Anyone had dental implants?

giantmutantbroccoli

Hi guys,
Has anyone here had dental implants put in? What was it like? What was the surgery like? I'm getting two put into my upper jaw, and I'm feeling pretty nervous. Never had any surgery before! They're doing it under sedation, which apparently means I won't be unconscious but also "won't care" that I'm having surgery done. Anyone had any experience of having things done under sedation?
The first one goes in next week. And when I said nervous, I meant terrified lol. Someone please be reassuring!
:eek:

belfastgirl23

Wish I could help but I've never had to do this. however my teeth aren't exactly in good order so I'll be interested in the replies.

All I can say is that it is never really as bad as you've expected on the terrified question!

Good luck.

lolly5648

Sedation is wonderful, you are awake but won't remember anything. When I have dental work done I nearly always have it and pay a fortune but it is worth it for me.

I am in the mid stage with implants, I had three titanium posts put in 3 months ago in my upper jaw and I go back next week to have impressions made for the crowns. The surgery where my implantologist works does not offer sedation and I was terrified but my doctor gave me some valium tablets and they did the trick. The only thing that I remember about the procedure was that I had 17 injections which was uncomfortable but I can honestly say I felt no pain.

Good luck - you really won't know what is going on or feel a thing with sedation.

Steph998

Hi,

I've had three dental implants. One rear molar, and the two front teeth.

The two front teeth were 'immediately loaded implants' so I left the surgery having had the old teeth extracted, and titanium implants placed with 'screw in' temporaries. These look amazing...just like my own teeth. I can't wait to see what the permanents will look like; but I have had to wait three months until getting them fitted as the gum line at the front can be changed by extractions, and it makes sense to leave these temporaries in place for as long as possible to let the gum heal completely and settle down.

The rear molar however was done in a few stages; the implant was placed and the gum stitched over, then I had the implant base uncovered and the titanium post attached, then later the porcelain crown was attached.

All the procedures were completely painless, I was sedated each time and don't remember a thing after getting the IV venflon put in till about two hours later when it was all done. (I loved it actually, talk about la la land) and I was only slightly uncomfortable afterward for a few days which paracetamol took care of. I had to take antibiotics (Flagyl) to avoid infection.

Please don't worry - I am a real woos when it comes to the dentist and this was seriously easy. Easier than a filling for me. (I HATE the drill) BTW...if you are a smoker.... don't bother, they will almost certainly fail.

good luck!

Bronnie

Steph998 wrote: »

Hi,

I've had three dental implants. One rear molar, and the two front teeth.

The two front teeth were 'immediately loaded implants' so I left the surgery having had the old teeth extracted, and titanium implants placed with 'screw in' temporaries. These look amazing...just like my own teeth. I can't wait to see what the permanents will look like; but I have had to wait three months until getting them fitted as the gum line at the front can be changed by extractions, and it makes sense to leave these temporaries in place for as long as possible to let the gum heal completely and settle down.

The rear molar however was done in a few stages; the implant was placed and the gum stitched over, then I had the implant base uncovered and the titanium post attached, then later the porcelain crown was attached.

All the procedures were completely painless, I was sedated each time and don't remember a thing after getting the IV venflon put in till about two hours later when it was all done. (I loved it actually, talk about la la land) and I was only slightly uncomfortable afterward for a few days which paracetamol took care of. I had to take antibiotics (Flagyl) to avoid infection.

Please don't worry - I am a real woos when it comes to the dentist and this was seriously easy. Easier than a filling for me. (I HATE the drill) BTW...if you are a smoker.... don't bother, they will almost certainly fail.

good luck!

Thanks for this. I am just waiting for my first appointment to have a rear molar implant. Your post is very informative and reassuring.:T

giantmutantbroccoli

Thanks guys, that's just what I needed to hear! I'm getting mine done on the NHS for free because it's at a university dental hospital, which is good because I couldn't afford to pay for sedation. The implants are to compensate for two teeth that are missing, so no extractions needed, but I imagine the drilling needed to create a whole new socket will be a bit more substantial
@lolly5648 - I never got offered valium! If I had been I might have taken that instead, because the sedation takes ages to wear off. I was offered sedation or local anaesthetic.
@steph998 - Thank you, that was very useful! Yes, I know about the smoking thing. I quit!
Because there's people popping in here who are thinking of getting implants I might as well give the whole story.

I got 4 years of orthodentic work done at Manchester Uni dental hospital for free while I studied at Manchester, and it all went brilliantly. I was the final year project for a woman studying to specialise in orthodenticts - she had already passed to become a dentist. Once the work was done there I waited 6 months for my teeth to 'settle' (not the word they used, but what they meant!), then started looking into my options for getting the gaps filled in.

I'd just moved up to Edinburgh so decided (on the advice of the awesome guys at manchester implant clinic) to get the rest of my treatment done there. Got a referral from my local dentist, got an appointment to see a clinic in Edinburgh. One of the first questions I was asked was "Are you a smoker?" to which I replied yes, at the moment, but I'm going to quit. The guy I had the appointment with made a big thing of explaining (painfully slowly) that I couldn't get the treatment done if I was a smoker, and he wouldn't be able to recommend me for treatment. I repeated that I would quit - I was going to quit anyway, and nothing motivates me as much as being told if I don't I could pay £2k for my treatment. The guy felt my gums then said he wasn't sure about my being able to get treatment anyway, because he didn't think there was enough room for the implants. I went and got X-rays, and the guy glanced at them and said no, I couldn't have implants because there wasn't anough room for them.

I was devastated, and angry - Manchester had told me only a few months before that I COULD get implants if I could get funding from the LHA. I told him this (calmly), and he was adamant that there was no room for the implants and my teeth must have moved closer together. I asked if it was funding issue, he said no. I asked if it was because I was a smoker, he said no. I left. The entire appointment, including waiting around for x-rays etc took 20 minutes - he only spoke to me for about 5 minutes together. The impression I got was that I was being patronised and talked down to, but as it was only an impression and not any specific thing he said I didn't feel I could really complain about it.

Anway. I wasn't happy with that, so I got an appointment at a private practice and at Manchester dental hospital again. The private practice lady told me that she couldn't see any reason why I couldn't have an implant, there was tonnes of space! She was pretty indignant about it. Manchester said the same, and said they thought it was a funding issue. They then applied for funding to get it done. The weird bit is that because I live near Edinburgh, Edinburgh would have to fund any NHS treatment regardless of location - but although they refused to treat me in Edinburgh hospital, they agreed to fund my treatment in Manchester without any problems.

The moral of the story is always get a second opinion. And if you want free dental treatment, get your dentist to refer you to a teaching hospital. The work is carried out by (advanced) students, but the ultimate decisions etc are made on the advice of some of the top consultants in the country. the ones at Manchester were all very professional, competent and very good at explaining what was actually going on without making you feel like an idiot. Which is always nice

Toothsmith

Have you stopped smoking yet?

giantmutantbroccoli

Sorry, guess that post was a bit long to read through. Yes, I quit right after. I was told smoking reduces blood flow to the mouth, meaning you have a higher chance of the bone failing to heal around the implant.
No offense, but I'm getting surgery next week - it'd be a bit thick to leave it till this late to quit!

Toothsmith

Just checking!!

Steph998

Bronnie wrote: »

Thanks for this. I am just waiting for my first appointment to have a rear molar implant. Your post is very informative and reassuring.:T

You are more than welcome.

I was extremely anxious before my first implant; being slightly phobic I am not exactly 'laid back' about anything that involves 'The Dentist'.

I now think implants are a Gift from God

I have always looked after my teeth, but , genetically they are crap. (Both parents, now aged 81, had all their teeth out at aged 21 for a 'gift' (hello? . )

Combined with my smoking for 20 odd years (very odd years, but that's another thread) this was not exactly a recipe for gorgeous gnashers, so here I am aged 47 with crumbling crowns and mouldy amalgams. I suppose I am not bad for my age - until I open my mouth.

I stopped smoking four years ago - and believe me; my dentist did not just take my word for it. He took all sorts of swabs and alkaline/acid tape tests until he agreed to give me a full smile make over with implants. It's THAT important.

I have spent a few quid, and next month I get the finished, forever smile.

Wish me luck!

:rotfl:

pennymakespounds

thought i would share my experience ... having just finished 21 months .. over 30 appointments .. and £14000 !... with a superb periodontist .

Started with numerous appointments at the start .. assessing .. doing plaque & bleeding scores .. pocket depths etc ... and for him to do the deep root cleaning and planing etc ...some of these times were very painful so started just having jabs at beginning of each visit.

After all the treatment i went for a CT scan. (5 minutes and £600 !!)

Appraissal after that meant .. 5 teeth out inc the 4 back ones .. they weren't too good and he also thought it would make future cleaning easier ..

At that point .. i basicaly had about 6 teeth left on the top and 4 on the bottom .. basically the "middle ones" .

i was then given a temporary denture for the lower which was 4 teeth for either side . Amazed .. and impressed how well i managed with that ... and enjoyed the feeling of having " a nearly full mouth of teeth".

For the uppers ..... an old crown out ... replaced with an implant ... . and one of the extractions was replaced with an implant.

I found the implant operations a breeze ..... just had jabs for them .. just had a good relax in the chair .. didn't see or feel anything at all .. then drove home and was fine .

On the lower . an extraction replaced with ... don't know the technical word but basically the implant metal bit that was to be the fixing on one side for a new denture .
As the bone wasn't deep enough on the other side .. they turned a good tooth into a crown that then had "an attachment" on it .. a metal pin attached to the side of the crown that is the other side fixing for the denture. .. basically like having a press stud on the denture and on the gum.

After the 6 months or so for it all to settle i got the new posh "overdenture " .. which is the 4 side teeth on either side .. which i've got to say is brilliant . It is very secure .. i really can't tell i've got it ... but it has transformed what and how i eat ... because i've now practically got a full mouth of good .. useable .. teeth.

The new denture was the end of all the treatments .. four months ago and whilst it was a long process .. and in the early days i was very nervous... i now just have no fear whatsoever of dentists .. . and actually look forward now to going !!.

I have to have 3 monthly check ups .. 40 minutes with the periodontist to assess , score etc then an hour with his hygenist .. which is an incredibly thorough session . total bill £230 .. 4 times a year .. forever.

All of this is in addition to my "normal dentist" ... where with denplan (£22 month) ... i have 3 monthly visits .. 15 minutes with hygenist then check up with dentist . .. clearly there's been very little for him to do in last 18 months.

( my perio guy won't take me as a "normal dentist patient" ... was looking to see if i could save the £264 a year denplan ... and cut down the amount of time i spend at dentists ! .. both of my guys are an hours drive away !!)

I just wish my normal dentist had sent me to the gum specialist 1 or 5 or 10 years ago .. i hadn't realised things were so bad ... i was completely ignorant about gum disease.

So much of my problems apparantely due to poor brushing techniques ... and i've had very thorough "lessons" . on literally every tooth as to how to clean .. what to use .
My bathroom is like Boots the chemist .. i've got all sorts of tooth brushes ... floss ... 4 sizes of bottle brushes ..corsodoyl . denture cleaners etc . .. and i have a 15 minute morning and evening routine .

Chuffed that at my first quarterly check up last week ... was told that i'm doing a good job.

I'd shout from the rooftops to everyone .. "look after your teeth" . !!

these visits have ruled my life for nearly 2 years ..and cost me a fortune.
Anyone with nerves & fears .. just have a jab .. and nothing then hurts.