Dental Implants

beauchbabe

Simple question (I hope) I would like whole mouth reconstruction including a lower jaw bone graft. From research on the internet it looks like it is going to cost in the region of 35K. That is disgustingly expensive and obviously I cannot afford that. How can I get it done for less?

Owain_Moneysaver

a) get it done in hospital, hospital treatment is free
b) go abroad

Ilovecubbage

I thought that hospital will not pay for implants just for bridges. If any different I would like to know.

beauchbabe

I never even considered the NHS thanks for the suggestion Owain Moneysaver. Just googled and apparently The NHS doesn’t usually pay for dental implant treatment although there are exceptions to this. They will pay for implants if the patient shows that there is a clear medical need. In other words, they will not pay for something which you have chosen to have for lifestyle reasons. As I have only lost two teeth I'm guessing I don't qualify for free total reconstruction. Still going to enquire though. One suggestion I did glean from this site and it may well help you I Love Cubbage, is to approach a dental school to see if they will take you on as a patient,

Toothsmith

beauchbabe wrote: »

Simple question (I hope) I would like whole mouth reconstruction including a lower jaw bone graft. From research on the internet it looks like it is going to cost in the region of 35K. That is disgustingly expensive and obviously I cannot afford that. How can I get it done for less?

You won't get it done on the NHS.

Why is £35k disgustingly expensive? Seems a strange adjective to use?

It costs £35k because it's incredibly complex surgery carried out by highly trained people.

If you can't afford it then you can't afford it - have bridges. They have done people with gaps well for many years.

There are the places that offer to do this surgery abroad for less than UK prices, but when you really look into it, the cost saving isn't great, you're not protected by UK laws, and you're really up a gum tree if anything goes wrong (And even with the best surgeons, it sometimes goes wrong.)

If you really want the lifestyle choice of advanced complex cosmetic/restorative dental surgery then it's either save up, or take a gamble.

brook2jack

A full mouth rehab ,implants and bone graft may be what you want but is it what you need and have been recommended?

You are talking about months if not a couple of years treatment and meticulous care after. Have you seen a dentist and discussed it with them? Costing things up on the internet is rarely accurate unless you have had a full consultation with a dentist. This forum is full of people who have eg asked for quotes for cheap veneers and then discovered they needed braces not veneers .

Full mouth rehabilitation is not a one off proceedure... once teeth have been extensively treated the work will need replacing on a lifelong basis and you need to budget for this as well.Typically every 10 years for a crown.

You will not get this in a teaching hospital on the NHS ,they have very tight budgets.If you haven't already book an assesment with a dentist and see what is best and viable for your oral health.

Nancy11

Calcium is an essential mineral for our body.Understanding which foods are high in calcium can help you make sure that you are encouraging your kids to get enough calcium in their diet by choosing calcium rich foods, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt etc.

Toothsmith

Nancy11 wrote: »

Calcium is an essential mineral for our body.Understanding which foods are high in calcium can help you make sure that you are encouraging your kids to get enough calcium in their diet by choosing calcium rich foods, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt etc.

All true enough, but doesn't affect the teeth as much as people think.

Calcium deficiency shows itself in the bones way before the teeth would suffer.

coldstreamalways

So backto the OP, what has your dentist said about the treatment? In particular the bone graft? Has your dentist advised of anyone he could refer you to?

hethmar

We had a thread on this recently and we found a centre near Bristol which trains dentists in implant surgery charging less for patients willing to be operated on by a trainee implantologist (though fully trained dentist) under supervision.

There was also another centre in Brighton which seemed to charge a lot less than other dentists.

If you have only lost two teeth, I dont quite follow what the £35k of work involves?

Dizzy_Ditzy

i have an appointment in about a months time with my local dental school to see about students doing my implants for me. I have waited 6 months for this appointment so dont think that its a quick thing!

I am not a dentist but i would also wonder why you would need the whole bottom doing if you have only lost 2 teeth? I am missing 3 top ones that are currently coping with a denture.

I dont know for sure that I will get implants done by the students. This could also be a very long process as i would have to work around teaching schedules. and the only patients that I know of who get implants done on the NHS proper are for medical reasons- cleft palate repair, head and neck cancer patients etc.

You dont have anything to lose by trying but be warned that its not likely to be a quick process.