Losing a tooth...options?

[deejay]

Dentist has tried to save a large, lower molar that has split but outcome is tooth has to come out. Never envisaged losing any teeth so a bit of a shock. Has given me a few options:

1 cheapest and least work. Leave the gap after extraction. But says risks possibility the rest of my teeth on that side move to fill the gap and also the upper tooth above the gap ‘erupting’ as nothing to bite into. Cost £20

2 get a single false tooth made that will sit in the gap on the gum which clips onto teeth next to it. Needs removed at night. Cost £450

3 get a dental implant plus crown. Metal rod screwed into the bone and a crown put on top. The permanent solution. Cost £3000

She doesn’t recommend a bridge as two good teeth on either side which would need a lot of work to fit the bridge and one is a wisdom tooth.

Anyone experienced losing a single tooth and what option did you go for, why, and any regrets?!

[Franco]

Implant is the best option, particularly if you are below 60. Chances of rejections are lower, and you do not have to get the two adjacent healthy teeth involved. The balance is better and the other teeth would not suffer from the consequences of having a gap. Hopefully the extraction has not involved breaking the alveolar bone, so in six months you are good to go.

[langdalematt]

Go implant and go to Eastern Europe and save a few quid probably less than have the 3k

[mart broad]

1 for the who gives a FF

2 for the settled chap

3 for the still playing / looking guy but look outside of the UK

[walkerwek1958]

Go implant and go to Eastern Europe and save a few quid probably less than have the 3k

What about travel insurance? What happens if there are problems, the guy gets an infection, he needs treatment and he isn't well enough to travel home. He could well end up in deep shit.

[Sibo]

I'm guessing you haven't seen some of the work in eastern Europe. I'm sure there are a lot of great dentist but there are also a lot of not so great ones and costs a lot more and more complex to put things right.

There isn't a great deal of patient comeback of things haven't gone to plan

Go implant and go to Eastern Europe and save a few quid probably less than have the 3k

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[mondie]

Option 1 for me. I have had two teeth out in the past 15 years and both have been fine. The teeth either side seem to have 'shuffled' over and no issues with the top teeth. This is the first mention I have seen of possible problems.

I found the extractions rather grim though.

[ALindsay]

I lost one in a similar way. Quoted same money for implant but no other options. Really missed it to start with; but now, 8 years on, its not an issue and very much doubt I will do anything about it. 3k can be put to much better use imo.


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[Hood]

You obviously have a full complement of teeth there.
I would leave the gap and see if it concerns you.
If the opposing upper tooth starts to over erupt then worth considering other options but likely you won't miss it.

[astonandy]

I have an implant in exactly this position. This would be my recommendation - 12 years and counting and no issues at all. BUT knowing people who have had implant issues I would NEVER go abroad. My aftercare was regular and my implant specialist a Professor at the uni dental school. Pay the money and get the proper job done every time for me.

[lughugger]

I have an implant in exactly this position. This would be my recommendation - 12 years and counting and no issues at all. BUT knowing people who have had implant issues I would NEVER go abroad. My aftercare was regular and my implant specialist a Professor at the uni dental school. Pay the money and get the proper job done every time for me.

Wow. So they don’t do it properly on the Continent?


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[Brian]

I have an implant in exactly this position. This would be my recommendation - 12 years and counting and no issues at all. BUT knowing people who have had implant issues I would NEVER go abroad. My aftercare was regular and my implant specialist a Professor at the uni dental school. Pay the money and get the proper job done every time for me.

I agree and have followed that approach - we may have the same guy (Simon?). pays the money and get the job done properly.

B

[pacifichrono]

You obviously have a full complement of teeth there.
I would leave the gap and see if it concerns you.
If the opposing upper tooth starts to over erupt then worth considering other options but likely you won't miss it.

This is a poor 'solution.' By the time you have problems, it may be too late to change course easily.

I've had several dental implants - - they're better and stronger than my original teeth!

If in doubt, get a second opinion. And, oh yes, please don't go to Eastern Europe!

[Hood]

This is a poor 'solution.' By the time you have problems, it may be too late to change course easily.

I've had several dental implants - - they're better and stronger than my original teeth!

If in doubt, get a second opinion. And, oh yes, please don't go to Eastern Europe!

You won't have problems if the upper tooth is monitored.
If upper tooth starts to over erupt by .5-1mm then you can do something no problem and a 1mm over eruption on an otherwise healthy tooth isn't a problem.
If the gap bothers you then get an implant though an adhesive bridge is another option for the gap.

plus no dental implant is better or stronger than a virgin natural tooth

[nick67]

Had a similar thing over 2 years ago.

Not quite turned 50 and never had a filling, managed to split the tooth, split the root and have an abscess.

Hurt like hell over the May Bank Holiday, dentist pulled it out, as is second from back, bottom left it has not caused a problem and feel I can invest the £3k into something else.

[~dadam02~]

Gapy teeth look goping, option 3 for me, which is what I went with when this happened to me. 8 years in and no issues.

[Sibo]

I wouldn't recommend an adhesive bridge for a posterior tooth, much more likely to debond

You won't have problems if the upper tooth is monitored.
If upper tooth starts to over erupt by .5-1mm then you can do something no problem and a 1mm over eruption on an otherwise healthy tooth isn't a problem.
If the gap bothers you then get an implant though an adhesive bridge is another option for the gap.

plus no dental implant is better or stronger than a virgin natural tooth

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[Kingstepper]

Option 1 for me. I’ve had a couple of gaps for probably 25 years with no problem.
Never heard of opposing teeth being an issue when wisdom teeth are removed.

[Tom-P]

I had this dilemma and went option 1 (despite being quoted £2k for the implant, not £3k).

I'm sure you could get it done by someone reputable for nearer £2k.

[inthered]

I had a very similar experience ten years ago and l decided to go for the implant option, but back then the cost was £1800, I've not regretted the decision, l've had no problems in that time and would choose the same option in the future if the situation arose, it is a lot of money to commit, but you have six months from the extraction date to explore and decide which option is best for you.

[GraniteQuarry]

Do it once, do it right: implant.

[Omegamanic]

I would go for the implant. I am looking at having a pre molar implant later in the week. It won't be anywhere near £3000 though. I wouldn't pay £3000 for an upper front tooth (well I would if I had to, but that's very top end pricing dependent on what needs doing).

[mrushton]

I had 2 x implants but one didn't work - not enough bone apparently. Dentist used a bridge but the problem is it's not really you get the money back if an implant doesn't work. I asked about Euro dentistry and my dentist was of the opinion if it's Western Europe eg germany/france etc it would be better than E.Europe. If it's a colleague down the road ie a UK dentist, my dentist could ring them and say this work was done and I'm seeing an issue and it's relatively easy to get a solution but a dentist in E.Europe or Thailand etc is less easy to contact and there could be insurance issues with messing about with dentistry done overseas. Caveat Emptor I'm afraid. Ask your dentist their opinion of implants done abroad. Bad news about the extraction is it's harder to remove from lower jaw than upper. Last one I had removed for the implant actually broke but I was so numbed up I only felt the guy moving about, no sensations of pain etc. Strauman are regarded as the best implant (Swiss) but others are available.

[alanm_3]

I had a pre-molar filling fall out a couple of weeks ago, which was pretty much the entire tooth. The dentist recommended a "posted crown", whereby the root of the tooth was retained and the crown was attached to the tooth root by a cemented in post.
This is the second such crown I've had done, and have had no issues at all.
I guess it all depends on whether the tooth root is viable?

[Sibo]

If it was my tooth, I would get the implant but there's nothing wrong with leaving it, the teeth near it may drift slightly, that's natural.

I wouldn't bother with a single toothed denture.

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