Getting a new tooth

things to consider

Yesterday I finally got a titanium post implanted in my jaw in preparation for a false tooth. This will be my second implant. My teeth began falling apart in my 20s, costing me north of $25,000 over the years. I’ve only been lucky in that the visible part of my teeth when I smile has not been affected.

If you are in a similar situation, my experience may give you some things to consider.

Losing teeth is quite distressing. It provokes deep psychological fears; there’s a reason losing teeth is a common nightmare theme. Beyond vanity (and I am vain and insecure about my appearance), it reminds us death is coming. It’s the first glimpse of the rotting corpse we will all be one day. A lost tooth says, “Memento mori, bitches.”

There are practical health considerations that need to be taken into account. When you lose a tooth and fail to replace it with an implant, you lose jaw bone over time. Dentures and bridges and partials will not stop this bone loss. Over time, the shape of your face will distort. Your cheeks will hollow, and you will take on the familiar cast of the old man or woman who looks like a wizened apple.

If you wait too long, you may not have enough jaw bone to support an implant. Then you will have to pay for extensive bone grafting and a “sinus lift” surgery. Your sinus cavity grows and envelops the bone where your tooth root used to be.

My strong advice: move heaven and earth financially to prioritize your teeth. Buy that implant even if it means you have to limp along with a busted old car for longer.

The process

Implants work in steps.

1. Extraction of the old tooth

2. Yes, pay for the bone graft when you have the extraction. Preserve that bone. I waited longer than I should have between extraction and implant. But because I had the graft, there was still just enough bone four years later that I could take the implant without a sinus lift or more surgery.

3. Placement of a titanium post. Now, don’t get squicked. What I’m about to describe does not hurt because we have anesthetic. They cut open the gum, and drill a spiral into your jaw bone. Then they take a socket wrench and screw a titanium screw into your bone. A cap is placed on it, and you heal for 3 to 6 months.

4. Then they place a support structure called an abutment, on top of which they place the fake tooth, the crown.

The result is permanent and indistinguishable from a real tooth. I already have one completed implant and it’s perfect.

Pain is minimal

My experience has been that there is zero pain during the procedure, and only minimal pain afterward. As I type this, it is 12 hours since the post went in. I have not felt the need for even Ibuprofen this morning. A very mild, ignorable soreness in one corner of the mouth is all there is.

Cost

It is ruinously expensive. My first implant (start to finish, including crown) cost more than $6,000. But I found a surgeon in New Hampshire who has an in-house tooth fabrication facility, allowing him to do the whole thing start to finish for less. I just paid $3,865. That hurts; I hope no emergencies come along for me soon because I’m tapped now. But it’s worth it.

Consider dental schools in your area; cost is usually less. If you are near the Southern border, going to Mexico for it can save you gobs of money. If plane travel and accommodations weren’t necessary, I would have done so.

If you are in New England, the practice I used is Zircteeth. Dr. Z is personable and quick. It took 45 minutes. He explained everything, and seemed to enjoy a patient (me) who likes to have all the mechanics and chemistry explained as it goes along. He also offered me sedation (I declined as dental work doesn’t bother me anymore) for those with anxiety. Having had sedation for earlier large dental work when young, I can tell you that you experience and remember nothing. All fear taken away.

Now, I wait three to six months to heal, and Dr. Z will place the abutment and the crown. I will be able to chew normally for the first time in years (I have no molars on my upper right anymore until this implant is done).

Mental effects

Losing teeth is a primal human fear. Yes, vanity is part of it. I like my face, and I have an attractive smile that I don’t want to lose. Because I do a show on camera every week, aesthetic concerns are always there. But they are there for everyone. We don’t look our best when we lose teeth, and it’s distressing.

Worries over this have bothered me for years, sometimes to the point of losing sleep. It’s about appearance, but it’s also about death. A crumbling mouth directs our attention to the grave.

The sooner you are able to remedy a serious dental problem, the better for your somatic health and for your dental health.

Good luck!

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