Just joined

[Brooklyn]

Hi everyone I have just joined the forum I am mid 40s female and feel like my life is over, I have had 2 dental opinions and both differ so much.
1st opinion 8veneers and 3 implant with 6 teeth attached

2nd opinion all teeth out on top and 6 implants with a full arch £24,000


I feel devastated as I am fairly young and don't feel like there is anyway out of this nightmare
i have severe bone loss in mouth due to smoking incidentally I stopped smoking 9 weeks ago and have had so much pain in my mouth since any help or reassurance would be appreciated.

 

[rob wain]

Hi. I understand how you must be feeling but there is a way forward. We see lots of people in your situation who through smoking and a vulnerability to gum disease and bone loss are faced with possible total tooth loss. Whats important is that you find a dentist and support team thay you trust. They need to deliver a treatment that you trust and that will allow you to maintain your dignity and confidence.
There seems a big difference between your choices and thete will probably be even more options if you go tp more dentists. Have a look on the Internet for allon4 as an example.

 

[Brooklyn]

Thanks guys for posting I really need some help.
I am really anxious about the treatment before I even agree to anything, I forgot to mention my first opinion quoted me approx 10000 which is manageable.
The whole thing has left me feeling so depressed with no confidence at all
teeth terrify me anyway and loose teeth make me feel sick I have a few of these at the moment, as you can see I have a variety of issues and really don't know which one to tackle first.
ANY IDEAS?????

 

[carole]

Hi I understand how you must be feeling. It is just so overwhelming having to deal with so much.

I gave up smoking some years ago, so far I have been lucky in that it hasn't done anything to my teeth. I was not a heavy smoker, but smoking is smoking. You may find that things might improve the longer you go without a cigarette, your body and gums are in the process of repairing them selves.

A dentist once told me that smoking masks some oral conditions because smoking stops the blood flow to the gums, it is very rare for a smokers gums to bleed. So some gum conditions are not detected. Having said that, your gums are now getting a blood supply, which if I understood him right, means that the gums renew themselves.

How did you feel about the dentists you saw ?

Do you think you could trust one of them ?

If not go see another, and another until you feel happy with them. Ask if a hygienist could help with your gums. Sometimes a good clean by a hygienist and on going care can improve the gums a lot. This in turn will improve the condition of your teeth.

When you see a dentist tell them you don't want to lose your teeth and what are the options they can suggest for treatment to keep your own teeth.

I wish you luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[brit]

I think you need a third opinion just for peace of mind.

Not a dentist but just thinking out loud, it would be foolish to extract all your front top teeth if the 8 front ones which veneers are being suggested for, are stable and can be retained for many years. Implants are good but they are not better than real tooth roots still firmly embedded within your jaw.

Don't let the nature of the actual treatment put you off - make the best long-term decision for your dental (and mental) health. Modern dentistry can be painfree.

The suggestion to remove all your top teeth also sounds like a good moneyspinner for the dentist but highest risk for you, if there are integration problems, you can't put the teeth back. Has bone grafting been mentioned?

If I were you I would go with conserving as many natural teeth as possible even if it doesn't give the best esthetic result. I might even forego the veneers(as these are not without their risks either) just keep the front teeth as they are and do implants for your unsaveable molars.

Yes, you definitely need a third option inbetween those two. You need to go to someone highly regarded and experienced in the field, as the bone loss might complicate matters.
Are you in the UK?
BTW I agree with Carole that maybe you should get an opinion from a periodontist(gum specialist) also about saving as many teeth as possible and only doing implants as necessary. Good luck and please don't think what has been suggested is your only option. There's an old saying allegedly 'put 15 dentists in a room, get 15 totally different treatment plans'....

 

[rob wain]

I think you need a third opinion just for peace of mind.

Not a dentist but just thinking out loud, it would be foolish to extract all your front top teeth if the 8 front ones which veneers are being suggested for, are stable and can be retained for many years. Implants are good but they are not better than real tooth roots still firmly embedded within your jaw.

Don't let the nature of the actual treatment put you off - make the best long-term decision for your dental (and mental) health. Modern dentistry can be painfree.

The suggestion to remove all your top teeth also sounds like a good moneyspinner for the dentist but highest risk for you, if there are integration problems, you can't put the teeth back. Has bone grafting been mentioned?

If I were you I would go with conserving as many natural teeth as possible even if it doesn't give the best esthetic result. I might even forego the veneers(as these are not without their risks either) just keep the front teeth as they are and do implants for your unsaveable molars.

Yes, you definitely need a third option inbetween those two. You need to go to someone highly regarded and experienced in the field, as the bone loss might complicate matters.
Are you in the UK?
BTW I agree with Carole that maybe you should get an opinion from a periodontist(gum specialist) also about saving as many teeth as possible and only doing implants as necessary. Good luck and please don't think what has been suggested is your only option. There's an old saying allegedly 'put 15 dentists in a room, get 15 totally different treatment plans'....

Hi Brooklyn,
What has been said about stopping smoking helping your gum health is absolutely true and I would also agree that natural healthy teeth are preferable to implants. BUT you need to know how long the remaining teeth (the ones for which veneers are proposed) will last. You could get this type of information from a periodontal specialist as was recommended and most periodontal (gum) specialists also provide implants so that would give you that third opinion.
There are occasions when it is cheaper to remove more teeth, provide additional implants and provide a longer term solution than to try heroic treatment to make teeth last just a few years before requiring more (expensive) treatment. It is very rare for implants to fail to integrate, particularly in a nonsmoker.

The treatment plan recommending a full bridge on implants is expensive and cheaper equivalents are available - for example the allon4 that I mentioned is typically 12-18,000.

 

[carole]

I am putting a link here, there was a very interesting discussion about overdentures, this might be an option for you.

Overdentures - A dentist's view (WARNING: contains photos)

As many of you have read a post or two of mine over the past couple of years I thought I might write in my impression of that state of dentistry from my perspective. I practice in Miami in a small private office that has always been a source of referrals from other dentists for apprehensive...

www.dentalfearcentral.org

Good luck let us know how you get on please and what you decide to do.