Dental implant

[Rezie]

I have this one tooth that has been an issue for years. Root canal has been done, cavities and chips have been fixed several times. Out of nowhere the crown just fell off. There is no root left and the crown looks really bad so I believe that whatever is left in there is bad. Dental implant seems to be the way to go.

It is a tooth at the back and you cannot see something is missing when I smile (even a super wide grin). My insurance doesn't cover dentist unless it is due to some type of trauma. I'm also not able to get it cheaply from the NHS since it is not medically necessary.

I read about the procedure and it doesn't sound pleasant. The cost is also estimated around £2200. I can technically afford it but it's a significant chunk of my savings. Does anybody have a dental implant or decided not to have one? How has it been?

I'm having another evaluation with the dentist so I'm not basing any medical decisions on this thread.

I’ve seen plenty in my time. Can work really well. The dentist in my practice who places them says they should just 15 years - that’s average some last longer
They have to be kept super super clean though or you risk it failing
But yes it’s worth it

I’ve had the same happen as you OP. I opted to leave a gap when I had the rest of the tooth removed. Mainly because it wasn’t visible and my dentist reassured me it shouldn’t cause any problems. If it was visible I would’ve opted for implant.

Interestingly the teeth must have spaced out a bit as the gap has gotten smaller. I had a bite guard made by dentist due to teeth grinding in my sleep and looking at imprint of my teeth the gap looks really small now!

15 years is shorter time than I expected. I'm sure if I had it, it would feel worth it assuming there are no side effects. My teeth have been a mess ever since I had them. That's another reason why I'm a bit reluctant since I feel like there is so much work to be done. I've just had the initial talk so we haven't checked my jaw bones or anyhting yet and I haven't had a proper pro/con evaluation. If it was visible then I would definately get it done.

@mintbiscuit I read somewhere that a person had the tooth that was above the missing tooth to move aswell since it didn't have a pair.

Thanks for replies!