Dental Implant Required - Need Advice

• 

  id on 02/01/2017 - 13:19

  +1

  I donno how legit this one….
  http://www.dentalimplantmelbourne.com.au/

• 

  Randxyz123 on 02/01/2017 - 13:52

  Have you got private health insurance?

  • 

    gooddealmate on 02/01/2017 - 14:32

    Unfortunately no. So i know i'm gonna take a serious hit to the pocket.

• 

  holdenmg on 02/01/2017 - 13:53

  +1

  Have you looked at http://www.abcdentalcentre.com.au/ in Toowong, Qld?

  They have an offer on https://www.groupon.com.au/deals/abc-dental-centre-pty-ltd-h… for Titanium Implant with Crown - One $2,999.

  • 

    gooddealmate on 02/01/2017 - 14:34

    +1

    Thats the sort of price I was hoping for. Thanks mate.

    • 

      holdenmg on 02/01/2017 - 14:42

      No worries, obviously as Dr. zhuang281 says it depends on what sort of situation your gums are in and everything, but I'd seek advice ASAP whatever you do.
      A Dentist is going to want to look at the adjacent teeth and some travel might be involved, possibly a stay overnight in Brisbane, but at least it is localish.
      Phone them up or get an AirTrain up before it deteriorate further.

• 

  Tech5 on 02/01/2017 - 14:16

  +2

  Dentist here.

  Do you know why it is loose? If it has become reinfected, then a retreatment will solve the looseness. If it's because of bone loss, then you are right, you may lose it. If it is bone loss, you may not have enough bone in the area to actually hold the implant, and may require augmentation which comes at an additional cost.

  5k is actually a below average-average price, particularly if it includes the restoration that goes on top to make it look like a tooth. It's essentially you get what you pay for. Cut price implants usually come at cut price technique and quality.

  You need to know though, that you are just as likely to loose the implant if you don't look after your gum health.

  • 

    gooddealmate on 02/01/2017 - 14:37

    No idea why it's suddenly come loose but it's always been infected since I had the procedure done 5 years ago. Never bothered going back to get that fixed. Just looking for something a little more permanent so I dont have to keep going back every few years.
    Thanks for the advice.

• 

  urahara on 02/01/2017 - 14:47

  I really wish you could've gone with a private health insurance.
  Looking at the current scenario and considering the fact that you wont loose substaintial daily income
  I would highly recommend to travel abroad.

  • 

    gooddealmate on 02/01/2017 - 14:55

    Like I said above, flying is not an option. Might have a look into private health insurance, wondering whether if it would be possible to make a claim so soon after joining up and also whether it would be fraudulent to open one knowing I have this pre-existing condition, in which case i'd pass on that.

    • 

      resubaehtgnolhcs on 02/01/2017 - 16:01

      You won't be able to make any claims related to a pre-existing condition until you serve the 12 month waiting period. Also, there is a 12 month waiting period for major dental work, so any fraudulent activity you might be tempted by, would also be thwarted.

      • 

        gooddealmate on 02/01/2017 - 16:04

        Thought so, plus wouldn't be interested if what i was doing was illegal. So thanks, that's not an option.

• 

  eoj on 02/01/2017 - 15:51

  Dental student here, you could check out any Universities with a dental clinic as they may offer dental implants as a treatment (students will assess you and refer you to their professor/prosthodontist etc).

  If you're interested, PM me for our uni's name as our professor does implants as an option given the diagnosis/prognosis.

  Otherwise i was going to say the same as zhuang281

  • 

    gooddealmate on 02/01/2017 - 16:07

    Not keen on the idea of multiple students overlooking my operation as part of their study. But thanks anyway.

    • 

      Randxyz123 on 02/01/2017 - 16:15

      +2

      Why not? Students have to learn somehow and surgery like this isn't something you learn from a book. You need to actually watch someone do it or do parts of it yourself.

      (Not a med/dentist student BTW)

      Anyway what I would do if I were you is go to a local dentist ASAP. Have it assessed and make a decision from there.

      Oh and get private health insurance for god sakes. I don't get why people don't have it. No you can't get it today and make a claim in a months time for expensive dentist work lol.

    • 

      eoj on 02/01/2017 - 16:32

      Students won't be watching the operation, the professor has his own dental assistant (from what i see walking by).
      Students will be seeing patients themselves during this time as well.

      Best of luck however!

• 

  Candour on 03/01/2017 - 08:27

  check to find out if there are alternative treatments which are more conservative and less costly. implants seem unnecessary and cosmetic. exhaust all other treatments before trying for this. even an extraction and then dentures may be better than implants for implants sake.
  ring westfund and seek their advice. [my health fund.]1300 937 838. their dental staff are helpful over the phone. tell them you are thinking of joining. check choice magazine cheapest health funds and wait out the waiting periods if you need dental work in future.

• 

  boccos on 03/01/2017 - 08:57

  I am in a similar position with needing a post crown on an upper molar. First a root canal needs to be done then post supports for the crown need to be cemented and finally the crown attached.
  So I researched a little and found that the top jaw bone is generally a softer bone than the bottom jaw bone. This means that if a tooth is "dead" its roots can come loose, same for the titanium screw (used in retaining a man made tooth, that is used when there is no natural tooth.
  My procedure is estimated to cost $3k and it would be cheaper to have the tooth removed and have a false tooth supported by the existing teeth either side of it, which can be attached before and removed after eating.

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  Pumpkin_rrr on 03/01/2017 - 09:13

  +1

  I have 2 implants and bridge done a few yeas back and paid $20k from memory. Medibank Private rebate is so insignificant in comparison although we have top of the range cover. Tax gave some medical rebates too.
  Good news is I believe I have the best dentist, not only skillful but also charming and easygoing, no infection, not painless but tolerable.
  Must make sure I clean properly to ensure gum health . Get the hygienist to do professional cleaning twice a year. Also buy state of the art electrical toothbrush and other gadgets….But then again it still has finite life. 10 20 years?
  I didn't go to my overseas dentist friends because I can't afford the risk of having to go back for issues.

  • 

    ROTJ on 03/01/2017 - 13:11

    +1

    Rebates, correct; private health insurance won't help out much …. and the government tax offset for medical expenses has also been abolished.

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  zambuck on 03/01/2017 - 09:25

  I had a failing root canal too, and decided to go down the implant path. As others have said, just having an extraction is about the cheapest you'll get, however over time the teeth around the missing tooth will move in and the opposing tooth will move down. Depending on where the tooth is, it could also be unattractive.

  My experience of the timeframe for the whole deal was pretty much as follows: appointment to assess implant possibility and extract old tooth, healing period of two weeks or more, appointment to install the implant itself, healing period of 3-4 weeks, appointment to measure for crown, 1-2 weeks for crown to be made, appointment to have crown fitted.

  I didn't cut any corners, and did have health cover, although the cap on major dental comes up pretty damned quick when you go for something like this, so you still end up a fair bit out of pocket. Interestingly, my dentist used a 3D scanner to scan my mouth/teeth during the measuring appointment, and the zirconia crown was 3D printed. Gotta love the new technology.

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  Chickin on 03/01/2017 - 09:28

  My front tooth (implant and crown) cost just under 10K (including extraction and all consultation and referral fees). I am really happy with the result (it looks just like my old tooth and goes nicely with the existing teeth - gum has grown down nicely, etc.). My advice to you would be to get it done properly and not nickel and dime if you can afford it. You only have to look at pictures online and read the horror stories about failed implants, especially at the front of the mouth - to see that the procedure is complex and should be done by an experienced professional. These implants last 30+ years if done correctly. But if the quality of the implant/procedure is compromised, you may end up with infection and bone loss, which would be much more expensive and harder to fix. Also don't rush the procedure - for best results you should let your bone "heal" if there is a current infection (as you say you think there is) and not attempt to place the implant until the infection has cleared. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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  su27dvr on 03/01/2017 - 10:19

  had a look recently at something similar and found this link
  http://bestdentalimplantsearchesaustralia.com/
  is a promo site with links to dental clinic sites - has a lot of useful info there and a good place to start your search
  good luck - sounds like an expensive exercise

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  aretsa9 on 03/01/2017 - 10:41

  My dentist is excellent and her prices are very reasonable. http://www.lanecovefamilydentist.com.au/meet-us/dr-raji-pill…