Here’s what basically happened yesterday..
I headed over to my dentist’s to replace a missing tooth that he had extracted about 4 months ago. He put me under local anesthesia and started drilling the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth, took the imprints of my teeth afterwards, and told me to come back in a week to get the rest of the procedure (which I later found to be called a dental bridge) done. I headed to the reception and they asked for 400KD.
Did some googling and learned that there are 2 methods to replace a missing tooth: a dental bridge, and a tooth implant. And I have two questions:
First- Shouldn’t my dentist have explained the 2 methods to me and asked which I preferred? Because if I knew 2 perfectly healthy teeth were to be ruined I wouldn’t have gone with the dental bridge but chosen an implant instead.
Second- I called 3 other dental clinics to inquire about the cost of dental bridges and got prices that ranged between 175 KD – 200 KD. Also asked about implants and the cost starts at 400 KD, the same cost I’m paying for a bridge.Is that a normal cost for a dental bridge? And if yes, then what makes it have such a wide cost range?
I would really appreciate any help with this.
Oh and in case this matters, it’s only one tooth, in my bottom jaw, the one right before my wisdom tooth.
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Im not a dentist but not anyone can do an implant. It depends on some factors. So if u dont have prerequisites, a bridge is the only way.
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That was the only justification I could think of. Waiting for the clinic to open in some time so I can get that cleared out.
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i did an implant a while ago, and it did cost me around 350 as i recall, i didnt inquire about bridge as it was explained to me by my dentist, i prefer the implant option.
I am surprised you need to go online and google it, while your clinic and dentist should be your source of information,
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I know! I didn’t question it until a friend told me her mom got an implant for the same cost and that it was too much for a bridge. It was a mistake putting my trust in the dentist without researching it first. I should have known better.
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Which clinic did you visit? You shoud’ve researched.. Some clinics are more expensive than others, and some use better or more expensive technologies and materials. Last year I replaced my black/silver fiillings with white fillings. One cost I think 150KD, the others cost 30 kd each; because of the different material used.
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They gave me the same answer when I called again yesterday. Said they use American ceramic opposite Chinese ceramic in other cheaper clinics.
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a bridge is less invasive and has less prerequirements than an implant. Maybe your gums and jaw bone arent prepped well to handle an implant. dont want to rub it in but definitely you had to inquire more and research more before you allowed him, but i know how it feels to be intimidated by dentists and doctors. a friend of mine did a upper front bridge of about 6 teeth and paid 2000k.
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I’m willing to ask my dentist to explain his decision when I go back in a few days. I usually do my homework but after having a bad experience a few years ago I developed a great dislike towards dentists and I guess it got to me during my last visit. The first thing I asked was “will it hurt?” then stayed quiet until it was over lol.
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Well, Sometimes.. Options can no be given due to the fact that they are not applicable. First, You state that the missing tooth is the last tooth before you wisdom! Are you sure it is your wisdom , not the 2nd molar and if so, Is it fully erupted, as in , Fully emerging ? You can ask your dentist for that of if you have a X-Ray , Would you mind posting it?
An Implant is the future for dentistry but it has limitations , It can NOT be used in patients who smokes or who have Diabetes/ Radiation therapy due to the high failure rates being witnessed in clinical trails. Second, It requires Good Quality Bone and in some situations it can not be placed in some locations [ Hitting a Nerve Pathway, Close to exterior margin of your jaw, etc] Third The Cost ,, Some clinics charge 150 KD and others charge 500KD .. The difference is the materials being used , Metal and the percentage of Gold , Second , The white substance [ Ceramics ] Has different brands and different application systems; The Higher you pay, the better quality you get .. , in addition , some higher quality ceramics = require less work [ Less tooth damage] because they are stronger.
Unfortunately, Consumers visit dentists based on their TV ads and Bloggers endorsements … Please Do Not fell into this trap …
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As far as I know all the 4 of my wisdom teeth are fully erupted and the missing tooth is the second from the back of my jaw. I actually posted my xrays before link and the remaining roots of the now-missing tooth were visible (it broke off and the roots were left behind). Oh and yes it’s been that long until I finally got it treated.. ahem. Hamdellah I don’t smoke or have diabetes but if an implant doesn’t suit me then I’m guessing it will have something to do with my bone. Still need to check with the dentist during my next visit. I’m relieved to know that I will be getting the quality for the higher cost though. As for my dentist, I’ve been his patient for several years now. Didn’t choose him based on any ads so no worries 😉
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So, if they removed the roots, I don’t see the reasons why an implant was not discussed ? For Instance, If the removal was difficult or surgical, there might be a chance where the current state of your bone are not suitable for implant placement.
However, I don’t understand the reason why your teeth [1st molar and 3rd molar] sacrificed for replacing 1 tooth, considering that BOTH of them are perfectly caries free [ The 2nd x-ray] are NOT used for caries diagnosis due to their resolution and by the way, the First x-ray are out of favor , due to higher radiation and their value towards treatment, unless growth problems are being investigated.
I think you should ask your dentist for his reason for choosing this type of treatment , because of the cost/benefit risk , you are better of with a single implant..
Just for disclosure, I’m not affiliated with any private dental firm
all the best, and if you need any questions , please Do Not hesitate to ask
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I will be asking for an explanation when I see the dentist next time. Even though the damage is done already but at least if it turned out this was the only solution I wouldn’t be feeling as bad. Thank you for your great help! Really appreciated 🙂
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