What is your dental work "method?"

[Pamela H in Texas]

So in the other thread, I mentioned that my ideal work would run about $16K. The take care of the smile and worse issue work, done least ideally, would be $3K. And there will be some more work to do in time also, but can be done less immediately.

 

So I thought of two things myself. First, get rid of the hurt. Second, a nice smile would be awesome. Third, getting done what the dentist thinks is necessary (which likely will include pain soon as well as definitely will impact my smile) seems wise.

 

So I called my mom. Her theory for expensive dental work is to wait til you can't stand the pain anymore and then have the root canal, pull it if you have to (BTW, my mom has the money so I'm surprised that is her take).

 

So what is YOUR method of deciding costly dental work?

 

I cannot handle the 8 teeth that are most pressing the ideal way. And pulling 8 teeth seems problematic also. Going down to the four most currently problematic, I don't know how I could do it ideally and I will have smile issues.

 

(Most problematic teeth currently - 12, 13, 20, and 30. 9, 10, and 11 are the three with pretty big issues. 3 is one that will likely be pulled because I got a dentist to give me a filling when I really needed a root canal. Three wisdom teeth need to be pulled.)

 

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

[delaney]

Gee I'm not sure! I have all of my wisdom teeth and they are not issues for me so they will stay there. I would go with working it in order of priority. You need to be comfortable first-then looks. I have tetracycline staining on my permanent teeth and went through until high school with them that way. Then at the age of 16 I got bonding and then they took that off (UGH!!!) and I got laminates on. They have lasted 20 years and still look great. I dread getting them done again but I know I will need it. I will do that when I don't have a kid in braces and can come up with the $$$$ for it. It is not a priority for me since I have no issues to be addressed. I would sit down with the dentist and work out a plan for yourself so that you can make some headway.:grouphug:

[chiguirre]

So I called my mom. Her theory for expensive dental work is to wait til you can't stand the pain anymore and then have the root canal, pull it if you have to (BTW, my mom has the money so I'm surprised that is her take).

 

 

:iagree: with your mom. I once had a root canal on a tooth that didn't hurt but "needed" it. It was horribly painful and now I have a crown that doesn't hurt but does tend to get irritated more than any other spot in my mouth. I brush, floss and always, always swish listerine and any aches and pains go away in a day or two. I do have dental insurance, but after my bad experience, I'm staying far away from American dentists. If I have to have work done, I'll get it done in Venezuela if I possibly can. (Sorry, this is a major pet peeve of mine and I do tend to rant).

 

In your case, I'd fix the teeth that you know you have to fix. Really, what choice do you have? If you have to have them pulled, a partial denture will work. Both my mom and dad wear at least partials and my mom has a full plate on top. If they're well fitted they don't hurt and they can eat almost anything. If you're still in Texas and feel comfortable travelling to Mexico, dental work is much cheaper and good quality there (although you'll want to look for references--but ask around, I've known a couple of people here who've done that).

[dancer67]

I have had 6 years worth of dental work, because 1. I had a bad experience with one dentist 2. I didn't have dental insurance.

 

I also put things off until they became so bad, it ended up costing me tons of money.

 

Small problem=small fix=less money.

 

I found that out the hard way.

 

I know have 5 crowns. None that needed root canals, but two needed pulpotomies. I have fillings in almost every one of my teeth.

 

I also only have one upper(crowned) and one lower(crowned) left on my right side.

 

I have probably spent about $20,000 or more on dental work. I can't say that I regret it one bit.

 

Get the most serious ones done first. Your dentist can always temp fix the other ones until he can get to them. Get a treatment plan. So you know what needs to be done, the cost, and how long you will need work done.

 

Let me forewarn you, that my dental work was estimated to be 3 years. Nope. Because as time went on, as he worked on other teeth, inevitibly another one would let go and needed a filling.

 

I see the dentist now if I even FEEL a little hole, or something not right. Being pro-active is the best way. After of course, you get all the major things done first.

 

Get a good dentist. One that is conservative. My last dentist just pulled my molars, and the dentist I see now said they never should have been pulled. They could have been saved. He will never do anything that is unecessary. And because I do not have dental insurance he deducts 20% off the bill, and many, many times, he will not charge me for X-rays, or a small filling.

 

It sure is nice to be able to smile again.:001_smile:

 

PS. I wanted to add, that pulling teeth is never a good idea unless absolutely necessary. Partials/bridges and dentures suck. And when your own teeth are removed, it is like a domino effect. Your other teeth shift, and then lose their strength which could set you up for bigger problems. (like receeding gums, periodontal disease etc) IMO, do whatever you need to do to save your own teeth.

Edited May 5, 2012 by dancer67

[snickelfritz]

I would tell the dentist your limitations and see what he says.

 

In my mind:

1. Pain

2. Non-painful, but will, with certainty, cause big issues. Cavities and such.

3. Not perfect, and might eventually cause problems.

4. Cosmetic. I don't negate the importance of this. I am much more confident after straightening my teeth. But it is lowest priority.

[melissad2]

Pray :) does that count? Fortunately I have been blessed with fairly good teeth and I pray every day that it continues because even though we have dental insurance, it pays next to nothing and even cleanings cost is a small fortune! The kids get bi-yearly cleanings but the rest of us do not.

[Pamela H in Texas]

My kids have good teeth. My littles work hard because their first mom lost hers (she's only 26 now!). I didn't have a single cavity before age 26; but a decade, dental fear, and needing extreme work has now put me in a bind.

 

I just wish I knew exactly what to do.

[mom31257]

:lurk5:

I'm in need of a lot of dental work and have had the same issues of deciding what to do. We really don't have the money to fix all that needs fixing, but I'm not in pain. I have large fillings that are old and are starting to have the tooth around them crack, so I need crowns on several teeth. My wisdom teeth are impacted and a couple are going to be difficult to get out. The dentist said he would leave those alone unless they were bothering me. My parents never took me to the dentist nor had my teeth straightened, so my mouth is a mess. We've put all our extra "mouth money" into the kids because I'm not going to do to them what my parents did to me. I've considered calling the dental college in Augusta and having an evaluation to get work done there and if it would be cheaper.

[Krista in LA]

I would tell the dentist your limitations and see what he says.

 

In my mind:

1. Pain

2. Non-painful, but will, with certainty, cause big issues. Cavities and such.

3. Not perfect, and might eventually cause problems.

4. Cosmetic. I don't negate the importance of this. I am much more confident after straightening my teeth. But it is lowest priority.

 

:iagree: I had to have a lot of dental work done. I sat down and talked to the dentist to find out what was the most critical to get done. He was a far better judge of that than I was - cosmetic issues could wait. We spaced it out over 3 years, maxing out our insurance each year but not going over what they would pay so as to keep my costs as low as possible. Our dentist also offers interest free financing (through a bank so they do check your credit) which was helpful.

[Whereneverever]

My kids have good teeth. My littles work hard because their first mom lost hers (she's only 26 now!). I didn't have a single cavity before age 26; but a decade, dental fear, and needing extreme work has now put me in a bind.

 

I just wish I knew exactly what to do.

 

Do you have a sedation dentist there? Someone who specializes in dental fears?