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Researching Dental Implants

Thanks in advance for any feedback I receive!  I need to replace all of my teeth ASAP.  I believe dental implants are my best option, however the cost is very high ($35k - 150k).   I have seen the Dental Implant Surgery clinic ads (e.g. Clear Choice), and am also considering going to Mexico  or Costa Rica for the procedures.   Does anyone have personal experience with these alternatives?  What criteria did you use when selecting your provider?  What was your experience?  What options  should I consider?  What solutions do you recommend or discourage?   I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area.  Would you recommend a provider?   

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I have AARP n PPO DENTAL INSURANCE 

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Periodic Contributor

Hello, I am also researching total dental implants. Lost upper teeth 3 yrs ago and cannot wear dentures. I am here in Louisiana. Does anyone know a good oral surgeon in Louisiana? Going overseas is an option. Any ideas or suggestions on where to go for quality and cost? Thank You, Tim
Matt 25:31ff
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Hi there,

 

I have been suffering now since October 2009, when my tooth cracked (gradually) from a very old car accident.   I just want you to know that THE DOCTORS do not tell you in advance what happens to you,  or to your implant(s), when one mistake is made.  THEY CONVENIENTLY LEAVE THAT OUT OF THEIR PITCH.  Ex of mistakes:  Not enough bone, complex grafting needed, not enough soft tissue, put the implant in the wrong angle or position.  Puncture of nasal cavity or sinuses..... etc.   And the problem with the buccal plate if it is not preserved,in the front teeth, known as the esthetic zone.  I have done at least over 100 hours of research, because I NOW know, not just once, but multiple, repetitive times, what happens when an oral surgeon, periodontist, or general dentist makes a mistake.  I also know neglect and abandonment, when they make the mistake, and drop you like a leper, because they do not stand behind their work.  

 

Mind you, all it takes is ONE mistake, or error.   Then, you lose all the gum tissue above the implant, like I have.  All your natural gum, and/or even grafted new gum tissue. Bye Bye, if the dental provider places implant too far buccally, or off angle.  They all acted like implants are the holy grail, but they are not. 

 

The most complications that happen are in the esthetic zone, and the other are near the sinuses.   I have chart of failures from the Periodontology Journal, that  describes every possible mistake/failure of implant with little diagrams.   I am a living example, and now suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, due to the fact that my 2nd reconstruction of the same implant was not planned properly.  EXAMPLE !! :   No CBCT scan for bone imaging, and no surgical guides, and this is at a very famous place in my state.   I begged for them to repair, but a year of begging, and going on other consults, and I got the infection:  Peri-implantitis.   Not only did this place not diagnose the infection, they lied, said I did not have one, and to let it be.  So unethical !  I could have died if I listened to them.  My infection was a full 5 to 6 months, because nobody would debride and laser it.  A small percentage of people do die from oral infections.   I begged by phone, and paid for umpteen consults.  The implant was protruding out of the bone.   I NOW HAVE METAL HANGING OUT OF THE BACK OF MY IMPLANT, it is not in the bone, because that is how it was placed. I lost all my natural gum tissue above it, and the 2nd time the grafted gum tissue above it.  I am concerned about the adloining teeth, and if the bone loss (since it was never grafted right) will affect the adjoining teeth.  I am still in jeaopardy, not to mention the anxiety, sadness, and insomnia, and have spent thousands.  I cannot begin to tell you how many lies I have been told, so people could take $$$.  

 

There is NO way on earth I would recommend all teeth be done by implants.  That infection affected many aspects of my health negatively, and swallowing blood and pus daily was no fun.  My life, and dental implant is now in LIMBO.....

If you need the website for the Periodontolgy Journal that shows the actual ways an implant can fail, please reply.   Mine was only one tooth in the esthetic zone, and it was from an old accident; it cracked, and it has overwhelmed my life, taken my joy, and my $$.   The next specialist wants $14,000 to fix all the mistakes for one implant, after all totalled after surgery, consults, reconstruction, grafting, travel, lodging, rental car, expenses, I have spent about that already. 

 

ON just ONE !  If you were replacing one or two....... but the whole mouth, in my opinion, as a recipient of bad work, would be playing with lots of fire.   If you are ok with that, then go to the very best, top of the line practitioner with a high success rate.  Oh, and I am not the only one..... there are blogs on this topic. 

 

 

 

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@gsrtexas wrote:

Thanks in advance for any feedback I receive!  I need to replace all of my teeth ASAP.  I believe dental implants are my best option, however the cost is very high ($35k - 150k).   I have seen the Dental Implant Surgery clinic ads (e.g. Clear Choice), and am also considering going to Mexico  or Costa Rica for the procedures.   Does anyone have personal experience with these alternatives?  What criteria did you use when selecting your provider?  What was your experience?  What options  should I consider?  What solutions do you recommend or discourage?   I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area.  Would you recommend a provider?   

@gsrtexas, if I am reading your post correctly, you have already made the decision to have dental implant replacements.  Now your question is whether other posters here have had the implant procedures done in Mexico or Costa Rica and if we could give you the benefit of our experiences with "out-of-country" dental surgery procedures and if we could recommend a provider and/or give criteria to help you in your decision-making process.

 

So far, it appears that the responders have had their procedures done in the US and I am no different in that regard, so we have little to offer except our own experiences with implants performed here in the US.

 

Frankly, I am not much in favor of the "immediate" replacement type of implant.  I have had two individual implants and they were a process that took approximately 6 months each.  Both began with bone grafts in the gums and the implant stems were not installed until the grafts had "taken" and new bone had formed around them.  The actual prosthetic crowns were not put into place until it was determined that the stems were fully surrounded by the bone...as proven by radiologic procedures.  The prep work and surgery were performed by a periodontic surgeon and my regular dentist placed the crowns and secured them.  Each surgery was approximately $2,800 and the prosthetic and dental work $1,500-$2,000 depending upon the crown.  The beauty of this system is that both docs guarantee the work for a lifetime and any adjustments or repeat procedure costs nothing.  My only problem was that one prosthetic screw was approximately a millimeter too short and the prosthetic vibrated it's way out after the small filling placed over the screw (in the crown) popped out.  It was an easy fix.  No problems with the implant stems at all.  I am contemplating two more procedures.  I have no hesitation about whether or not it was worth the cost.  I believe it was.

 

My brother & S-I-L both have multiple implants, done by a surgeon in their area ~200 miles north of me.  It has been 10 years since their first implants and both are completely happy with their results.  None of us are restricted in what we are able to eat.

 

I imagine, in the area where you live, it would be rather expensive and would no doubt prompt you to seek a less expensive solution.

 

If you have been living with dentures or have osteoporosis, I would not be surprised to hear that you would need bone grafts so please keep that in mind.  I had neither as a risk factor yet still required the grafts in order to build up the bone.

 

Perhaps another poster may come along with the experience you are asking about.  In the meantie, are you on Facebook?  Perhaps you could make an inquiry among your followers as to their experiences...and ask them to ask their followers.  You might get a quicker and more specific answer that way.  Another possibility is the website called Nextdoor.  It puts you in touch with your neighbors and you can ask for recommendations for dentists & periodontists they've had experiences with.  You can even go beyond and ask if anyone has had the procedure in Mexico or elsewhere.  You can have them PM you on the site if you choose.

 

One thing is sure...medical/surgical travel is becoming more & more popular for certain procedures and it never hurts to do your due diligence if you are thinking along those lines.  Good luck to you and I hope you find answers that will help you make your decision quickly!

"Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness." ~ Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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@gsrtexas wrote:

Thanks in advance for any feedback I receive!  I need to replace all of my teeth ASAP.  I believe dental implants are my best option, however the cost is very high ($35k - 150k).   I have seen the Dental Implant Surgery clinic ads (e.g. Clear Choice), and am also considering going to Mexico  or Costa Rica for the procedures.   Does anyone have personal experience with these alternatives?  What criteria did you use when selecting your provider?  What was your experience?  What options  should I consider?  What solutions do you recommend or discourage?   I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area.  Would you recommend a provider?   


A great big Colorado hello, @gsrtexas.

 

ALL your teeth? Really? Ouchie.

 

I've had 2 dental implants; both for the same tooth. The first one was indeed one of the first ones in the country. The process back then (1980) was rather barbaric, as the dentist at one point stood astraddle me and drilled into bone. Think Doctor Frankenstein; I certainly did. I dreamed I was being attacked with a jackhammer for months afterward. But I have to say that tooth looked perfect!

 

Until it failed due to bone loss.

 

Then I had to have it removed and a second implant installed. The process (this was 1992) was much improved, however the appearance of that tooth, I think is far inferior. Also, this implant involved two oral surgeries aimed at repairing the bone loss from the initial implant. Neither surgery worked, and indeed I was spitting bone fragments for months. (Seriously fun times ... not so much)

 

This second implant is now beginning to twist. Rather, the peg is twisting in the bone and I am going to have to have it replaced. I do not have sufficient bone for a third implant and frankly do not want a third implant.

 

I cannot imagine having 100% implants. A total carnivore who adores the pleasures of food, I cannot imagine trying to enjoy the act of eating with implants. Remember, I have a major bone loss issue that relates to my one and only implant. I have never been able to tear or chew with this implant. 

 

I hope this is somehow helpful to you.  Best wishes.

 

"The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical." Julius Erving
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Regular Contributor

I'm in the early stages of getting a bridge for my two bottom front teeth.

Two of my teeth were pulled and I have a temporary bridge right now. This is after many years of getting cleanings 4 times a year. It had gotten to the point that the cleanings were getting on my nerves with all the scrapings. The dental assistant also used the machine which cleaned quicker, but I was always on the edge of my chair. 

There's nothing better than our own teeth but of course, there are always problems.

I will say, it's a very expensive treatment and I've thought long and hard over spending over $4,000 for this procedure.

I trust my dentist who I've been going to for years. (By the way, he's not in my dental network, so I always have to pay more out-of-pocket, but I hate going where my insurance company RULES me).

So far, I'm still getting used to the temporary bridge. It will take time. My cosmetic appearance definitely looks better, so I'm content with that.

I, myself, chose to use CareCredit. As long as I pay the balance off within 12 months, I won't have finance charges. Wish I could have paid cash, but that's another story.

That's my experience. Hope this info helps someone out there.

Chloe
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