Implant vs. bridge for tooth replacement

[armadillo]

Anyone have experience? I go next week to make a decision, I have seen the cost differences, but there must be more.

Pain?? Efficacy?

Please prey tell fellow members, where should I lean?

[marylander1940]

Anyone have experience? I go next week to make a decision, I have seen the cost differences, but there must be more.

Pain?? Efficacy?

Please prey tell fellow members, where should I lean?

 

I just did, I had an implant last year and I love the results.

 

Long story short:

 

1) September 2013. My Dentist removed my 9-years-old bridge, made a hole in my jaw and placed a titanium screw inside, the same day he installed a temporary bridge on top of it. I couldn't chew on my left side for 4 months.

 

2) January 2014, my dentist removed the temporary bridged and installed a new tooth on the screw.

 

3) 2 days after that, he placed 2 new crowns, left and right of my new tooth.

 

It wasn't painful, my jaw and big part of my face had a lot of anesthesia, I remember feeling him hammering my jaw but there was no pain, I was just bored because of the long surgery. After everything was done my mouth felt very natural, even my night guard felt great.

 

It's worth the extra money, it will last for 30 years at least, while a bridge lasts for 6 or 9 if you're lucky. Some dentists even refuse to make bridges.

 

http://www.mymagicsmiles.com/images/Services/implants.jpg

[EastbayMike]

Maybe discuss it with your dentist?

[Daverwr]

I have had two tooth implants on separate occasions and I couldn't be happier. For me, there was a little pain for a few days each time. But after that - no pain at all! And, yes, I do remember the surgeon straddling me to hammer in my mouth. I remember thinking, "Gee. That is the shiniest little hammer I have ever seen!"

 

If you have a meticulous surgeon, it can be a lengthy process. You have to give the bone time to grow through the post before your dentist can install the final tooth/cap. This can take a couple of months. (I've never understood the commercials that say you can leave with your new teeth the same day.)

 

Once everything is complete, you are left with a very strong tooth. Stronger than your original teeth. You can eat anything including caramel, floss, even give head and never worry that your teeth are going to fall out. In fact, I no longer remember which of the back teeth was done!

 

I highly recommend it, regardless of price.

 

Good Luck!

[+ ursalex]

I too am just finishing my second implant. It's been a long process (almost two years--partly my fault) but no pain, even with the tooth extraction; I just told the dentist to give me an extra shot of novocaine and I felt fine. My father had upper and lower bridges and always had problems. This gives you a brand new tooth; about the only problem is the crown sometimes has to her re-cemented. If you can afford it, do it, but make sure you have a really good endodontist.

 

Good luck

[sydneyboy]

I had an implant about 4 years ago here in Sydney. Be careful of who you go to. In Australia at least some gold grubbing GP type dentists are doing them and making a mess. The specialist dentist I was referred to had 2 masters degrees in implant surgery from London and was friend of my usual dentist. I endorse all the comments of the previous contributor that it is a slow process and my specialist stated that a correctly implanted tooth is stronger than your original teeth. I have been very happy with the result but they are not cheap.

[whipped guy]

This is a no brainier! IMPLANT! A bridge is based on old 20th Century technology... the equivalent of a wind up victrola!!! Have a qualified oral surgeon determine that there is enough heathy well-healed bone and place the fixture (some bone grafting might be necessary) and after the appropriate healing time a crown can then be fabricated. It's as close to Mother Nature as humanly possible. It's a longer process, but well worth the wait.

 

PLEASE: Don't believe that same day advertising. Like fine wine it takes time! Plus a reputable system such as Nobel Biocare, 3i, etc helps.

 

PS: My dad had an implant done in the early 1990s. When he passed two years ago it was the strongest "tooth" that he had!

[gallahadesquire]

This is a no brainier! IMPLANT! A bridge is based on old 20th Century technology... the equivalent of a wind up victrola!!! Have a qualified oral surgeon determine that there is enough heathy well-healed bone and place the fixture (some bone grafting might be necessary) and after the appropriate healing time a crown can then be fabricated. It's as close to Mother Nature as humanly possible. It's a longer process, but well worth the wait.

 

PLEASE: Don't believe that same day advertising. Like fine wine it takes time! Plus a reputable system such as Nobel Biocare, 3i, etc helps.

 

PS: My dad had an implant done in the early 1990s. When he passed two years ago it was the strongest "tooth" that he had!

 

Some people prefer vinyl over CDs. If you're young, in good condition, and don't mind pieces of teal in your bone, go for it. In my case, at 63, I can't be bothered, and I already have … carry the two … nine screws in assorted bones. I'm on felng antibiotics. I don't want the small but not zero risk of an implant.

 

Just paying Devil's advocate.

[Jon Royce]

I have 3.

The first two went in just fine and it is hard to tell those two are fake.

The third took about two years to get right. For some reason my bone was rejecting the implant.

I had to have the implant removed. Wait six months and to it all over.

The third try was a charm.

The worse pain was the soreness from the anesthetic injections.

I wouldn't count on same day claims. You never know what is going to happen.

Overall, great decision to go with implants.

[+ Charlie]

I am in the middle of the process, which for me is going to be quite long. In March, my dentist had to remove an old four-tooth permanent bridge, because one of the middle teeth was infected and had been removed months earlier, and an end tooth need to be pulled as well. The two teeth at one end, closer to the center of the row of real teeth, were healthy and could be capped, but after consultation with a periodontist, it was determined that I would need bone grafts in the jaw before anything could be done about the two end teeth in the back. The bone grafts had to be postponed because I had developed a bad throat infection (unrelated to the process), and the grafting could not be done until I was completely healthy and off medication, so it was not done until mid-July. It was not pleasant, but it was nowhere near as bad as I had feared. The periodontist says the bone is healing nicely, but the next step of installing the screws won't take place until January. Then they have to root themselves firmly in the new bone for a few months before they can be capped.

 

Obviously, the long waits are tiresome. I am sick of eating on the other side of my mouth, because I can't chew with only the lower jaw teeth. But there has been no pain or other complication. It is pretty expensive--I am guessing that the entire process from the very beginning of breaking the bridge to the final installation of the implants will cost me more than $10K; my dental insurance policy, unfortunately, covers very little of it.

 

My spouse had one implant in a front tooth a couple of years ago, and he has been very satisfied with it. A friend had two done, and one was fine, but the other didn't take properly and has to be redone. Other people I have talked to have had more mixed experiences than the very positive ones reported here, but I did it because the prospect of dealing constantly with a removable plate was not attractive to me.

[rguer]

It is pretty expensive--I am guessing that the entire process from the very beginning of breaking the bridge to the final installation of the implants will cost me more than $10K; my dental insurance policy, unfortunately, covers very little of it.

 

A friend had implants after literally decades of slowly worsening dental problems. They work very well for him. As you say, astonishingly expensive - his were almost $40,000, and no insurance coverage. But he's much happier now.

[+ LIguy]

I have been fabricating dental crowns and bridges for over 30 years. Of all the implant cases I have worked on very very few have failed as opposed to bridgework on natural teeth..If I had to do restorations in my mouth I would choose implants. It's important to ask questions. Ask what implants are being used....what type of restorations are going to be made.....will they be computer generated zirconia all ceramic or porcelain fused to metal(my preference).......if porcelain fused to metal then what metal will be used...DO NOT accept an answer saying its an ADA approved metal...you do NOT want a non precious metal to be used....I doubt they will give you gold but accept a semi precious metal....Ask if your restorations will be made in the USA or an offshore lab... do NOT accept China made restorations as they have found them to have high lead contents.

[armadillo]

All of the replies have supplied great information gentlemen, thank you.