| Subject: Re: I think this is me! |
Author:
Kathy in VA
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Date Posted: 13:48:55 08/06/04 Fri
In reply to:
Kim
's message, "Re: I think this is me!" on 10:52:05 08/05/04 Thu
Yes, you are correct. I would agree with your rant about the insurance not paying for any of the implants (although I do realize that it is expensive). They will chip in for dentures or bridges, which do the same thing that implants do. Implants function more like real teeth and it's not as expensive to replace the crown of an implant than an entire 3 unit bridge. I also understand the dilemma that you faced when making that decision. Implants are expensive. It was such a tough decision for me to commit to spending that amount of money that I got ten opinions from dentists and orthodontists before doing anything. Not to mention the amount of time I spent researching the problem.
I do not have the option of using the bicuspids as substitutes for the canines like Jo did (and by the way, I think Jo's turned out great), so mine was a choice between whether to 1)do nothing - (I was assured by many dentists that the baby canines had very few years left before they'd fall out. I ruled this out.) 2) Have the baby canines removed and replaced with implants or bridges (ruled this out due to the stresses placed on the teeth in that position ) 3)Have the baby canines removed, orthodontic work to move my real canines where they belong, and a)implants (my preferred choice due to their longevity and that they preserve bone in the upper jaw - without anything there the bone would resorb and the gum in that area would sink in as it has with a missing tooth in my lower arch) or b)Traditional fixed bridges (rejected due to the fact that I didn't want the central incisors and canines shaved down and prepped for crowns. Maybe if I wasn't happy with the shape of my natural teeth or they already had cavities, but this is not the case. Those teeth are perfectly healthy.) c)A Maryland-type bonded bridge, which preserves the tooth structure of the central incisors and canines, but is not as durable as an implant (I'll choose this if my roots refuse to budge).
Good luck with your treatment!
>I think I have this problem! Are the laterals the 2
>teeth next to your front teeth? If so, that is also
>what I am missing.
>I lost one as a child and still have a baby tooth
>which is being pulled in a week. My ortho offered me
>the option of having expensive implants put in after
>the braces came off, or moving my teeth over and
>reshaping them to look more normal. I chose the
>latter, since implants are not always guaranteed to
>"take", and my insurance won't cover them anyway (a
>whole other rant, might I add!). Jo, I saw your photo
>and I think you look great so now this gives me great
>hope that I'll look ok! :)
>
>
>
>
>
>>I have missing laterals (due to teenage orthodontics
>>rather than genetics though) I have my canines where
>>my laterals should be. You can see my before,during
>>and after photos in the photogallery. I was offered
>>the choice of leaving the canines where they were or
>>making spaces and having a bridge with 'false'
>>laterals. I chose to keep the canines where they were
>>as I didn't want bridges and I don't think the final
>>result looks TOO bad, although its obvious to me they
>>are canines.
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