Implants - Anyone got any experience/advice??

[squaddieswife1]

Hi everyone

After many years of dental phobia, toothache and misery, I finally grabbed the bull by the horns and found an amazing, caring dentist who I am very happy with. With his support, I got through the extraction of 9 rotten teeth/stumps under IV sedation (fantastic by the way!) and I have a partial upper denture. On my last visit (filling and scale and polish under local - how brave am I?? LOL) my dentist discussed the option of dental implants. He worked out a plan and costings in case I was interested and showed me some before and after pictures of patients he has helped.

The dentist has a payment plan and my lovely hubby is totally supportive so the cost is not putting me off, the before and after pics are amazing and I know I would have a much better quality of life and a more confident smile (no worries about my denture slipping!), so that's all good. What is worrying me most is that I will have to have 2 bone grafts as well as the implants and it all sounds like major surgery to me! I know it will all be done under IV sedation but just wanted to hear from anyone who had experience or advice on this subject before I make my mind up to take the plunge. Hope there is someone out there that can help!!!

Thanks!

 

[ronny55]

Hi,

i have just gone thru the implant procedure, in fact, nearly finished, although not the bone graft stuff.

please have a look at my journal, its a bit up and down, but it will tell you how i felt going thru it.

if i can help you anyway i can, just shout!


Ronny

 

[no_idea]

I only had one implant put in (just under three months ago) and didn't require a bone graft. I was only on valium so was conscious. I can honestly say that the most painful thing was biting for the couple of X-rays that were needed. You don't feel the drilling of the bone.

Pain comes on as the local anesthetic wears off but you can control with painkillers. No real pain on the second day but the area was swollen and bruised for about a week and this is common, I understand, and will be more severe with multiple implants.

Implants are meant to be very successful - probably around a 90-95% success rate over about 10 years - but, of course, some will fail and have complications.

 

[DebbieB]

Hi
I have had implants (4) and bone grafts in all of them. The bone grafts were done immediately after the teeth were extracted, though, so they healed as the gum healed. The oral surgeon that did my implants just added bone into the hole left by the tooth.

It was absolutely no big deal so do not worry about bone grafts!

DebbieB

 

[April]

Hi DebbieB

Well done on getting this far, you should be very proud of yourself.

I had 6 implants which I am almost done with now, they are brilliant, feel just like your real teeth - I had no pain just ached a little, even forgot to take pain killers!

Like ronny I wrote a 'war and peace' length journal, so if you have a few hours to spare .................