Partials vs implants

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BeachPerson
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Partials vs implants

Post by BeachPerson »

My teeth have been my biggest medical expense. Braces twice, crowns, bridges, root canals, and fillings.

I had a Maryland bridge put in back in 1981 that connects to a crown. While eating a rice crispie cake, both were sucked out. 10 years ago, salt water taffy also sucked out a crown. No more salt water taffy for me and now no more rice crispie cakes.

My dentist has been great, he always saves teeth when possible and looks for the most cost effective treatment. He was able to get the crown and bridge back in today, but gives them about a year left. Then in December I could allocate money in my flexible spending account.

Getting two implants with crowns would be $4,500 a piece. He did say that patients often get a partial for $700 and have been happy with them. He left me to think on that option too for next year.

With insurance, I would pay 60% of the implant and then use money from my flexible spending account.

My mom had partials and did well taking them in and out.

Anyone go the partial route???
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lululu
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by lululu »

Why not a regular porcelain bridge? I would think that would be cheaper than implants, and better looking and easier to care for than a Maryland bridge. Also less time consuming to install.

My Mom had a partial. It did not look well. The metal is visible.

If you actually had your bridge last 30 years, you are very lucky. That's two to three times the life expectancy of a bridge.

I have a regular bridge and also got a cantilevered bridge to save the tooth on one side from being ground down. What the dentist did not tell me was that the teeth in the cantilevered bridge are made oversized to reduce the stress. I hate the darn thing. If I had realized how out of whack it was before it was cemented in, I would never have done it. Perhaps I should chomp on some taffy or Rice Crispy cakes...
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ResearchMed
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by ResearchMed »

I've got several implants (artificial, metal "stem", top is regular crown).

One nice thing is that they don't do anything "to" the neighboring teeth, the way "attached bridges" do, *IF* I understand that correctly.

About to get another.

On the other hand, I've got a lot of fillings that are 40, 50, 60 years old, so it's no surprise that they are failing, and the "shell of the tooth" around them isn't so sturdy, or is finally cracking. Not fun when that happens.

I'm trying to get this all taken care of, to the extent possible, given our future travel plans.
MUCH prefer not to have a tooth crack or a big filling fall out in the middle of a cruise, or in some small town in a foreign country.

Yes, the dental implants are expensive.

(Um, have you considered adding the word "dental" to your header? :wink: )

RM
john94549
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by john94549 »

I have a lower partial that I wore once or twice, then relegated to a drawer in the guest bath. Expensive paper weight, as it were. When I lost two adjacent teeth on the upper right side within the space of two months, I vowed to go the implant route. Having the implant(s) done by my favorite tag-team, my personal dentist and his brother (who specializes in implants). Brother does the insertions, my dentist does the new (fake) teeth, some months later.

Not at all as expensive as I had thought.

Be wary of those outfits who tout "in-and-out" in a day. The new insertion (the metal screw) needs time to allow the bone to "grow" around the screw. Takes about three months. Then, you're ready for the new "tooth".
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ResearchMed
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by ResearchMed »

john94549 wrote:I have a lower partial that I wore once or twice, then relegated to a drawer in the guest bath. Expensive paper weight, as it were. When I lost two adjacent teeth on the upper right side within the space of two months, I vowed to go the implant route. Having the implant(s) done by my favorite tag-team, my personal dentist and his brother (who specializes in implants). Brother does the insertions, my dentist does the new (fake) teeth, some months later.

Not at all as expensive as I had thought.

Be wary of those outfits who tout "in-and-out" in a day. The new insertion (the metal screw) needs time to allow the bone to "grow" around the screw. Takes about three months. Then, you're ready for the new "tooth".
"In and out in a day" for a tooth implant? Agree - absolutely no way.

And after the implant has "taken", then there is taking the mold of the teeth, and then having the crown manufactured, by another lab in our case.

But it's been worth it. It's really like having the natural teeth back, but no cavities to worry about :happy

RM
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munemaker
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by munemaker »

davidkw wrote:My teeth have been my biggest medical expense. Braces twice, crowns, bridges, root canals, and fillings.

I had a Maryland bridge put in back in 1981 that connects to a crown. While eating a rice crispie cake, both were sucked out. 10 years ago, salt water taffy also sucked out a crown. No more salt water taffy for me and now no more rice crispie cakes.

My dentist has been great, he always saves teeth when possible and looks for the most cost effective treatment. He was able to get the crown and bridge back in today, but gives them about a year left. Then in December I could allocate money in my flexible spending account.

Getting two implants with crowns would be $4,500 a piece. He did say that patients often get a partial for $700 and have been happy with them. He left me to think on that option too for next year.

With insurance, I would pay 60% of the implant and then use money from my flexible spending account.

My mom had partials and did well taking them in and out.

Anyone go the partial route???
I had one implant last year and am having 3 more done now. My insurance covers almost none of it. To me, implants are a bargain. They feel just like your own teeth. Aside from the money though, it is quite a lengthy and involved process and the procedure carries some risk. Like the thread on luxeries, what is important varies from person to person.
davebarnes
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Implants

Post by davebarnes »

After almost 20 years with an implant, it is the only way to go for me.
The process takes about 2 months if done correctly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_implant
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wshang
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by wshang »

If money is a concern, implants plus crowns can be had in Costa Rica typically for $900-$1000 per tooth. There are reputable oral surgeons/dentist who do just this for dental tourists. PM me if you are interested as I just got back and am satisfied with the quality.
curmudgeon
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by curmudgeon »

I've had a partial (upper) for about 40 years. Two teeth that never came in. The less expensive plastic partials tended to break and need repair fairly often. I eventually had one made out of stainless about 20 years ago and it has lasted since then. If you have other teeth that may go, you may be facing the same question again.

I've considered doing implants before, and I may finally get around to it this year. It's not that I'm frustrated with the partial, but I do like the implant concept.

If there's a chance that somewhere down the road you might lose all your natural teeth, having a couple of implants to anchor the dentures could be really helpful even if you didn't keep replacing all the lost teeth with implants. Hopefully you won't face that, but some folks just have a lot more trouble with teeth than others.
lululu
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by lululu »

I will add that a relative had a number of implants, and they all had to be removed due to what he was told was "bone loss." A very expensive, painful and useless episode.
whomever
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by whomever »

FWIW, I had an implant a couple of years ago for something like $2500; might be worth shopping around. This was in Seattle.

My experience has been that it's just like having a real tooth.

It does take awhile, it took something like 6 months for mine to fill in (the procedure is they pull the old tooth, fill the hole with powdered bone or something, and wait until your bone infiltrates and fills in the hole). I skipped the temporary cosmetic replacement, so I had a nice redneck grin for a while :-).
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by TomatoTomahto »

lululu wrote:I will add that a relative had a number of implants, and they all had to be removed due to what he was told was "bone loss." A very expensive, painful and useless episode.
Some of the variance in cost and time is driven by what caused the need for implants in the first place. Bone grafts, for example, are expensive and add to the time required. I have had considerable bone loss which made some of my natural teeth non-viable, but my implants have taken hold and are probably the most secure teeth in my mouth.

Implants for me; life is too short for partials.

Btw, on the issue of pain: my first implant was 25+ years ago, and that was painful. My most recent implants were almost embarrassing not painful (embarrassing because I scheduled it so I'd have a weekend to recover, and it was a big non-event).
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
musbane
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by musbane »

Another vote for implants.

I've had seven or eight (actually lost track of the total) in the last 25 years.

Zero trouble with any of them and the procedure has become more comfortable over the years.

Of course I could have taken the money and invested it in low cost index funds and be one or two hundred grand richer now.

I've had trouble with my teeth all my life and for me, implants are a wonderful thing.
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rob
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by rob »

I had an implant for a tooth that had been through the root canal, crown, bridge, huge fillings e.t.c. mess over the years. I went the implant path mostly it was because that tooth was an anchor for the rest (first molar), so if I lost it the others would develop issues.....

While it was pretty unpleasent, it was far less painful than the root cancel process for me - although it's a longer process. I did NOT need bone anything and the process was pretty quick.... maybe 1 month between the extraction and pole seat then another few weeks for the pole itself and another few weeks for the crown.

It was however damn expensive.... insurance paid zip / nada / zero / nothing (ask me what I think of the insurance company :-) ) for the implant part (they only would pay if it was an accident and not elective... like I elected to go through that process) and coughed up about 1/2 for the crown part only.
| Rob | Its a dangerous business going out your front door. - J.R.R.Tolkien
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by TomatoTomahto »

rob wrote:It was however damn expensive.... insurance paid zip / nada / zero / nothing (ask me what I think of the insurance company :-) ) for the implant part (they only would pay if it was an accident and not elective... like I elected to go through that process) and coughed up about 1/2 for the crown part only.
Dental insurance always makes me think that it's actually the anti-insurance. It will pay for a cleaning but not an implant. I know that since it's optional for people, they have the moral hazard issue, but I tell people that if auto insurance were run according to the dental insurance model, it would reimburse for oil changes but not for accidents.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
Drelk3
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by Drelk3 »

As a tooth doctor, I would always recommend implants over a partial if cost is not an issue. Keep in mind that there are likely limits to your dental insurance policy. You may hit the yearly maximum on your insurance, which will leave you paying more out of pocket. Your coverage may only cover certain parts of the overall implant procedures. You could have your dentist authorize the procedures which should give you some idea as to the extent of the coverage. It sounds like you have a conservative rather than aggressive dentist. I would let him guide you.
gogleheads.orb
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by gogleheads.orb »

I had a Maryland bridge for roughly 10 years. It came out a lot and eventually I lost it. At that point I went for the implant. It was more the 2K. I was in grad school and didn't have any dental insurance. That was 10 years ago. It was the best money I have ever spent. It is indistinguishable from any of my other teeth.
davidkw wrote:My teeth have been my biggest medical expense. Braces twice, crowns, bridges, root canals, and fillings.

I had a Maryland bridge put in back in 1981 that connects to a crown. While eating a rice crispie cake, both were sucked out. 10 years ago, salt water taffy also sucked out a crown. No more salt water taffy for me and now no more rice crispie cakes.

My dentist has been great, he always saves teeth when possible and looks for the most cost effective treatment. He was able to get the crown and bridge back in today, but gives them about a year left. Then in December I could allocate money in my flexible spending account.

Getting two implants with crowns would be $4,500 a piece. He did say that patients often get a partial for $700 and have been happy with them. He left me to think on that option too for next year.

With insurance, I would pay 60% of the implant and then use money from my flexible spending account.

My mom had partials and did well taking them in and out.

Anyone go the partial route???
Student2
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by Student2 »

Just another vote on going outside the US: I vote for Canada. Like with healthcare, dental care in Canada is MUCH less expensive than the US. Yes, depending on where you live, you may have to pay for a plane ticket and accommodation, but that may still be much less expensive than paying for an implant in the US, even after the repeat trips (and you would have to figure out just how many that could be reduced to). Dental care in Canada is comparable to the US and you can converse in English. An added angle to explore would be to see if your insurance company would agree to pay in-network costs. It's entirely possible that the Insurer's in-network costs in Canada would save them money compared to you staying in the US.

Amazing, isn't it?
TRC
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by TRC »

If you don't go with an implant, your bone will "resorb" (ie. shrink) and jeopardize the adjacent teeth. An implant tricks your body into thinking there's a real tooth there and will prevent the bone from shrinking.
linuxizer
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by linuxizer »

TomatoTomahto wrote:Dental insurance always makes me think that it's actually the anti-insurance. It will pay for a cleaning but not an implant. I know that since it's optional for people, they have the moral hazard issue, but I tell people that if auto insurance were run according to the dental insurance model, it would reimburse for oil changes but not for accidents.
It'd be adverse selection, not moral hazard. But you're right-- it's a really severe problem in the dental insurance market. My option for a plan costs about $350, includes 2 cleanings/year free, and covers at most $1100 in costs. Not much insurance. In fact, likely a death spiral or close to it.

If you want to understand adverse selection and death spirals, there's a video and article here.

Now back to our usual (dental) programming. Of interest since I've had a lot of dental work lately--fortunately only small cavities but a few per year despite good oral hygiene.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by TomatoTomahto »

linuxizer wrote:It'd be adverse selection, not moral hazard.
Yes, right, and that, in turn, would be a senior moment. :oops:
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
wilked
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by wilked »

Agree with the others, implant is definitely the best option. I have three and no regrets, feel just like regular teeth. If you can't afford them I would think about going to a different country to get it done. I have heard good things about Tijuana dentists
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SpringMan
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by SpringMan »

$4500 a piece sounds a bit on the high side for implants. The implants I have had in the last couple of years were $1800 for the implant and abutment, plus $900 for the cap for a total of $2700 each. These were cases where there was no additional bone needed. I am currently getting a couple more implants at $3000 each were additional bone is being used. Now if a sinus lift is involved that is a different story and total could easily exceed $4500. I am not saying dental work is something you should bargain shop for, good dental work is invaluable.
Last edited by SpringMan on Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Best Wishes, SpringMan
dhodson
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by dhodson »

im happy with my 2 implants
p14175
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by p14175 »

I just got 2 implants. The cost was about $3000 each and I don't have insurance.
gailcox
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by gailcox »

I just got my first implant on tooth #30. When my dentist told me I had cracked the crown of tooth #30 she said an implant would be a better choice than a partial because they have to grind the teeth on each side of the partial. I went to a specialist in the area that only does the implant. I had to go back to my regular dentist for the crown.

I chose to be sedated for the tooth to be pulled. At that point, I also had the bone graft done. I had to heal and recover from the graft for a couple months. The point was to make sure the graft 'took' and that my body didn't reject the graft. The solution he used for the graft was cadaver bone and it was as fine as sand. I lost a little of the 'sand' during the 2 month period but my Dr. was great about getting me in to check it out. He said some loss is normal. I healed well with no issues.

A couple months later, I went back to for the abutment. I chose to be sedated again. I'm glad I did. When I woke up I had a 'peg' in the place where the tooth was. I had to let this heal for awhile. Once healed, I visited my regular dentist and she fit me with my crown. The crown is now in and it does feel like a normal tooth. I'm having a hard time remembering that I can chew food on that side of my mouth tho. For 3-4 months I was pretty careful about chewing on the implant side of my mouth.

I forgot to say that I chose to have an MRI of my mouth/sinuses so my Dr. could be very careful about not getting that abutment near my sinuses or nerve. I'm glad I did that too, as I am working with a girl whose Dr. got her abutment screwed in too far up into her sinus and now she is experiencing terrible headaches and pain above where the abutment is. She hasn't had her crown placed yet and she is freaking out.

Mine was expensive and only covered partially by my dental insurance. Knowing my mouth, I'm certain I will have more implants as I age. I will go back to the same Dr. He told me that he fixes a lot of the implant mistakes that people have, when they get them at a "One day implant" place.

Good luck!
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rob
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by rob »

p14175 wrote:I just got 2 implants. The cost was about $3000 each and I don't have insurance.
Mine was more than that a few years ago and I supposedly DO have insurance :-/ You did well....
| Rob | Its a dangerous business going out your front door. - J.R.R.Tolkien
toofache32
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by toofache32 »

Interesting stuff. I'm a dentist that places dental implants routinely and I'm learning a lot here about people's experiences, concerns and perceptions. I might add that there are definitely situations when attaching a crown at the same time as placement of the implant can be beneficial, such as to mold the gums to the proper contour for front teeth. But these are always temporary crowns and you absolutely cannot chew with them for about 3 months until the final crown is made. They are only for smiling with.
john94549
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Re: Partials vs implants

Post by john94549 »

Had the two titanium rods installed today. Two adjacent teeth, upper right side. Totally un-eventful. An hour, start to finish. Neither pain nor even discomfort this evening. Hint: go with nitrous oxide rather than a general. The dentist/periodontist really needs to interact with you during the procedure (e.g., "open wider", etc.). Also, with nitrous oxide, you can safely drive yourself home. Looking forward to my two new "fakies" in four months or so.

PS: Don't be shy to ask about "cash discounts". For the un-insured portion of my tab, writing a check for the total today saved me 5% off the regular tariff.
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FrugalInvestor
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Re: Implants

Post by FrugalInvestor »

davebarnes wrote:After almost 20 years with an implant, it is the only way to go for me.
The process takes about 2 months if done correctly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_implant
I also highly recommend implants if you can afford them. I have had two implants for about 7 years due to old failed root canals and they're fantastic, just as good or better than natural teeth. In my case I needed to have bone added to have a strong enough base for the implants which required surgery into the sinus area. It was very expensive. Hopefully this will never be necessary again but if it were I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
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