Options for dental bridge 12 January 2022 at 9:01PM in Health & beauty MoneySaving 9 replies 218 views

sadielou

Hi I am looking for possible options for my mum! She has a bridge that is damaged beyond repair and needs replacing, I think it covers 3 teeth. Her NHS dentist has said there is nothing they can do on the NHS and referred to private, but the quote they came back with was over £10k. Mum is currently looking at what space they have on credit cards and considering selling assets as she is so desperate to get it fixed.

I was thinking about potentially taking her abroad to get this done for cheaper. I had some dental work done in India pre Covid but with the quarantine and restrictions they have on visas at the minute, it’s not really an option. Can anyone recommend an alternative country and/or dental practice to consider? Googling is coming up with Turkey so far, so that’s where I’m going to research further but open to suggestions!

I was also thinking about university hospitals, as I was offered this as an option for a root canal/crown in 2020. Her NHS dentist didn’t offer this so not sure if they are able or willing to give a referral, which I think is necessary? But not 100%

Other than that is it worth getting further quotes from other private dentists to try and get the cost down or are they likely to all be similar price wise?

Absolutely any advice gratefully received, I can put some money in but £10k is a stretch
Thanks

brook2jack2

Unfortunately dental hospitals do not take referrals for implant cases , which is what I presume your mum is looking at , or large bridge cases. 

I would never advise anyone to get any dental work, but particularly complex dental work , done long distance . 

However well done it is all dental work can have problems, temporaries can come out , stages may need redoing ,things can go wrong. Very,very few dentists in the U.K. will touch implants done abroad and all dental work, even implants , needs maintainance , replacement and care over the years. 

A three unit bridge which has failed will leave a big gap and on the NHS the only option to fill it will be a denture. It may well be a better idea to have a denture for now and see how she gets along and give her time to save some money up. 

Without knowing exactly what she has been quoted for it is difficult to say whether she could get it done well any cheaper in the U.K. .But as a rule of thumb implants cost around £2000 per tooth in the U.K. and for such a large gap it will probably take a few months to complete treatment with quite a few visits. You also have to budget for maintainance and replacement of parts. Also be aware that things such as smoking , gum disease, diabetes can greatly affect the success rate of implants . 

qwert10

ever considered abroad? we go to Dentum n Zagreb Crotia - they pick up from airport and you stay in an apartment at the dentist then they take you back to the airport. We have been 3 times now for implants/fillings/cleans etc and impressed. Reasonably priced too.

qwert10

It is a two hour flight and we are going in a fortnight flights £16 return! Would recommend. Cheaper places in Split but not tried them.

sadielou

brook2jack2 said:

Unfortunately dental hospitals do not take referrals for implant cases , which is what I presume your mum is looking at , or large bridge cases. 

I would never advise anyone to get any dental work, but particularly complex dental work , done long distance . 

However well done it is all dental work can have problems, temporaries can come out , stages may need redoing ,things can go wrong. Very,very few dentists in the U.K. will touch implants done abroad and all dental work, even implants , needs maintainance , replacement and care over the years. 

A three unit bridge which has failed will leave a big gap and on the NHS the only option to fill it will be a denture. It may well be a better idea to have a denture for now and see how she gets along and give her time to save some money up. 

Without knowing exactly what she has been quoted for it is difficult to say whether she could get it done well any cheaper in the U.K. .But as a rule of thumb implants cost around £2000 per tooth in the U.K. and for such a large gap it will probably take a few months to complete treatment with quite a few visits. You also have to budget for maintainance and replacement of parts. Also be aware that things such as smoking , gum disease, diabetes can greatly affect the success rate of implants . 

Thank you for this, very helpful. She didn’t mention being offered a denture as an option on NHS so I will check with her on that, as I think she’d be open to that. She’s had just a bridge with no implant for many years, but has been supergluing it back in place for at least a year now 🙈

sadielou

qwert10 said:

ever considered abroad? we go to Dentum n Zagreb Crotia - they pick up from airport and you stay in an apartment at the dentist then they take you back to the airport. We have been 3 times now for implants/fillings/cleans etc and impressed. Reasonably priced too.

Thank you, will have a look at them. I need to get a feel of whether she’s happy to go abroad for it or not, as she’s not the best flyer! But for myself I am also looking at options as I have a root canal/crown needed that will be £1500+ here, and I resent spending that much when I know how much cheaper it could be abroad!

Bicycleman22

I had two teeth implants done at Manchester University hospital 5 years ago. At the time I was told they only do the work if more than one is needed. The process involved an intitial assement by a consultant dentist which was then assessed for a yes or no regarding to the N.H.S. paying. I received amazing treatment, all free and only had students observing. All the work was done by the dental consultant. The only downsides were it was a long process, some visits seemed / were unnecesary and sometimes I was in the waiting room for an hour or so.

sadielou

Bicycleman22 said:

I had two teeth implants done at Manchester University hospital 5 years ago. At the time I was told they only do the work if more than one is needed. The process involved an intitial assement by a consultant dentist which was then assessed for a yes or no regarding to the N.H.S. paying. I received amazing treatment, all free and only had students observing. All the work was done by the dental consultant. The only downsides were it was a long process, some visits seemed / were unnecesary and sometimes I was in the waiting room for an hour or so.

Thank you I will try contacting them, can I ask how you got the appointment, were  you referred by your NHS dentist?

brook2jack2

The criteria for implants are the NHS now are only for oral and facial  cancer patients, trauma patients (very occasionally) and those who have hereditary problems that mean they have 6 teeth or more naturally missing (hypodontia) . You can't be referred if you do not fit into one of those categories and even if you are resources are such you are not guaranteed treatment. 

Ops mother does not fit any of these categories. 

https://mft.nhs.uk/dental/about/referral-information-for-dental-practitioners/implant/

Toothsmith

sadielou said:

brook2jack2 said:

Unfortunately dental hospitals do not take referrals for implant cases , which is what I presume your mum is looking at , or large bridge cases. 

I would never advise anyone to get any dental work, but particularly complex dental work , done long distance . 

However well done it is all dental work can have problems, temporaries can come out , stages may need redoing ,things can go wrong. Very,very few dentists in the U.K. will touch implants done abroad and all dental work, even implants , needs maintainance , replacement and care over the years. 

A three unit bridge which has failed will leave a big gap and on the NHS the only option to fill it will be a denture. It may well be a better idea to have a denture for now and see how she gets along and give her time to save some money up. 

Without knowing exactly what she has been quoted for it is difficult to say whether she could get it done well any cheaper in the U.K. .But as a rule of thumb implants cost around £2000 per tooth in the U.K. and for such a large gap it will probably take a few months to complete treatment with quite a few visits. You also have to budget for maintainance and replacement of parts. Also be aware that things such as smoking , gum disease, diabetes can greatly affect the success rate of implants . 

Thank you for this, very helpful. She didn’t mention being offered a denture as an option on NHS so I will check with her on that, as I think she’d be open to that. She’s had just a bridge with no implant for many years, but has been supergluing it back in place for at least a year now 🙈

If a tooth is lost, then all the options should be discussed with a patient alongside the pros & cons of each.

The options are

1. Do Nothing - gaps aren't always a functional problem unless there are very few teeth left. At the front though, they can obviously be an aesthetic problem and at the front, this is important as you don't want a patient with no front teeth

2. Denture. Cheapest, simplest option to replace teeth. Can be a bit tricky to get used to, particularly in older patients who are less adaptable than youngsters. This would probably be the only option a dentist would be prepared to do on NHS, as that only allows the most 'cost effective' option.

3. Bridges. Bridges can do further damage to the teeth that have to be chopped down to fit them to. You have to assess the health of the teeth you want to use as supports, to ensure they are sound & strong enough to do the job. If they're not - bridging isn't an option

4. Implants. Implants to replace individual, or groups of teeth, or implant retained dentures really is the 'gold standard' for replacing teeth. You get the most stable result, and without damaging other teeth. They are not suitable for everyone. You need a good amount of good solid bone to put them into, and although bone grafts are possible if that isn't where you need it, that obviously adds to the complexity & cost. Implants also take just as much if not more looking after than real teeth. So careful consideration needs to be given to how lint is to be able to look after them too.

Their biggest downside is the cost of the treatment. 

Going a long distance to get them provided is not a good idea either. It's not always a straightforward procedure, and you just can't get the proper long-term monitoring when you have to travel a long way. 

The superglue she's been using wouldn't have helped the situation. It is actually quite toxic to teeth. It may not have been salvageable had she seen a dentist earlier, but if she'd been doing it for a while, it may well have turned a salvageable situation into a bucket job.