Dental Implant Cost (vs Problem Root Canal)

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Disclaimer: I'm sometimes too lazy to read my own past posts,so sometimes I repeat myself...tho sometimes I might add something new! Apologies in advance if I'm going over the same old same old.

I think I may have started this post,or something similar. I'm still undecided about 2/3 implants I could have. If another tooth goes,more urgency and a decision will be required from myself. Present missing teeth are at the back,and I'm not one for smiling that much!!

My latest information comes via R4 and which I may have mentioned somewhere before...or not. It raised my suspicions about my own dentist and dentistry in particular(tho my dentist does seem a very agreeable and open chap,tho probably compromised by government cutbacks). This is where complex dentistry hasn't any rewards for the dentist when done under the NHS,thus the dentist is induced to go for the simple job or the 'tooth out' solution. It isn't worth arguing who may to blame over this matter,it is where it is. I guess from a prospective government minister's think tank advisor there is no need to even have NHS dentistry(apart from alleviating pain and a bit o education).

My local dentist says one implant would cost £2k. He could put me forward to his colleague. The dentist would be near to me,regulated and overseen by his profession,UK national rules/regs/laws etc. I am not sure what the Budapest chaps costs would be,nor the amount of visits I would have to make.I believe some foreign dentistry operatives have pre-assessment clinics in the UK - I could have duplicates of my own dentistry records made then sent to Budapest,surely.

I think am still suffering from the British indoctrination of 'we're better than the rest of the world' and justice and fair play is best seen and done in our country. It may be. But from other information and experiences Europe is our equal or better,and not lawless and unregulated. Thus Eastern European dentists aren't ill trained cowboys. It would be okay to go abroad and have good dental work done...and cheaper. Still,I haven't gone yet!!

[Psamathe]

Disclaimer: I'm sometimes too lazy to read my own past posts,so sometimes I repeat myself...tho sometimes I might add something new! Apologies in advance if I'm going over the same old same old.

I think I may have started this post,or something similar. I'm still undecided about 2/3 implants I could have. If another tooth goes,more urgency and a decision will be required from myself. Present missing teeth are at the back,and I'm not one for smiling that much!!

My latest information comes via R4 and which I may have mentioned somewhere before...or not. It raised my suspicions about my own dentist and dentistry in particular(tho my dentist does seem a very agreeable and open chap,tho probably compromised by government cutbacks). This is where complex dentistry hasn't any rewards for the dentist when done under the NHS,thus the dentist is induced to go for the simple job or the 'tooth out' solution. It isn't worth arguing who may to blame over this matter,it is where it is. I guess from a prospective government minister's think tank advisor there is no need to even have NHS dentistry(apart from alleviating pain and a bit o education).

My local dentist says one implant would cost £2k. He could put me forward to his colleague. The dentist would be near to me,regulated and overseen by his profession,UK national rules/regs/laws etc. I am not sure what the Budapest chaps costs would be,nor the amount of visits I would have to make.I believe some foreign dentistry operatives have pre-assessment clinics in the UK - I could have duplicates of my own dentistry records made then sent to Budapest,surely.

I think am still suffering from the British indoctrination of 'we're better than the rest of the world' and justice and fair play is best seen and done in our country. It may be. But from other information and experiences Europe is our equal or better,and not lawless and unregulated. Thus Eastern European dentists aren't ill trained cowboys. It would be okay to go abroad and have good dental work done...and cheaper. Still,I haven't gone yet!!

Your UK £2k will be the bill - nothing else (except maybe parking). Overseas you have all sorts of bills on top of the dental work (flights, transport to/from airport, airport parking, hotels) and my own implants took quite a few visits (i.e. not go there, have it done and that's it). I had to go several extra times e.g. when a stitch came lose. One visit scheduled for opening up the dentist looked and checked and decided he would not do bth but just the one, leaving the 2nd for a few weeks - if you've flown overseas would the dentist say "come back in two weeks" or just plough on when things were not completely ready (not good from a medical perspective).

I know of one person who has had a lot of dental work in Egypt (cheap as well apparently) - but she said that it is only cheap because she loves going there on holiday and gets the dental work when she is there anyway - so flights, airport transport, airport parking, etc. are in actually extra bills because she is going anyway.

Ian

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Psamathe: Yes,all of your above and more to be taken into consideration.

My latest 'informant' was given additional free flights...but guess his petrol and paid parking at airport weren't covered.

Some things you can't make out: read, I can't make out. So you/I have some stitches to come out. Can't I go to my local dentist and say, will you take out the stitches? Or would the dentist refuse saying I had my work done privately, I should go back to Budapest have the stitches taken out. But if I paid the GB dentist privately,surely he could take out the stitches. Cost? Minimal.

I can never work out what the cross over costs could be,and who would pay for them. Or who should pay for them(if things go awry). Example: I go to France to have a boob job done. Come back to UK,French job no go. French surgeon scarpers. Breasts not right/infected. Should the NHS pick up the tab? If not...and infected/misaligned...will they do nothing until I meet my maker,or intervene to stop repeated visits to hospital/doctors taking up time/money etc.

I guess this is where the NHS will always be there to pick up the tab,yes? Private for profit,no profit or unviable...pass it to Joe Blo.

[thirdcrank]

Just on the matter of travelling, I had mine done in Heckmondwike. This may sound exotic to some on here but it's a short bus ride for me. Even though the original two titanium implants were done as a straight swap - ie old roots out, implants straight in - I had several visits, which could not have been combined AFAIK. I suppose appearance is a bit more critical with front teeth, which takes a bit more time than anything at the back, but any healing process takes time.

[npcarey]

Just thought that I would mention that here in Ireland there are 'Hungarian Dental Clinics' set up and staffed by Hungarian orthodontists. Initial costs are slightly less than half of an Irish orthodontist's, roughly €1350 per implant for the Hungarians as opposed to something under €3000 for the Irish. However to cover the guarantee bi-annual visits are required which means €100 each year for 10 years. The clinic was really hi-tech and has a good reputation, even my own Irish dentist couldn't really say anything against it. My only objection to going to it was the distance, 80km, not too far but I don't like driving and the travel costs plus the extra €1000 for the guarantee would bring the final cost to only a little less than an local orthodontist.
Anyhow due to a medical conditional I can't go ahead with an implant at present.
So this is just a long-winded way of suggesting that there may be a similar 'Hungarian' clinics in the UK that you could investigate.
Regards Neil.

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Thanks npcarey. Your news and info adds to the growing knowledge. The more info the better informed choice.

[thirdcrank]

On the matter of continuing checkups, mine involve visits every two years, which have been £48 ever since I first went. The dentist who did mine explained that the only real risks of complications were for anybody who had had problems with bone loss and or gum disease, usually associated with tobacco and alcohol. ie Anybody who needed implants because their mouth was in bad shape and needed bone grafts to build it back up would risk a repeat if they did not cut out what had caused those problems. It's been mentioned further up that people of my generation experienced different dental treatment when they were younger. In my own case, I only discovered the existence of dental hygienists when I was referred for the implants. Before that, I had thought it was just a matter of giving them a brushing. I had also wrongly assumed that electric toothbrushes were for people too idle to waggle a standard toothbrush. It was a revelation in my mid 60's to be shown how to clean my teeth properly.

[hondated]

Suffered from this dilemma several months ago now and I am pretty sure I asked the same sort of question on here but got little response. Is it because I am a southerner I wonder. That'll bring the trolls out.
Anyway fed up with the Johnny Depp Pirate look only having half a set of upper front teeth I knew that I had to do something to at least make me look half decent again.
As suggested by Al I contemplated going abroad and getting implants but as I did not know of a specific client I considered it too risky so opted instead for a flexible partial denture.
Thankfully my dentist is very competent so I had a few visits to make sure the mould was correct before he sent it off to have the denture made.
For me at a cost of £500 I didn't think it was that cheap but better to pay that than have a hard plastic NHS one made.
Another story here; after moving here five years ago the dentist five minutes away was not taking on NHS patients so I had to go to another that was which involved a twenty minute journey to get to them. Very long story short. When I knew I needed a denture I asked them for a quote and there price was £1000 but thankfully after being told that I telephoned my local dentist again and fortunately they were now taking on new NHS patients. So that phone call saved me £500.
So flexible denture made I then had to get use to it and to get it feeling comfortable in my mouth. On several occasions I felt like I was gagging and had to take it out straight away and I also had sore points on it. After returning to see my dentist and for him to adjust it I saw that he was just sanding various points on it so I decided to buy myself a Dremel like tool on Ebay and adjusted it myself. It took more than a few days of sanding it to fit but I eventually got there and it now feels comfortable.
If I am honest I would have much rather have had implants but the cost for me was too prohibitive but I suppose the point I am trying to make is if you too cannot afford implants then do not dismiss having a denture because with a bit of perseverance it could solve your problem. Another downer for me was a psychological one in that its made me realise that I really am getting old.

[gbnz]

On the matter of continuing checkups, mine involve visits every two years, which have been £48 ever since I first went. The dentist who did mine explained that the only real risks of complications were for anybody who had had problems with bone loss and or gum disease, usually associated with tobacco and alcohol. ie Anybody who needed implants because their mouth was in bad shape and needed bone grafts to build it back up would risk a repeat if they did not cut out what had caused those problems. It's been mentioned further up that people of my generation experienced different dental treatment when they were younger. In my own case, I only discovered the existence of dental hygienists when I was referred for the implants. Before that, I had thought it was just a matter of giving them a brushing. I had also wrongly assumed that electric toothbrushes were for people too idle to waggle a standard toothbrush. It was a revelation in my mid 60's to be shown how to clean my teeth properly.

The timing of this thread is great, given I've had an unusual 3-4 days with little food, no exercise (To prevent bleeding), little speech and the first 24 hours in bed (Post dental "surgery") - a perfectly healthy tooth, damaged by a "dental consultant/surgeon" in a specialist NHS Dental Hospital while removing a wisdom tooth, finally had to be removed following seven visits to the dentist in the last two months in an effort to save it.

I'm anticipating needing an implant at some stage in the next ten years, so Thirdcrank can you advise;

1. How long have you had an inplant and what expectations are there for longevity (I.e. Do they have a finite lifespan?)
2. Does it feel any different from having a normal tooth in the mouth, once it's all settled down?
2. How much did it cost (Please PM if you don't want it to go public)

Like you, I've progressively learnt how to clean my teeth properly over time! I'm not yet at the electric tooth brush stage, but definitely at the twenty minutes per day supported by mouth wash, decent toothbrushes and dental floss! Why couldn't all this stuff be taught at school?

[thirdcrank]

1 My front Bugs Bunny implants were done in the summer of 1999 IIRC. I've had no specific advice on how long they might last. The big issue seems to be how long the surrounding gums and bone last. Mouth care is the key. I had a check-up earlier this year and the new implants person - the chap who did mine having almost fully retired - said everything was fine. If you broke the visible bit, it could be removed from the titanium post and replaced, at a cost.

2 In use, they are undetectable either with the tongue or by looking in the mirror. My original front teeth had a big gap between, which the crowns had closed. My replacement teeth are actually in one piece which is much stronger. Obviously, they have been modelled to look like a natural pair. The only problem, and it's a small one, is that when I urge my grandchildren to look after their teeth, they say they can get new ones like I did.

3 I can't remember exactly what it cost but it was several thousands. Bear in mind, however, that having two done at the front like that is probably the most expensive combination in that you have two titanium posts for two teeth. AFAIK, a whole upper set needs only 4 posts ie two at the back and two more nearer the front, the replacement teeth then being similar to a denture but mounted on the posts. I learned along the way that because of things like never having been a smoker, I was spared the bone grafting that many patients need. Also, the fact that I have heart disease was a cause for concern and if there had been any doubts, I might have had to have it done by them but in hospital, all potentially adding to the cost.

The best evidence I can offer of satisfaction was that I had the third one done more recently to preserve some bite on the right of my mouth: I have all sorts of gaps from teeth extracted over the years.

I think I posted somewhere above that the initial consultation was £100 all in, including X-rays etc. That included unlimited discussion of my many questions and a detailed quote at the end. Money well-spent IMO. I see that the same practice now quote £120 for that initial consultation. I think that if you are seriously considering having it done, then my advice would be to identify where you anticipate having it done and then shell out for something similar. BTW, when I asked about having the third one done, as an existing patient I wasn't charged for the initial advice.

This link is to the chap who did mine. He used to have his own implant suite there, but it now seems unused since his retirement. I have a normal NHS dentist elsewhere for the routine stuff so I'm not a regular at Heckmondwike.

http://www.dentists4implants.com/dr-nar ... nt-centre/

[Psamathe]

...
The timing of this thread is great, given I've had an unusual 3-4 days with little food, no exercise (To prevent bleeding), little speech and the first 24 hours in bed (Post dental "surgery") - a perfectly healthy tooth, damaged by a "dental consultant/surgeon" in a specialist NHS Dental Hospital while removing a wisdom tooth, finally had to be removed following seven visits to the dentist in the last two months in an effort to save it.

I'm anticipating needing an implant at some stage in the next ten years, so Thirdcrank can you advise;

1. How long have you had an inplant and what expectations are there for longevity (I.e. Do they have a finite lifespan?)
2. Does it feel any different from having a normal tooth in the mouth, once it's all settled down?
2. How much did it cost (Please PM if you don't want it to go public)
...

My own recent (last year) experience:
1. Had my two implants for a year or so. I understand they should last a lifetime (from my dentist - implant specialist). They do need looking after in that you do need to avoid infection (apparently more important than normal teeth) but all you do is brush them as normal.

2. Feels the same. There is a slight difference that you don't notice in "use" but can if you are aware of it in that for molars, the implant tooth is marginally lower than the tooth that was there previously. Reason is that a tooth is attached to the jaw through ligaments which have some "give" when you bite down on something hard and act as a cushion (shock absorber). However an implant is fixed into the bone so biting hard on something and the bone takes the full un-cushioned load so they set the tooth very marginally lower to allow for this. The difference is small in that if you are not aware of it you wont notice. And often if you have a normal tooth opposite the implant (molar) the opposite normal tooth will move out to set a normal gap anyway. I'm confident mine are now right as I (secretly) had (and paid for) a 2nd opinion from a different implant specialist in my case.

3. I paid £2000 per implant (i.e. £4000 for the two). I did get cheaper quotes but then wondered why they were cheaper and what was not included. But most places were around the £2000 (plus or minus). There is a slight risk that the implant (the titanium bit embedded into the bone) does not fuse in properly and if that happens it is removed and they try again. My £2000 ones include a 2nd try in the unlikely event that 1st implant does not fuse properly. My £2000 also includes some follow-up checks and guarantees. They didn't start "that is worse than we expected so price going up" e.g. when the infected tooth removal would not cone out and they had to switch to a far far longer and more complex surgical removal - it was always that is the price for everything whatever that involves.

For my two, everything took 15 visits to the specialist in total, though most of those were very quick. I think I had 3 long sessions (1hr'ish) one to remove the infected tooth (not strictly part of the implant procedure) and each of the two implants being set into the jaw bone. Mine were done at offset times as I have one of each side of my mouth so started one, waited for gum to heal then start of the other side, etc.. Most of the other appointments were very brief open mouth, check or remove stitches or take cast or fit tooth, etc.

When I had mine done, my own NHS dental practice does not do them. I phoned round and quite a few private practices do offer implants BUT do it by having a specialist attend their surgery maybe every 2 weeks. This struck me as a real nuisance as you can only have your appointment on the day the specialist is attending. In my case I made a return visit twice on the day after treatment (once when a stitch came lose and once when a blanking post was too high and needed adjustment) - and that would have been a nightmare with a "attends once a fortnight" practice (and they were no cheaper). So check if they have a resident specialist.

Also, I found most places would see and assess you and quote for free. I only went to one place and the see/quote was a consultation including a full x-ray (to check for bone state), where they then decide on best methods, discuss and tell you all about it, their specialists success/failure rate (I think mine was (98%), etc. and tell you the price (when you are already lying down!).

One of my implants was for a molar that was taken out several years ago, the other for a molar that was still in mouth and infected. They started with the one infected idea being to take the tooth out and pop-in the implant - but the hole was too big so had to wait a few months for bone to regrow into socket. BUT, the several year old one was worse than the recently removed one - probably because bone was much softer in the recently removed one. So you will possibly find having tooth removed and implant fitted sooner after easier than an implant in a tooth gap from long ago.

There is a system of "implants in a day" i.e. go in and everything done in a day. This seems to have bad reviews and most dentists do what is reported as the safer method which takes quite a few months.

When you have a missing molar, under that gap you can lose bone slowly over time. Once you get an implant in that bone loss stops. How relevant that is depends on your age but your dentist can advice.

Sorry, I've waffled a bit.

Ian

[thirdcrank]

... There is a system of "implants in a day" i.e. go in and everything done in a day. This seems to have bad reviews and most dentists do what is reported as the safer method which takes quite a few months. ...

My two front teeth were done in that way in the sense that the roots, which had broken off flush with the gums when the crowns broke off, were removed and the titanium posts were immediately inserted. My man explained it was something of a pioneering process (my words) and that he was competent to do it. Again, he emphasised that it was only feasible because of the sound condition of my mouth. When I came to have the one further back doing, his recommendation was one tooth in a pre-existing gap. That obviously meant opening up the gum. In each case, there was a temporary tooth until the permanent one had been made to mount on the post. So, not all in a day in that sense.

I believe my man to have been a leader in this field; not the type of specialist you might normally find in a back street in Heckmondwike. I believe the qualifications in my link are genuine. There have been a couple of occasions over the years when check-up appointments have been arranged to fit in with his visits to conferences on implantation. It might have all been a con, of course, but I was 100% satisfied. I went on the recommendation of my own NHS dentist who confirmed that he was first-rate, and no kick back, BTW.

I've had leaflets through the door for implants, along with double glazing, paving and chinese takeaways.

[Psamathe]

... There is a system of "implants in a day" i.e. go in and everything done in a day. This seems to have bad reviews and most dentists do what is reported as the safer method which takes quite a few months. ...

...I believe my man to have been a leader in this field; not the type of specialist you might normally find in a back street in Heckmondwike. I believe the qualifications in my link are genuine. There have been a couple of occasions over the years when check-up appointments have been arranged to fit in with his visits to conferences on implantation. It might have all been a con, of course, but I was 100% satisfied. I went on the recommendation of my own NHS dentist who confirmed that he was first-rate, and no kick back, BTW.

I've had leaflets through the door for implants, along with double glazing, paving and chinese takeaways. :roll:

I know what you mean. When I was phoning round most places were £2000 per tooth (plus or minus) and then I got one dentist estimate £1200. To me this was not just undercutting the local competition but something else and I didn't even bother to pursue it as I'd never be confidant they were doing the same/best/experience/etc.

I thought that "implants in a day" were taking the process a lot further than you had in a single appointment - i.e. you get implant (titanium bit) and temporary teeth all fitted same appointment same day! The plan for one of mine was remove the molar and fit the implant (titanium thing) at the same time. Unfortunately once they had removed the molar the bone between the roots broke out and the socket was too large for the implant so I had to wait on that for the bone to regrow into the socket.

I found that whilst "opening up the gum" sounded scary (to me, who is scared of all dental work), in practice after the 1st time it was not such a big deal. Had to have it done 4 times in the end (incl opening up after titanium implant fused in).

When I was having mine done (the titanium implant in the bone) I actually had two dentists, one specialist and the other observing/assisting/learning. The trainee didn't do anything except the dental nurse stuff but it was very helpful as the specialist was continually explaining exactly what he was doing, why he was doing it, how to check, etc., not for me but for the trainee (who was a fully qualified dentist) - I find a lot of dentists just silently get on with it and I like to know what is going on.

I do think it is a more specialised thing than many appreciate (e.g. "it's really cheap in Eastern Europe ...") and after having mine done I'd never consider going overseas for "a cheaper deal". I doubt your own specialists' recommendations/experience/etc. was a con (too much come-back if anything fraudulent like that is ever discovered).

Ian

[thirdcrank]

Both my courses of treatment involved a detailed assessment with X-rays of what was hidden from view eg bone structure and route of the nerves. The machine was mounted on a circular track and did a 360 deg circuit. I worry about X-rays but no alternative here. I was given quite a bit of explanation of what the pictures revealed. When I inquired about having the one done further back (upper right FWIW) I still had a loose tooth in there which I thought might be suitable for immediate out/in replacement, but, although keeping healthy roots in (like my two front teeth) prevents the bone loss associated with the sockets of extracted teeth, keeping a wobbly one in doesn't (infection etc.) There is also some sort of natural gap (sinus?) in that part of the bone which isn't ideal for implanting. One of the previously extracted teeth from that part of my gob had always been dodgy in that it had grown as though it was twisted in the gum. He recommended there as the site of the new implant and fitted a tooth with a larger surface than the useless one which had been there most of my life. I've experienced a vastly better chewing performance with that implant than what it was like before.

Treatment of this type isn't cheap, but if you are like me, you need total confidence it will be right. It's something you are stuck with 24/7 indefinitely. I'd not suggest for a moment that dentists in or from other countries can't do a great job and possibly cheaper, but I think I was lucky to have an expert just down the road. I'm also lucky to be able to afford it, although that's largely through being so tight-fisted most of my life, rather than luck. I'm also lucky, touch wood, that this all went without a hitch, at the time or since. I'm pretty confident that if anything had gone wrong, infection seemingly always a possibility, I'd have received immediate remedial attention. I had the personal mobile phone number of the dentist for that purpose. All plain sailing. <==== as you can see here, I now have a beautiful smile.

[gbnz]

Thirdcrank and Psamathe thanks for the detailed response. While I'd never take "medical" advice from the generic internet, I'm more than happy to seek others real experience. And I'd certainly check and double check with respected dentists and doctors in respect to every possible complication, prior to having holes drilled in a bone or such like.

My recent tooth loss shouldn't need be replaced, it being out of sight, but still £&%$" painful!. But on a pragmatic basis I'd anticipate the strong possibility of loosing a couple highly visible teeth at the front at some stage in the next ten years and would prefer to be prepared (One due to a b*£$*" farmer coating the road with red diesal in 2012, resulting in one of my few journeys over the handlebars). Given the choice between another bike, a tv, sofa or teeth, have to admit I'd prefer to have cash set aside for teeth!