Replacement plan before or after extractions?

[Scaredbutready]

Hi all,
I’ve been on quite the journey of getting my teeth in order since this spring. To make a long story short, I have some extractions coming up in November at the oral surgeons office. I spoke with my regular dentist about restorative work while she was doing some fillings and she mentioned we would need to do a consultation after I healed from my extractions. Wouldn’t it make more sense to know my options before hand in case they would need to do something at the time of the extractions If I would go the implant route? Or does it make sense for the sites to heal like she mentioned? I would just ask but honestly I’m still timid in the office as my fear had paralyzed me for over 20 Years. Thanks for reading.

 

[letsconnect]

Hi there,

I think that having a plan (or several possible plans) beforehand sounds like a wise idea. I'm not sure why your dentist would be reluctant to discuss the different options. How do you feel about her otherwise? Would you prefer someone who takes a more co-operative approach? If so, then getting a second opinion would not hurt.

We've got a couple of articles here with advice on how to pick a dentist that fits your needs:

How to find a dentist for nervous patients

Discover how to find a dentist who is good with nervous, scared or phobic patients - and who to avoid!

www.dentalfearcentral.org

How to find a high-quality dentist

How do you know if a dentist really cares about the quality of their work? Here is what to look for and expect from a high-quality dentist.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

On the other hand, if you feel that she'd probably be quite happy to discuss options with you, but it's simply a case of not having made that clear to her (or her trying to "shield" you from information overload), then asking her outright would be a good idea! If you feel too timid while in the office, perhaps you could email her and ask?

 

[MountainMama]

I would definitely want a plan in place going in. I completely understand the reluctance to ask questions in the dentists office (I do the same thing). As letsconnect says, maybe an email? If your office does not have that option, could you write out your questions and call and relay them to the office? My previous office never responded to email so I would call and give my questions to the receptionist or assistant and then the dentist or assistant would call me back with answers.
I have had extractions and implants. With each of my extractions, the surgeon did bone grafting in preparation for the implant. However, bone grafting can be done at the time of implant placement. One of my grafts failed and the surgeon put grafting in when he placed the implant.
Another thought is calling the surgeon’s office where you are getting the extractions done and asking for a consult before the extraction, or even at the appointment to find out what your options are. I had a consult before each of my extractions.

 

[Scaredbutready]

Hi letsconnect and MountainMama
Thank you both for your replies! I feel so comfortable at the dentist‘s office, it’s probably the only reason I have continued to go these last few months. She is very busy and I did feel like maybe she didn’t want to deal with those questions while just seeing me for fillings at that time. Maybe I’ll just call the office and let them know I’ve scheduled the extractions and see if they’ll do the consultation ahead of it. I just would obviously like To know what my options are so I can plan financially etc. I’m hoping I can afford the implants but I have a lot to replace so we’ll see. MounainMama, I’ve read so many of your posts and am thrilled that you think implants are worth it. Thank you for taking the time to respond. This site has saved me! The final push I needed to get back in the chair.

 

[letsconnect]

That sounds like a plan ? . Email might be more common in the UK compared to the US, I'm not sure.

Do you know if your dentist places implants herself, or does she refer out for this?

 

[Scaredbutready]

She refers out I think, may do the crown but I think the rest is at the oral surgeons office I’m getting the extractions done at. you both convinced me just to call. I will tomorrow, the worst that can happen is they have me wait until I’m all healed. Thanks again!

 

[Scaredbutready]

Just a quick update! Called the office this morning and have a consultation before extractions! She said if I were interested in implants, seeing her before hand was best which was what I thought! Does everyone recommend the implant route in your experiences? Any regrets or suggestions? I’m hoping to do them slowly because of cost. Like maybe the teeth that you can see in my smile to start. Not sure how the whole process works. Thanks again for letting me get these thoughts out.

 

[MountainMama]

Just a quick update! Called the office this morning and have a consultation before extractions! She said if I were interested in implants, seeing her before hand was best which was what I thought! Does everyone recommend the implant route in your experiences? Any regrets or suggestions? I’m hoping to do them slowly because of cost. Like maybe the teeth that you can see in my smile to start. Not sure how the whole process works. Thanks again for letting me get these thoughts out.

Glad you are going to get a consult! She will be able to explain the implant process at that appointment and go over prices with you. It is expensive but to me, considering you pay just a little less for root canals and crowns, then upkeep, the implants are worth it in the long run. You pay for them in stages also, since it takes awhile. If you are having multiple teeth out that are next to each other, you may be able to get some sort of implant bridge.

 

[Scaredbutready]

Thanks, that’s a great way to look at it. Do you mind me asking how much on average your implants were? I’ve read 3 to 5 thousand each when I’ve researched. And yes, some of my extractions are together. Basically my top right side. And two more wisdom teeth. maybe the Implant supported bridge will be an option.

 

[MountainMama]

Thanks, that’s a great way to look at it. Do you mind me asking how much on average your implants were? I’ve read 3 to 5 thousand each when I’ve researched. And yes, some of my extractions are together. Basically my top right side. And two more wisdom teeth. maybe the Implant supported bridge will be an option.

My front tooth was a total of $5500, but that included the extraction, bone grafting and bone block graft, implant and crown. My most recent molar implant was $3000 for the extraction, grafting and implant placement. The crown and abutment will be $1200.

 

[Scaredbutready]

Thanks for sharing that info. A little sticker shock, lol, but hopefully something I can manage little by little.

 

[MountainMama]

Thanks for sharing that info. A little sticker shock, lol, but hopefully something I can manage little by little.

It was for me, too, at first. Then my endodontist told me that considering the cost of a root canal and crown, it really wasn’t much more. My insurance actually covered half of the abutment for the crown, which was a nice surprise. The implants are not covered at all, nor is the bone grafting.