask your dentist if he has a payment plan... i know my dentist will let me pay off expensive things over the course of a few months

good luck!

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With the way my finances are now, I would do the cheaper option. $1000 is TON of money to me. (drives me nuts that the other thing wouldn't be covered - your dentist is TELLING you it's needed. It's not cosmetic. I hate insurance!)

It's a hard decision but I would do the cheaper one hoping it's enough.

Re: WWYD????

I would do the cheaper treatment for now. While it may not be a permanent fix, it can buy you a few years.

Implants are about $3000/$3500 from what I know. I had one in the back, but not the front. I'm not sure if it's more or less for the front.

Your dentist might be able to work out a payment plan or you might be able to go through a company like CareCredit payment plans.

ETS, an inplant will look like a regular tooth in the front. You wouldn't be able to tell it is an implant at all.

Message edited 4/12/2009 10:22:49 AM.

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I don't have advice as far as what you should do for treatment, but I did want to share that my husband knocked one if his front teeth out when he was a teen and he's had a fake tooth there ever since. You would never, ever know the difference. He has no restrictions as far as what he can or can't eat. He just can't use things like Crest Whitestrips because they wouldn't work on the fake tooth.
Good luck!

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My teeth are giving me such issues.. that I am going to say get the implant. You will most likell have problems with the tooth in the future and get an implant any how.

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Posted by kimbalina

My teeth are giving me such issues.. that I am going to say get the implant. You will most likell have problems with the tooth in the future and get an implant any how.

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Posted by Jenna04

Posted by kimbalina

My teeth are giving me such issues.. that I am going to say get the implant. You will most likell have problems with the tooth in the future and get an implant any how.

I agree - you may need an implant in the long run. But these implants are not cheap though and its alot of work. My friend just had one and had to have this retainer thing with a fake tooth because they have to make room / or take a mold for the implant and wait a few months to put it in (I cant remember the full story). Hmm tough decision

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We were just talking about this at Easter dinner. I would try to save your tooth for as long as possible. My mom had one implant that got an infection and it was the worst pain. That doesn't always happen, but my mom said that she'll never do an implant again.

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I'm really freaked out about it. She said they may need to extract and wait for it to heal to get the best results. Then I would have to wear this removable tooth in the meantime!

What's worse it that I may need to have multiple teeth done because the damage from the trauma was so extensive to the roots.

I am freaking out since I know it is probably so expensive. I don't know if I should bite the bullet now, or just keep it in mind, try to hold onto it with the root canal, hope for the best and start saving.

If these were teeth in back, fine, but they are my front teeth! I have nightmares of my teeth just randomly falling out. I can tell the one she mentioned is the worse is looser than the rest.

Re: WWYD????

Is this a dentist you have been going to for awhile? If not, I would get a second opinion. Different dentists do things differently.

From my experience, they try to do what they can to save the tooth first, then talk about extracting it.

The tooth I had an implant on..I had a root canal first, then a few years later, it hurt again and I had an apaco where they surgicaly remove the root. When that didnt work, they pulled it and did a permanent bridge. I wouln't recommend that b/c they had to damage the teeth on the sides to do it but implants werent very popular back then.

So, I got the implant the 2 inlays on those damaged teeth. More work in the long run.

Message edited 4/13/2009 11:09:52 AM.

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i just had an implant put in a few months ago and it was a pretty painless procedure (MUCH to my surprise!) I am generally a HORRIBLE dental patient and i have TONS of anxiety! What happens with the implant is they have to screw in the titanium screw into the jaw, and it needs to stay there for 4-5 months till it fuses with the bone. Once it is fused, the dentist then places the artificial tooth. If it is a front tooth, however they give you a prosthetic to place there.

GOOD LUCK with your decision!

Re: WWYD????

Posted by Mere09

I don't have advice as far as what you should do for treatment, but I did want to share that my husband knocked one if his front teeth out when he was a teen and he's had a fake tooth there ever since. You would never, ever know the difference. He has no restrictions as far as what he can or can't eat. He just can't use things like Crest Whitestrips because they wouldn't work on the fake tooth.
Good luck!