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It’s been six months and I still have no teeth!

Posted on by smiles4u.

About six months ago, I decided to try and do something about a couple of my lower front teeth that were loose. After doing some research, I decided that my best option was dental implants, but knew it was going to be very expensive. I started looking around for a doctor who could do affordable dental implants and when I came across an ad for a doctor a few miles away from where I lived, I was sure I had found the right person for the job. At my consultation, he priced everything out for me. He said I should go ahead and have the teeth pulled that day and that I needed bone beads to help with the healing (I had to pay for that because my insurance wouldn’t cover it). I went ahead with his recommendation and waited six months — with a toothless smile no less — to go back for the surgery. Much to my disappointment,  he told me that he couldn’t move forward until I had more procedures done – including bone grafting and gum treatment. Now I’m thinking it would have just been better to keep my teeth because I’m having to spend more and more money and I’m still toothless. I feel like my smile is ruined. What can I do? — Christina

 

Christina,
There’s several concerns here, but the biggest one would be that your dentist didn’t first address why you teeth were loose. If you had periodontal disease, you should have never been considered for implants until that was under control. I’m guess that is why he is now saying you need additional gum treatments.  Since the teeth are gone, there’s no way to know if they could have been saved.

The other treatments are probably necessary before moving on with the implant surgery to ensure they don’t fail. Get a second opinion to be sure you’re getting the right treatments. As far as going without teeth for six months, your dentist should have offered you a temporary solution – such as a flipper or partial denture. Either one would not only help with appearance and eating, but also prevent the other teeth from shifting into the open space. You could still get either one of these options now, so schedule a consult with another dentist to find out what they can do.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

Get me out of this affordable dental implant nightmare!

Posted on by smiles4u.

I’m stuck in a dental nightmare and don’t know what to do. I always knew that I couldn’t afford dental implants, but when I found out about an affordable implant option (the dentist called them all-on-4s) I was so excited that there was a way I could improve my smile and not be broke for the rest of my life.

I went for a consultation and it all sounded so easy. The dentist said not to worry because he had done the procedure for lots of patients. He didn’t say much about any risks, so I was totally on board. Now I regret going through with this because one of the implants failed and has pretty much screwed up the whole thing. If I want to try and fix it, I have to have bone grafting and several other expensive procedures done – and I have to pay for it all out of my own pocket. I could barely afford it the first time so there’s no way I can do this all again. I didn’t cause these implants to fail. What can I do? — Lisa

 

Lisa,
All-on-4s have become an effective and affordable implant option, but it’s unfortunate that your dentist didn’t communicate with you about the risks associated with them.  Most patients see high success rates with dental implants, but whether or not they fail relies heavily on the skill of the dentist as well as other things like whether or not you smoke or have other medical conditions that could affect their integrity. You could have the best dentist and none of the other risks factors and implants could still fail – for no reason at all. It’s unfortunate that you are stuck.

When it comes to making implants affordable, many dentists can do mini implants, or even make procedures more budget-friendly by offering financing or payment plans.  You might look into these options, but be cautioned that because all-on-4s are placed at an angle, the bone is likely not stable and the area will need repaired and given time to heal before you can move forward.

Your best bet is to go through the additional procedures, so you can make use of the work you’ve already done. We’d recommend consulting with another dentist and have them check out the other three to be sure they are holding up properly. Unfortunately, you’ll likely be paying for it out-of-pocket, but ask if there are some options available to finance the cost.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

We can’t afford all-on-4 dental implants so what are the options?

Posted on by AllSmiles.

My moms teeth are really bad, and they are starting to like chip away and stuff, and we can’t afford dental implants. We went to one dentist and we talked about something called all-on-4 where she could get the implants and dentures all on the same day. But we found out the cost and because its like thousands of dollars, and insurance doesn’t cover it so we can’t get them. What are other, cheaper, alternatives? I feel really bad for my mom, because she is really upset about it and embarrassed about her teeth. – Jada

Jada – All-on-4 dental implants are placed in the front of the jawbone and are highly angled so that bone grafting is not needed. In some cases, the procedure can be completed in the same day. But this technique is not right for everyone.

Your mom can consider complete removable dentures. A cosmetic dentist can give your mom dentures that are customized to fit her facial features. The dentures will look like her natural teeth.

Many people worry about dentures falling out, which sounds as if it may be your mom’s concern. Mini implants are more affordable than standard implants. Dentures can be secured with as few as two mini implants, but the more implants there are, the more secure her dentures will be.

Insurance companies generally do not provide coverage for dental implants, because there are other means of replacing your teeth. Many dentists offer financing, payment plans, and accept major credit cards for payment.

Be sure to let your mom know that she should see an experienced cosmetic dentist to get natural-looking dentures that fit well.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune, who was voted a top dentist in New Orleans magazine.