Sounds like you may be more a candidate for an ‘All On 4’ procedure (Google). It will be a full lower denture attached to 4 screws (implants). The screws (implants) are more to the front of your jaw (you will see when you Google an illustration). The 2 outside screws are angled towards the back. Therefore bone loss is not likely the issue you may have thought. You’ll get a temporary denture - yes, held in by the implants - while your jaw fully settles after the surgery. Then you get your permanent denture in about 6 months or so. It may require some adjustment from the prosthologist to fit properly.
I have All On 4 lower and 2 implanted molars upper. Yes it’s a procedure, especially when a bone transplant (typically bovine) is included. Mine was in the upper. It’s referred to as a sinus lift. Also a gum transplant. Not fun, but it’s done now.
I used to have a partial to replace a couple lower teeth. I hated it! It collected half your meal underneath.
Upper implants are just like regular teeth.
The All On 4 lower does at times collect a bit of food where the denture meets the gum, but nothing gets underneath as it did with the partial. A quick swipe with a finger dislodges it, or better yet, an oral irrigation devise (waterpik for example - but there;s less expensive models by other manufacturers.
I have a good friend who’s had a bridge for a number of years. He complains of food getting trapped. My situation isn’t like what he describes. It’s hardly an issue.
But I would ask the dentist lots of questions if you’re unsure.
Had bridges, have implants now. The bridges cost much less and took much less time. I needed replacements for many teeth since I was young. I wouldn’t hesitate to get a bridge to replace just one tooth.
My wife has a missing tooth and the dentists she consulted strongly recommended against bridgework because of the stress it places on the neighboring teeth. Maybe they were just pushing the more expensive procedure, though.
Xenograft: Less commonly, your doctor could use animal bone tissue. The most frequently used xenograft for dental implants is bovine (cow) bone. Unlike human bone, which induces bone formation, bovine acts almost exclusively as a calcified placeholder. In time, newly generated bone will replace bovine tissue as it resorbs.
It’s a consideration. The younger the person the more concerning this would be. I had bridgework that lasted more than 25 years though, in the less than ideal conditions of spanning 4 missing teeth and connected to canines, not to much larger molars.
I went from bad cavity to root canal/crown, to bridge to finally implant. The bridge was strong but I didnt take care of it well, it does stress the adjacent teeth as well. Implant is solid, they need to be kept clean as well.
I had an implant a few years ago that cost around $2500 out of pocket, and it was great - yes, a bit of annoyance with procedures, followups, whatever, but essentially great. The bridge v implant argument seemed to argue for an implant. It worked out well.
A few months ago I had another tooth pulled, and my dentist explained my choices were bridge (not recommended as my teeth are weirdly weak and crack if you look at them sideways), implant, do nothing. Doing nothing could lead to my teeth rearranging themselves with large, cavity-inducing gaps, and the teeth next to the gap might “lean in,” making it harder for me to change my mind and get an implant.
I opted for the implant but freaked when it turned out the out of pocket cost was going to be over $4k. (Nothing is cheap in Hawaii, and dental plans suck, and prices had gone up since my earlier implant.) The bridge seems like a bad idea because of the extra stress on surrounding teeth; after reading this thread with discussions of the hygiene inconvenience of a bridge, I’m even more convinced I wouldn’t want one.
So … I have done nothing. It’s been maybe 6-8 months now, and I’m missing a tooth that has no cosmetic impact and doesn’t bother me at all. If my teeth are going to shift, they sure are taking their own sweet time about it. Flossing has always been a pain because my teeth are way too tight. Flossing has not gotten any easier, so I gather my teeth aren’t moving around much.
I’m sure any dentist or orthodontist worth their salt would be apoplectic at the fact I’m letting toothless spot remain toothless. And maybe 5 years from now it will lead to a need for expensive repairs and I’ll regret my decision.
Well actually it had to be surgically removed but yes it was pulled. (Breath deep and count backwards from 10 to 9🫥 )The denture is on a retainer clip. Pops right in and out. There was some working of the teeth on either side to make seating spots for the retainer. Sometimes in the early, before the coffee when I’m brushing I see those and think, “damn that’s a really bad place to be getting cavities!”
The denture was about $350.00ish, total cost including surgical removal of bad tooth was about $3000.00 and I paid cash no insurance mucking about raising prices needlessly
ETA the appliance (as my dentist likes to call it) was pretty inexpensive as my dentist has his own lab to make them in.
Thanks, y’all, for the interesting and informative comments.
I’ve decided to go with the implant, primarily because of the stress a bridge would put on the adjoining teeth. Recalling the x-ray, they’ve already had some work done on them and I don’t like the idea of doing anything else to them.
I have had one implant, and it was on top waaay in the back. What I remember most is the nuisance factor-- the tediousness of the process, but no real pain or trauma. Looking over my records, the process started in November 2015. That year, I chewed my Thanksgiving dinner all on one side of my mouth. I guess this year’s Thanksgiving I’ll be doing the same.
ASIDE: Dang, that was also the year I had breast cancer and a lumpectomy in March, followed by radiation in July (no chemo, thank you, God). The following spring I moved my then-91-year-old mother here into assisted living from California. I had no help with that. Not a great time.
Thanks for this very informative (and slightly scary) link.
This implant will be on the bottom near the front and will be much easier for the dentist to get to. He said I will need some bone grafting in that area, but it’s not extensive. I’m sure I had some with my other implant, too.
No, $3000. I also have a groovy cool full cast of my teeth now, and remember, that includes surgical removal of the tooth, being knocked out, stitches, yanno, surgery, in addition to the rest
I was told the same thing. I didn’t want to stress my other teeth. You also have to consider surgery as you get older. There’s a reason the anesthetist asks about bridge work. It can be damaged by the breathing tube.
This would be my preference too. I have both, like others have also commented, and I find the implant to be solid and problem free while the bridge seems to be borrowing time from the other teeth and need both professional maintenance plus additional cleaning. I suspect the implant should be cheaper in the long run, depending on how long one lives though.
Also be aware that implants and natural teeth can not be bridged together as natural teeth have some wiggle, implants are solid. It may be a consideration of other dental work is needed or you do go with a bridge within 2 teeth of the bridge gap.
I have a bridge and have been very satisfied with it. I also have a removable tooth that I can pop in and out (it grabs onto the two adjacent teeth and has never come dislodged). My dentist calls it a “flipper”, but I’m not sure what the actual name for it is. It is custom made and cost me about $300.
In my early 40’s I still had my wisdom teeth, which had started moving/leaning and were getting to be hard to clean. The dentist wanted them removed, and looked at the space where there was a tooth that was missing for about 20 years (pulled out in my teens due to lack of dental care). He suggested I get the implant post placed at the same time as the wisdom teeth removed, for a “two-for-one” type of operation. The surgery was just fine, and the implant added after a while. It’s been nearly 20 years now, and I haven’t had any issues with the implant since.
Good choice for the implant - I hope you’ll be as happy with yours as I have been with mine.
