I have had to have another tooth removed and maybe two more. I would like to be able to eat. However, I am wondering with our impaired immune systems how advisable it might be to get bone grafts (found out it is really dead people's ashes..LOL) and tooth implants.
Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.
grannyh
Has anyone had tooth implants?
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi grannyh,
I'm glad you brought this up. I am currently trying to make a decision about dental implant vs. bridge. I have a tooth that never came in (no second tooth behind the baby tooth) and for years I've had a bridge there. Now a tooth holding the bridge is deteriorating because of the stress of the bridge. So, I have been thinking about an implant where the missing tooth is. Has anyone here had an implant? I also worry about the effect of osteopenia on the implant.
The dentist says I will need to have the floor of my sinus raised a bit when the tooth is implanted (it is an upper tooth). This scares me - has anyone had this done? I know it is standard procedure, but still.........
The implant material is titanium, which is supposedly inert. But knowing me, I'll react to ANYTHING. LOL!
I had an area of bone graft done on the gum about 15 years ago. Don't know what the material was , but they assured me it was not biologically active in any way. No further problem with that area, but it was before MC. You never know......maybe it helped to bring on the MC with our crazy immune systems.
Love,
Polly
I'm glad you brought this up. I am currently trying to make a decision about dental implant vs. bridge. I have a tooth that never came in (no second tooth behind the baby tooth) and for years I've had a bridge there. Now a tooth holding the bridge is deteriorating because of the stress of the bridge. So, I have been thinking about an implant where the missing tooth is. Has anyone here had an implant? I also worry about the effect of osteopenia on the implant.
The dentist says I will need to have the floor of my sinus raised a bit when the tooth is implanted (it is an upper tooth). This scares me - has anyone had this done? I know it is standard procedure, but still.........
The implant material is titanium, which is supposedly inert. But knowing me, I'll react to ANYTHING. LOL!
I had an area of bone graft done on the gum about 15 years ago. Don't know what the material was , but they assured me it was not biologically active in any way. No further problem with that area, but it was before MC. You never know......maybe it helped to bring on the MC with our crazy immune systems.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
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kate_ce1995
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1321
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 5:53 pm
- Location: Vermont
Hi Granny and Polly,
I have had an implant (same as Polly, I was missing (2 in my case) adult teeth behind matching molars on either side). I have a bridge on the first one to fall out (actually it got very sensitive so that even breathing in cool air made it hurt) but when the second got a little worse, I went ahead and had it pulled and an implant done before it became a crisis. Mine are on the bottom.
I didn't have to have any bone grafts or anything and found the proceedure not too intolerable. I had no reaction at the site. They are expensive and (at least 3-4 years ago when I had mine done) most insurances won't pay for them. Mine wouldn't even pay for the extraction because it was a baby tooth. anyway, they pulled the tooth then put a membrane under the gum tissue so the bone could be exposed. After that healed (about 6 weeks i think...it might have been shorter), they drilled in the titanium post. It wasn't painful at all...of course I was well novocained for it. I think they suggested ibuprofen for pain and swelling after, but I was recently "recovered" from MC so asked if I needed to take it, and they said no. They had wanted me to start it before the proceedure so my body had a jump on reducing inflamation, but I didn't have a problem without. Now that I'm farther into recovery, I take ibuprofen without too much problem (of course then I can eat gluten without an immediate gut reaction too).
Then the post healed for another 3-6 weeks at which point they put the cap/crown on. That is a bit weird because they tighten it on with a little torque wrench. Doesn't hurt, just feels/sounds weird.
Now my dentist at the time used a particular manufacturer's system because he said some systems tend to break over time and then the post system has been redone. But the system he used supposedly didn't have those problems and if the crown breaks, he could reinstall it without changing out the post. So ask your dentist about this, and for references on people happy with theirs (I never did, but he was a good salesman...).
Anyway, now that its there, I don't even notice, except he left a bit more of a gap between it and my adjacent tooth on one side so I always get food stuck, but that can happen with normal teeth.
My bridge has held on much longer than they thought it would. Its been 12-13 years now. It chipped, but not so it disrupted the bite surface.
Katy
I have had an implant (same as Polly, I was missing (2 in my case) adult teeth behind matching molars on either side). I have a bridge on the first one to fall out (actually it got very sensitive so that even breathing in cool air made it hurt) but when the second got a little worse, I went ahead and had it pulled and an implant done before it became a crisis. Mine are on the bottom.
I didn't have to have any bone grafts or anything and found the proceedure not too intolerable. I had no reaction at the site. They are expensive and (at least 3-4 years ago when I had mine done) most insurances won't pay for them. Mine wouldn't even pay for the extraction because it was a baby tooth. anyway, they pulled the tooth then put a membrane under the gum tissue so the bone could be exposed. After that healed (about 6 weeks i think...it might have been shorter), they drilled in the titanium post. It wasn't painful at all...of course I was well novocained for it. I think they suggested ibuprofen for pain and swelling after, but I was recently "recovered" from MC so asked if I needed to take it, and they said no. They had wanted me to start it before the proceedure so my body had a jump on reducing inflamation, but I didn't have a problem without. Now that I'm farther into recovery, I take ibuprofen without too much problem (of course then I can eat gluten without an immediate gut reaction too).
Then the post healed for another 3-6 weeks at which point they put the cap/crown on. That is a bit weird because they tighten it on with a little torque wrench. Doesn't hurt, just feels/sounds weird.
Now my dentist at the time used a particular manufacturer's system because he said some systems tend to break over time and then the post system has been redone. But the system he used supposedly didn't have those problems and if the crown breaks, he could reinstall it without changing out the post. So ask your dentist about this, and for references on people happy with theirs (I never did, but he was a good salesman...).
Anyway, now that its there, I don't even notice, except he left a bit more of a gap between it and my adjacent tooth on one side so I always get food stuck, but that can happen with normal teeth.
My bridge has held on much longer than they thought it would. Its been 12-13 years now. It chipped, but not so it disrupted the bite surface.
Katy
Katy,
That's intersting about your missing second teeth. Actually, I am missing 5 - no wisdom teeth (4) and that other tooth. You know how they say that celiac disease is related to deficient tooth enamel? Well, no tooth at all is the ultimate enamel deficiency!!! LOL! I wonder if we should take a poll here about this?
You're lucky your implant was lower. My dentist says the upper takes twice as long to heal (up to 6 months!) and often needs the sinus floor raised. Glad to hear that there wasn't too much pain invloved. Am hoping not to need NSAIDs ....but I think they do use a short course of antibiotics. Did you have that?
Love,
Polly
That's intersting about your missing second teeth. Actually, I am missing 5 - no wisdom teeth (4) and that other tooth. You know how they say that celiac disease is related to deficient tooth enamel? Well, no tooth at all is the ultimate enamel deficiency!!! LOL! I wonder if we should take a poll here about this?
You're lucky your implant was lower. My dentist says the upper takes twice as long to heal (up to 6 months!) and often needs the sinus floor raised. Glad to hear that there wasn't too much pain invloved. Am hoping not to need NSAIDs ....but I think they do use a short course of antibiotics. Did you have that?
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
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barbaranoela
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 5394
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:11 pm
- Location: New York
friends next door had implants-----but for some reasons or another they both ended up with minor infections???? and then anti-biotics----
Yet I have heard from some that it was the best thing they ever did???
So I cant offer much info on these implants--
Barbara
Yet I have heard from some that it was the best thing they ever did???
So I cant offer much info on these implants--
Barbara
the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control
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kate_ce1995
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1321
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 5:53 pm
- Location: Vermont
Polly,
I think I did have to take a short course of antibiotics but my memory is foggy on that.
No wisdom teeth? How'd you get so lucky? I had all 4 of mine, all were impacted, and pulled when I was a freshman in high school...I was having TMJ problems and they thought it might be from the pressure of the teeth pushing on the jaw (roots were headed right for the jaw joint).
Then I go to this dentist when I started working in the Boston area, and he did full xrays (the full side to side scan, not just the bite wings) and says I have 2 more wisdom teeth back there! He says that its pretty common and they will likely never come anywhere near trying to come in.
Katy
I think I did have to take a short course of antibiotics but my memory is foggy on that.
No wisdom teeth? How'd you get so lucky? I had all 4 of mine, all were impacted, and pulled when I was a freshman in high school...I was having TMJ problems and they thought it might be from the pressure of the teeth pushing on the jaw (roots were headed right for the jaw joint).
Then I go to this dentist when I started working in the Boston area, and he did full xrays (the full side to side scan, not just the bite wings) and says I have 2 more wisdom teeth back there! He says that its pretty common and they will likely never come anywhere near trying to come in.
Katy
Both of my problems are with top teeth. I have been fighting pain from both sinus and teeth for about 5 years or so... the sinus pain seems to be gone now that the tooth has been removed on the left side as well. I read about raising the sinus floor but the oral surgeon didn't mention it.
Yes it is costly..the three teeth are about the price of a new car! And insurance won't pay. Hopefully they will pay to pull the tooth that has caused so many problems..my part so far was about 210 just to pull the tooth. He said the implants are about 2500+ not to mention the bone grafts 250 or more per tooth.. and the caps which the dentist does...
Yes it is costly..the three teeth are about the price of a new car! And insurance won't pay. Hopefully they will pay to pull the tooth that has caused so many problems..my part so far was about 210 just to pull the tooth. He said the implants are about 2500+ not to mention the bone grafts 250 or more per tooth.. and the caps which the dentist does...