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Original poster

Dental implants??

18 replies

Itsthawooluff · 21/09/2006 22:40

As a result of getting a hockey ball in the mouth I have 2 crowns on my front teeth, but as I've had them 20 + years, they are breaking regularly - like every year, I have 2 weeks of walking around like Pirate Poll with no front teeth until they get fixed again.

I've been giving some thought to having dental implants. Has anyone had them done? Any words of wisdom, please?

Thanks

OP posts:

ComeOVeneer · 22/09/2006 16:00

I would go for it. You would need to be assessed for suitability (good bone density etc) and to determine which method would be best for you. There are 2 methods -

the existing roots are removed the implants inserted and allowed to heal.
the roots are removed and a temporary denture fitted. Once healing has occured the implants are placed.

Both will give the same results, it is down to the surgeons preference which one he/she does.

It isn't too unpleasant to have done (especially as the mouth heals up very quickly), not that I have had it done, but several of my patients have.

They aren't cheap though (you are looking at a few thousand). They have the advantage over a bridge in that they don't use any other teeth to hold them in place, and obviously nicer than a denture which is bulky and has to be removed at night. HTH

Original poster

Itsthawooluff · 22/09/2006 20:52

Thanks COV. Did any of your people go overseas to have them done?

OP posts:

SherlockLGJ · 22/09/2006 20:54

Hockey balls have a lot to answer for, they are the reason I have a Maryland bridge in the front of mine.

poppyh · 22/09/2006 22:11

Itsthawooluff ,
I have the same problem, my 2 front teeth are missing now as Im waiting for my crown to be replaced. (I hit a wall when young!)
I also have been looking into dental implants as a more long term plan, although I cant afford it yet.
I have heard its cheaper to go to Budapest and get it done there.
Let me know what you decide, as i sometimes feel like the only person with this problem and I would be interested as I hope to have implants one day.
Good luck!

livelife · 22/09/2006 22:16

I'll be watching this thread to see what you do so keep us posted. i had 2 crowns - the ones either side of the 2 top front ones but went over handlebars and smacked face on road in June fracturing the root of one. now got a bridge which i'm not happy about but implants are soooo expensive so i've got no choice at the moment. am alive though so hey ho

HappyMumof2 · 22/09/2006 22:18

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Itsthawooluff · 24/09/2006 08:12

From what I've read, I think even if the implants are fitted straight away (being the titanium posts) then you still have at least 6 months while they wait to see if the knit to the bone is strong enough before they add the crowns (the teeth bit)onto the implants.

Like Happymumof2, I'm dreading this 6m wait with a denture. I'm only 41, and the prospect of taking any part of my teeth out before bedtime makes me squirm!! But, each time the crown breaks I'm risking damage to the remaining tooth roots into which the posts are currently fixed, so sooner or later it it going to need to be done. Probably should do it sooner whilst younger and therefore better bone density, ??
Eitherway, even going to Budapest would be in the region of £2,000 as opposed to £6/7k in UK, so it will take me a while to save it, toothy

OP posts:

SecondhandRose · 24/09/2006 08:20

As you have crowns it means you have the roots of your teeth left, stick like this for now. Your dentist should not be leaving you without temporary crowns whilst you wait for new ones, these are very easily made plastic ones that will last a couple of weeks.

If you have the roots removed you will lose the bone support that gives your face and lips shape, please only have an implant as a last resort. Implants are pretty major surgery, do not take it lightly and they can be rejected.
I qualified as a nurse in 1987.

Furball · 24/09/2006 08:30

Dh has just had his front tooth put on his implant post last month or so and it looks amazing! He chipped his front tooth 20 years ago and it was just crumbling away. Last december he had it removed and was given a false tooth on a plate which he never got on with and didn't wear. After 3-4 months they put in a titanium post which you can't actually see as it's pushed into the bone and is flush with the gum. He then had a temporary tooth put on for 1-2 months before they colour matched the actual tooth exactly and now you wouldn't know. He says it still feels weird now even a few months on because you have no sensation in that tooth. It cost £2K.

geekgrrl · 24/09/2006 09:11

Hungary is supposed to be the place to go for dental implants (you probably know this already) - they have more dentists than anywhere else in Europe and the dentists have had much more extensive training than here or in other Western European countries. And the implants cost about half or less than they do here.
Dh is planning on getting two implants done next year, he's going to go to Hungary for it.

geekgrrl · 24/09/2006 09:16

woops, just read the other posts, you do indeed know all this already

FWIW - my dd had a bone anchored hearing aid impant done this year - the same titanium post used for dental implants, but in her case it sits in the skull behind her ear and sticks out of the skin a bit (sounds worse than it is, honest). It didn't seem to bother her much at all. Osseointegration took 4 months.

SecondhandRose · 24/09/2006 18:17

When you have an implant it is a 'foreign body' in your body much like a hip replacement, when you have dental work after an implant you need to take antibiotics beforehand to prevent the implant being rejected. Basically anything to do with dental work usually involves bleeding and when the bleeding mix with the bacteria this bacteria can 'attack' the implant. I don't know exactly how it works but I'm sure someone on here will.

HappyMumof2 · 24/09/2006 18:36

Message withdrawn

geekgrrl · 24/09/2006 21:38

secondhandrose, I've never heard that before (and I do know a lot about this hearing aid implant dd has, which as I said is exactly like a dental implant, only that it sticks out behind her ear rather than inside the mouth). I have never heard of a bone-anchored implant being rejected by the body, and it is not one of the risks cited by dd2's consultant prior to surgery.

SecondhandRose · 25/09/2006 07:42

It only involves taking 3 sachets mixed with water before and after treatment. Well, maybe they dont' do it anymore but we always did if we had anyone in with an implant or hip replacement etc.

Jessie2 · 08/10/2006 16:02

I am pretty sure I am going to lose my front teeth within the near future too, I sucked my thumb until I was a teenager and as a result have had crowns on my front teeth since I was 19. These teeth are now causing me loads of discomfot. I am pretty sure I want implants rather than dentures but tears come to my husbands eyes at the thought of how much they cost. Has anyone had implants done? are they worth the money?

CountryGirl2 · 12/10/2006 10:35

Hi there - I had an implant about a year ago, having lost a pre-molar (incompetent dentist - long story). I didn't want to have a bridge and my new dentist, who is brilliant, had all the info on implants and reassured me by saying that it's now a routine part of training for all dental students. She sent me off for a scan to find out whether the bone density was OK, which it was. Then I went for the first part of the process, which is sinking the titanium post into the bone. It's slightly odd as everyone (including the patient) has to be gowned as in an operating studio, but it was just done in the normal dentist's chair and was surprisingly easy. OK, it's an operation and feels most peculiar at times - but not painful in the slightest (I did have about 8 injections though). I think it helped that my dentist (a woman, very committed to the NHS tho' this is a private procedure)was so upbeat and didn't make a huge deal of it - I felt completely at ease but can see that if you're squeamish and start thinking about what they're doing, you might get queasy! My jaw felt a bit painful for a few days and I had to eat carefully on that side, but it bedded in and after a while you just don't notice it. It's sealed off with a little cap, btw. I had to wait several months while the titanium bonded with the bone, then went back and had the crown fitted - actually that was more uncomfortable than the operation! For a while it's a bit odd as the implanted tooth doesn't have any sensation, but I'm really happy with it, have had no problems at all, and in fact it now feels no different to my own teeth. Cost about 2k so not cheap, but I'd probably have paid nearly that much to have a bridge. Having a good dentist is key, I suspect.

Jessie2 · 18/10/2006 12:23

Thanks countrygirl 2 I have just spoken to a different dentist and she sounds great. Still really nervous but think I will make an appointment for an assesment. What feels wierd about it and was there loads of drilling involved? Did you have sedation? Did you have the old tooth extracted first ehat was that like? Thanks!

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