Community Chat

[sgraham30]

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@colliemom4 wrote:

I have a bridge. It seemed the easiest way to go at the time. No problems with it. My husband has one too. I know many people that have implants with no problems. @sunshine45 is the thing you are talking about called a flapper?

It's actually called a flipper (like the dolphin)

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[tansy]

I went with a permanant bridge on my back upper teeth.  The bridge was pricey but an implant was even more so and I needed to have my "sinuses lifted."  LOL.  I didn't care for the sound of that and wanted it all over with as quickly as possible.  I'm happy with it.

My husband had several implants done maybe 10 years ago and he's very happy with his and has not had any issues.  He needs to decide if he's going to do another one or go with a bridge on another tooth now.

[reiki604]

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@151949 wrote:

Implants are very expensive and sometimes they fail and have to be removed - of course no refund to you when they fail. I would never pay for one.I have 2 bridges and I am content with them.

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I think it depends on the dentist. I have both bridges and an implant. The implant failed a couple of months after completion. My dentist removed and replaced it for no cost and I haven't had any trouble since. He does charge me if a bridge gets loose and has to be recemented.

[Imadickens]

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@emma bunting wrote:

I've had two implants. No problems with either one....they are like my own teeth. Big bucks, though.....but your teeth are important!

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I went through the pain and cost of having a broken tooth extracted by a specialist only to find out I couldn't have the implant as I'm one of the very few people in the world (so I'm told, anyway!) allergic to titanium! My plan is to go with a bridge, which my dentist said can be made to fill in the three missing uppers for the same price only one tooth would cost! However, I'm lucky my missing teeth are in the back and in able to be seen unless you are in my mouth looking for missing teeth! I am having no trouble chewing or eating, and none of my teeth have shifted badly (I had a crowded mouth to begin with) so I will wait until I have more insurance money from which to draw!

[Imadickens]

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@151949 wrote:

Implants are very expensive and sometimes they fail and have to be removed - of course no refund to you when they fail. I would never pay for one.I have 2 bridges and I am content with them.

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My other option was a permanent bridge. That's where they put a crown on the two surrounding teeth and build the missing teeth attached to those. The big problem is the anchor teeth could absess, destroying the whole deal if it isn't possible to drill through the appropriate crown without cracking it, to give the bad tooth a root canal! 

[viva923]

have had a bridge since early 90's. Not a lick of problem with my bridge.

my husband just had a bridge put in 2 months ago. He too lost a tooth (cracked in half) and was self conscience of the open hole left (tooth was on left side of his mouth upper area).  Dentist put in a real nice bridge. Can't tell which is his regular teeth and which is the new tooth. He likes the new tooth.

[hsawaknow]

I have had a bridge lower right side for about 20 years now and I have never had any problem. Think about what is right for you, where is the tooth/teeth located, how much your budget will allow if insurance doesn't cover the whole cost, things like that to consider before you decide.

[patbz]

I was at the dentist yesterday with DH.  Our longtime hygienist told us about another patient who needed multiple implants.  Said patient thought cost was prohibitive and went to another dentist who pulled all his teeth and made dentures--which he decided he didn't like.  So back to our dental specialists who did implants (now complicated by no teeth--he needed something now with magnets).  The implants now cost $35000 (plus whatever he had paid for dentures).  DH needed implants ,bone graft,sinuses lift etc ($30000).  We financed it on both our care credit cards (no interest) well worth the money!

[Irshgrl31201]

I have a good friend who I worked with who went to see about dental implants. She wanted two and they were for front teeth that were damaged badly when she was in a car accident and the air bag hit her face.

I was surprised to hear if they fail, they fail and you get no money back. I don't know why I assumed it would be different because when I think about it, it does make sense if the dentist wasn't negligent. She wasn't a candidate anyway because she smokes and is on an immune suppressant for psoriasis. Both cause impeding of healing to the point where it wasn't advised at all and some dentists won't even do it for either situation at all or without a ton of legal waivers signed. 

I think they sound great for an ideal candidate but that is a lot of money to lose if it fails. I think she said she was quoted $4500 for each tooth including the screw that goes into the jaw (ouch, i had no idea), implant and crown. 

I know a couple of hockey players who got them after they retired and they really do look great. 

[raven-blackbird]

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@Goodie2shoes wrote:

Had to have a tooth pulled recently and for cosmetic reasons I am thinking of replacing with either a dental implant or a bridge. Anyone had either procedure? Are you satisfied with the results ?  Cost effective ? Thanks for the feedback

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@Goodie2shoes    Here is the issue with both procedures


IMPLANT.........with an implant, a post is placed in the mandible or in the maxilla, depending on what tooth you are replacing.........that post serves as the base or tooth replacement for the crown to be cemented to...........now the plus is, no other tooth structure is compromised............any time you cut/drill into a tooth you are compromising it, as ANY restoration will have leakage and that leakage, because no material expands or contract at the same ratio as dentin or enamel, bacteria can get into that fissure and get at the "softer" dentin and decay the tooth...............down side, implants don't last all that long for the amount of money you pay for them.......their lifespan is about 10 years.


BRIDGE.........okay, this is where a pontic or false tooth is suspended in the void where a tooth was, being supported by the tooth behind and in front of the extraction area............down side I've already mentioned above..............plus side is it's lifespan is longer then an implant


both will present some hygiene problems, the bridge more so then the implant, but in both cases it's important to keep the gingiva (gums) healthy to extend the life of the appliance...........................raven