For those who have had extensive dental work?!
Question: recently i suffered trauma to my face which broke my front tooth...the tooth is broken above the gumline and pushed back slightly...the root has reabsorbed into my body....my dentist ( i got a second opinion) says that he can do a root canal and cap it but he can't guarantee how long the tooth will last....or i can have it pulled and have bridgework done or a permanent implant....my question is this....is the root canal better?...pain is not an issue for me and i am not squeamish....i am torn on which way to go because i wore braces for 5 years and had a beautiful smile before this....now i'm a little apprehensive about having a permanent front tooth pulled....which way to go?...any with previous experience with either of these?....oh, yeah and cost is a factor....implant is about $3500...root canal i have no idea but i think less expensive and im paying out of pocket..thanks
Answers: recently i suffered trauma to my face which broke my front tooth...the tooth is broken above the gumline and pushed back slightly...the root has reabsorbed into my body....my dentist ( i got a second opinion) says that he can do a root canal and cap it but he can't guarantee how long the tooth will last....or i can have it pulled and have bridgework done or a permanent implant....my question is this....is the root canal better?...pain is not an issue for me and i am not squeamish....i am torn on which way to go because i wore braces for 5 years and had a beautiful smile before this....now i'm a little apprehensive about having a permanent front tooth pulled....which way to go?...any with previous experience with either of these?....oh, yeah and cost is a factor....implant is about $3500...root canal i have no idea but i think less expensive and im paying out of pocket..thanks
If you are thinking long term then the best way to go is to do the implant. You could spend the money on the root canal/crown (at least $1500 depending on where you live/insurance) but if the prognosis is not good and it is going to fail then you have to do the bridge/implant anyways.
From my own experience, its always better to keep your own teeth first before replacing them with an implant. And yes you're right, there's a significant cost difference! If you can keep the tooth, definitely go for it, you can always get an implant later if it doesn't work out.
Forget your apprehension about having a permanent front tooth pulled - you've already lost it. Both routes your dentist has proposed will leave you with what it essentially a fake tooth, anyway. That said, I'd say go for the root canal and crown as it would probably be cheaper - there are no guarantees with the implant, either.
Bridgework, I'm told, can result eventually in bone loss because the jaw is no longer receiving the same stimulation from normal impacts that accompany chewing (or on this case, biting).
I was injured years ago and did end up getting a bridge. I did not like the idea of having perfectly good teeth filed down to fit the bridge, but I ended up really liking it, and get compliments often! It's comfortable and it looks and feels very natural as well.This was done 12 years ago and it just recently came loose. I've been keeping it in with polygrip (works well) until I get to the dentist. I also had an infection in a tooth and ended up loosing it. The dentist made a post, as opposed to an implant and it's held fine for years! I don't know about implants and the success or failure of them. That's a steep steep price for one tooth! I've had root canals (piece of cake), and they are a few hundred bucks, depending on where you go. If you have any more ?? just email me, or add details.
I have had several root canals with porcelin crowns and have had to have them replaced. Implants are the best option but as you know it's expensive. Crowned teeth can only be replaced a few times at best and then the other options implants and bridge work come into play. You might want to get it caped now and save up for the implant. Good Luck!
If the tooth is broken above the gumline but still really close to the gumline there is very little tooth structure for such a small tooth to hold a crown successfully. They can do a post in that tooth which would hold the crown. And depending on how much structure is left of the tooth it might work beautifully.
It IS always better to save a natural tooth if you can. But there is another option to explore that you don't have mentioned here that you could discuss with your dentist. (I have this done on my lower front teeth). A tooth with little structure surface can have a post put in place and have a crown created for it that is fused with two crowns for the neighboring teeth for extra strength. In a sense it is like a bridge, but with the tooth still in place. You get to keep your tooth, but maximise it's chances for success and longetivity by bracing it with it's neighboring teeth.
The cost is more than a single crown (obviously) but way less than an implant and typically less or similar in price to a bridge.
I'M SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR TRAUMA
If your trauma was documented by a doctor or ER trip you may be able to use your medical insurance. The majority of the claiming will have to be done by you with a few documents by the doctor and dentists, but it may be worth it. Do some research about it and see what happens. Once in a while we get a patient that is getting a implant due to a fall or car accident and is medically claiming it. We provide the dental info that would go with the claim; xray, doctor's narrative, document of necessity. But it is up to the patient to make their payment and then if insurance pays it will reimburse them.