ann m

Thanks for all your comments folks - and I'm no more scared than I was previously

Back in the chair this morning for a clean - so can discuss the options again more fully.

iaink

Regarding the cost, if it was lost as part of an accident, your benefits might cover the cost 100%.

When I came off my bike a few years ago and I lost 2.5 front teeth, the whole clean up (about $5k of root canal, crowns and veneers) was covered as "accidental dental"...which covers these sort of one off events outside of the regular 50% or 80% dental proceedure coverage. Worth asking anyway.


Regarding what to do, I would listen to the dentist, hes the expert. My gut feel is that the implant will be a lot less hassle in the long run, despite the short term expense. As for the fear factor...I dont think we can answer that one. I have found my dentist here to be excellent though.

JLT

My dentist recommended me not to have my tooth removed but do a route canal because of needing this back tooth for chewing which does make sense now after going for the second option, although it cost me a fortune!

ann m

The offending tooth had already had root canal work I think - but it is basically all filling now! There's bugger all tooth left and what broke off the other day has broken off too far down under the gums to be successfully crowned etc. Oh joy

In a way I wonder why it was filled to such a massive degree, but I guess it's lasted about 12 years so I can't complain too much. S'pose.

BristolUK

On the issue of whether it's worth it in the long run:

I have a few crowns. None have ever broken but occasionally one has come off. For the dentist, that was a simple re-stick procedure.

There's obviously a lot more work involved in the implant and time too - someone earlier said 8 months. So maybe that's lots more time off work, maybe more time eating soup, more time being worried about chewing etc

Does a bridge set you up for things to come that an implant doesn't?

I guess a bridge can come off like a crown can. Can it break?

Can the visible part of an implant come off (or out) in a similar way? It is attached to what gets fused into the jaw so perhaps it can come adrift. If it does, can it simply be restuck like a crown?

You need a special floss thing for a bridge. It's a bit like threading a needle and you need to pull it sideways to clean the gap between the middle part of the bridge and gum. It's not difficult. Normal flossing won't go between the 'teeth' of the bridge of course.

Novocastrian

Just in case there's an impression forming here that it's only women who are phobic about dentists; let me assure you that I am terrified of the buggers.

I decided long ago that bad british teeth were immensely preferable to visiting dentists and now live with the consequences. i.e. bad british teeth.

I'm reckoning on falsies as a one off solution down the road.

Jerseygirl

The problem with a bridge is the tooth either side will have to be drilled down to a post. If the teeth are strong and healthy the dentist is drilling away 2 good teeth.

BristolUK

Not a problem for me...the teeth either side were already crowns.

woodmanbg

I can recommend Ellen Fletcher, she recently did a crown for me and was very good. She is on the corner of Macleod and Heritage.

Arris

Not always the case, sometimes a bridge can be attached to the teeth on either side by 'wings'.

Sometimes a bridge is attached to just one tooth - all depends on the circumstances.