Dentist Question

[blondietink]

OK, so this is the issue: DH is retired and I am unemployed. We have no dental insurance. DH had a car accident 45 year ago when he was in college and the impact broke his 2 front teeth. At the time the dentist filed down what he had left and put caps on the front teeth ... basically he had pegs left that they covered.

Now, one of the teeth that were fixed 45 years ago is loose underneath. So loose he can jiggle it with his tongue. We are thinking he would need one of the new implants to replace this loose tooth. I know they are expensive, and again we have no insurance. Do dentist nowadays give estimates before they agree to do the work? Do they charge for estimates? Do they have payment plans? We don't have the money right now to pay out thousands of dollars to fix this tooth all at once, but if there were monthly payments, we could manage it. Does anybody here have experience on how much this could cost?

DH is insistent that whatever is done is permanent. He does not want a bridge that can be removed. Don't know why he is so stubborn on this, but permanent it must be.

 

[3BoysRDisneyFreaks]

Dentists will give work estimates, but the ones I have come across will usually charge you a small appointment fee. I am sure they are going to want to take xrays and such.
Depending on the dentist they have payment plans or some offer credit for work.
Implants are expensive, but if it works they results are great.

Good luck!

Sarah

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

In most areas and implant costs between $1500 and $2000 per tooth. Most dentists do have a payment plan but you have to pay the tooth off BEFORE they will do it. They don't do the work and then just hope you pay the bill every month. Not all dentists will even work with you but every dentist I have ever dealt with will let you PRE-PAY the bill then they do the work. You could get that single tooth on a partial plate or bridge whatever you are calling it for $300 or less. If he wants to walk around toothless waiting to save up 2 grand to fix his tooth that is up to him. But he can fix it much more cheaply than with a permanent implant.

 

[MagiKitty]

Definitely call around. I needed to get two root canals on adjacent teeth and also had no dental insurance. One dentist I went to would put my credit card on file and charge me a set amount per month. Another dentist gave me an estimate of the work and required a half deposit before starting. I lastly chose a dentist who told me her total fee and accepted three installments.

Good luck to you both on finding a dentist!

 

[southern_redhead]

We are on a payment plan for DD's ortho. We do have insurance, but it only pays the first $1000 (out of, apparently, a million ), so I don't know if our situation is different.

I do know there is something that is like a line of credit for medical expenses. I can't remember the name, but it has "care" in it. Almost all Dr's offices we have been to have pamphlets set out with the information. Maybe look into that?

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

We are on a payment plan for DD's ortho. We do have insurance, but it only pays the first $1000 (out of, apparently, a million ), so I don't know if our situation is different.

I do know there is something that is like a line of credit for medical expenses. I can't remember the name, but it has "care" in it. Almost all Dr's offices we have been to have pamphlets set out with the information. Maybe look into that?

That "care" plan that works basically as a medical credit card or line of credit requires you have a job/income and good credit just like with any credit card does.

 

[Pakey]

The difference with an implant is that the bulk of the cost is the tooth itself and that is normally made at an outside lab. The dentist may be willing to take payments for his prep and install labor but the labs generally require payment in full before they make the implant.

 

[Kay1]

I've never used it so I can't comment, but my dentist has a brochure in his office that tell about a certain payment plan. Of course, there are always credit cards which are usually a bad idea, but we are talking teeth and not a luxurious vacation.

Good luck to you.

 

[ceecee]

Implants around our area are $1200.00 (you might want to have an oral surgeon do that instead of a general dentist) then you need to have the implant crowned $840.00 is what we charge. You do have to have enough bone to support an implant and since the tooth is loose, he may have some issues with the bony support. If so, he can have a bridge (these are not removeable like a partial) they usually charge per tooth so $840 x 3. A maryland bridge might also work these are held to the abuting teeth and so each tooth doesn't have to be prepped.
CareCredit is what a lot of dentists/vets use now. Basically your dentist pays the interest for you and if you skip a payment they slam you with 25% interest. Most start out interest free for up to 24 months depending on how much you charge.

 

[SandrA9810]

If it's loose, there might be a problem with the remaining tooth that would require some additional dental work. Hopefully not a root canal, but my dentist warned me of it when I got some cavities filled.

If it's just loose, and the fake has held up this well for so many years, they might just charge a small fee to glue it back into place.

No dentist is going to do work without giving you an estimate first. Call some dentists to see what they charge for a consultation. When I did have insurance, I had DeltaDental, and I know they offer individual coverage plan. It might be worth it to look into it.

And don't always go to the franchised offices that are known for being cheap, kinda like the medical offices that people go to without insurance. They're often times just as expensive, and usually not as flexible with creating a payment plan as a private office.

 

[blondietink]

All the dentists within 20 miles of where I live are private, not franchised, so we would go private anyway. And yes, the other front tooth is also on a peg, so whatever is done a bridge probably could not be attached to it, unless they did both teeth? thanks for the advice, I will have him start calling on Monday different dentists for consultations.

 

[mousefan1972]

If he needs an implant, definitely have an oral surgeon do it. (speaking from experience here) I lost a molar to a crack last year (at the age of 38-ugh) so I had to get an implant. I didn't have enough bone to support it, so I had to have a bone graft/sinus lift. (it was an upper molar) Then, as PP mentioned, once the implant is in, a crown needs to be made to go over the implant. The total cost for the bone graft, implant, and crown was around 5K. Our insurance paid $1500 of that. I hope your husband doesn't have to go through that. Good luck!

 

[ceecee]

All the dentists within 20 miles of where I live are private, not franchised, so we would go private anyway. And yes, the other front tooth is also on a peg, so whatever is done a bridge probably could not be attached to it, unless they did both teeth? thanks for the advice, I will have him start calling on Monday different dentists for consultations.

The "peg" is the natural tooth prepped to hold a crown, I'm assuming? If there are two teeth involved it may need to be supported with a 4 unit bridge. If the other crowned tooth is still okay probably a three unit will still work.

 

[walkdmc]

If he needs an implant, definitely have an oral surgeon do it. (speaking from experience here) I lost a molar to a crack last year (at the age of 38-ugh) so I had to get an implant. I didn't have enough bone to support it, so I had to have a bone graft/sinus lift. (it was an upper molar) Then, as PP mentioned, once the implant is in, a crown needs to be made to go over the implant. The total cost for the bone graft, implant, and crown was around 5K. Our insurance paid $1500 of that. I hope your husband doesn't have to go through that. Good luck!

I had this same experience, even at the same age, last year here in the Philadelphia 'burbs.

I used to go to a dental school for work when I was a student. I got a deeply discounted rate because it was a training program, but the attendings were always present and everything worked out well. However, I never needed more than cavity fillings from that place.

 

[a1tinkfans]

do you happen to have a local teaching/dental school near you? I know two people that actually had their dental implants done this way for a great savings and both had very good results with no issues. They both used the same place..
all the work was overseen by the dentist/teacher in charge and everything was very professional. It can potentially save you a ton of money and may work to your advantage. You can check for references as well. Clearly the "student" is one that is experienced, not like you're a guinea pig...
best of luck!

Just something to consider............

 

[Mom&RN]

I ditto the advice on a dental school. The dental school near where I live charges based on a sliding scale according to your income and often the work is free or very low cost. Also, try dentists in small towns instead of big cities, most small town dentists/doctors/etc. have smaller offices that are less "corporate" and often more willing to work with you on a personal basis. Good luck!!

 

[Disney-Chick]

I am in Canada so im sure a bit different. But I know my dentist has payment plans. We just paid off my daughters braces over a 2 year period.

I had a bridge in the front of my mouth which was done when I was 21 (im now 33). Last year my daughter kneed me in the mouth by accident while we were putting our shoes on. A month later I found out that my tooth was cracked which was the one that had my bridge attached. After going through my insurance they agreed to pay for all but one tooth (that tooth was lose not from the impact). I just had the 1st part of the surgery done on Thursday (inserting the screws). When I went to sign the bill I seen that each screw was $1400 each & I had 3 inserted. They couldn't put one where I had lost my tooth back when I was 21 since there wasn't a lot of bone there. I do know that they would have done payment plans for us as well and did the work. If your husband still has a tooth he may still have enough bone for the implants. I would call around for information.

I understand your frustration & fear of having to pay for all the dental work that will come. Good luck to you & your husband.

 

[Judique]

OK, so this is the issue: DH is retired and I am unemployed. We have no dental insurance. DH had a car accident 45 year ago when he was in college and the impact broke his 2 front teeth. At the time the dentist filed down what he had left and put caps on the front teeth ... basically he had pegs left that they covered.

Now, one of the teeth that were fixed 45 years ago is loose underneath. So loose he can jiggle it with his tongue. We are thinking he would need one of the new implants to replace this loose tooth. I know they are expensive, and again we have no insurance. Do dentist nowadays give estimates before they agree to do the work? Do they charge for estimates? Do they have payment plans? We don't have the money right now to pay out thousands of dollars to fix this tooth all at once, but if there were monthly payments, we could manage it. Does anybody here have experience on how much this could cost?

DH is insistent that whatever is done is permanent. He does not want a bridge that can be removed. Don't know why he is so stubborn on this, but permanent it must be.

I know why he is so stubborn on it. Because the 'partial' is very annoying to live with! It can get stuck in your food that you are trying to chew. Some of them break very easily. They are just annoying! I had them before I had permanent work done and if I knew then what I know now, I would have found a way to pay for permanent work. I agree 100% with your husband!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm not sure why everyone is jumping to "implant". I mean, implants are great - but if the roots are intact, he may be able to do a plain crown. It will depend what the XRays show. He might consider doing both at once so the color will match exactly, etc.

I don't blame him at all for doing something permanent (even if it has to be an implant). Who wants to worry about whether you're going to be seen without your front teeth some day in some circumstance? It's money well spent.

Please find a board certified prostodontist in your area. This is a restorative specialist. Whatever needs to be done, this dentist will be the best and most up to date about what that will be, and will do it in such a way that it won't come out. Best of luck.

 

[blondietink]

Yes, there is a dental school about an hour away from us. We'll give them a call, too. We live in a very rural area, and some of the dentists are greedy, some are not. We will get some estimates from the not-so-greedy ones first. I also think we need to get some x-rays done at the very least to see what the underlying structure is and get options before any decision is made.