Dental implant (replacement tooth) cost?

[Spidey]

Our 18 year old daughter was born with 2 upper molars that didn't have permanent teeth behind them (one on each side and 3rd from the back). Apparently this is a hereditary thing. The baby teeth are getting loose and we'll have to do something shortly. Either bridge or implant.

We got a rough estimate of $5,000 per tooth for the implant and they are not recommending bridge because they will have to shave down the good teeth on either side of the baby tooth to fit the bridge. And we were told that implants can last decades vs. regularly having to replace bridges.

And because she was born with this condition, our dental insurance probably won't cover it.

For those in the know, is $5000 per tooth in the ballpark for cost of this type of implant? They have to remove the baby tooth, drill into the bone and install a metal housing and wait 3+ months to confirm no infection and also wait for the bone to absorb around the housing. After that, they mount the new tooth.

Our dentist has been very good so no reason to mistrust him. Just wondering if there are other options. $10,000 is quit the hit!

[Scott N]

I get an add that comes in through my FB feed advertising tooth implants for about $3000 / tooth, so it might be worth shopping around a bit. (Disclaimer - I have no experience with tooth implants, but I've thought about one myself, which is why this add sticks out in my mind)

[Masterchief]

Do your research. I had a bridge done 10 years ago, instead of an implant. I don't really trust my current dentist because he wants to now put an implant in which involves alot of additional work as well as having to crown the two teeth that he shaved down for the bridge. I would ask for a complete cost estimate for everything involved because I have already been to several specialists at $300 per visit, and that is just for a refferal, not the extra work... it seems like everyone wants a piece of the action, but my dentist has yet to tell me the cost. Be informed and get a TOTAL estimate before making your decision

[Grizzly Adams]

All my neighbors go to Mexico for dental work. Fraction of the local cost. No complaints so far.

Grizz

[Couchtater]

I cracked a tooth 2 years ago playing hockey in MB, dentist quoted 3k for the implant, ended up pulling it and screwing a stud in so i could get the implant when i could afford it. Cost 1700 just for that, 5k seems high

[double gun]

I was ordering some motors from a Chinese vendor on eBay the other week. When I visited his store to see his other listed items, he had a tooth implant assortment in a little round container (similar to the containers lead fishing split shot comes in) the entire box was $60 if I remember right....

Sorry its no help, but I thought it was bizarre. A guy hopes his dentist is using true medical grade supplies - not sourcing them from eBay.

[C2C3PO]

Yup, that is completely in line with the estimates I got.
In fact mine was $6500 !
Upper teeth can also be even more expensive to do since the x-ray they do will determine if there is enough bone thickness in the roof of your mouth between your sinus cavity.
Apparently it is very common not to have enough bone thickness for them to do a proper/normal job of setting the implant in these situations which mean they go in and do a "sinus lift" which is a mini operation of sorts to graft in extra bone material to allow them to do the procedure.
Because my situation is exactly as descried above, the end cost was closer to $7K !
After that I decided I could live without an implant until prices come down......

[R3illy]

Question you want to answer is what specific tooth is it that needs replacing? There are calculations per tooth that dentists use for how often their used. For example a back molar may only do 10 % of the chewing while a middle molar handles 60%. I'd not replace the one that does so little if it was me.

I had an implant come in at 3k a few weeks back but the tooth was already pulled.

[dave99]

Advice from a dentist:

$5000 quote per tooth describes the implant (ie: titanium screw in the bone) and the crown (ie: prosthetic tooth).

If you shop around locally, you may find as low as $3500-$4000 for the above. If you are comfortable and trust your current dentist, I would honestly go with them.

For anybody who says Mexico/Philippines/Romania/etc. saved them oodles of cash, I have 2 stories of things that went wrong.

As for the bridge, I would strongly advise against bridging due to unnecessary preparation (grinding away) of sound tooth structure.

I wish that insurance would cover implants for congenitally missing premolars!


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[tbiddy]

Go south. We don’t have dental insurance and get our work done in Mexico. Nothing major yet but a cleaning is about $50. Had a wisdom tooth pulled and it was about $200. We go to a place called DentoAmerica in PV. Very clean and modern. Everybody speaks perfect English issue if that’s a concern. All the doctors were trained in the US so I don’t know why it would be any different that going to a dentist here. Just do your research and find a reputable place. Actually headed to Costa Rica on Thursday and will be looking to get a cleaning and any fillings done when we are there.

https://www.dentoamerica.com

[Blastoff]

Second going out of country Alberta is the most expensive in Canada if I need i will go elsewhere
Friend went to Mexico got 5 upper implants $1,800 US dollars and his dentist said wow who did the nice work.

[crocker038]

or to Poland, or thailand. I'm in the same boat right now.

[Pixel Shooter]

Someone had said in a previous post even BC is considerably cheaper then Alberta. Go figure

[rmatei]

Try Groove Dental in west Edmonton. Young dentist that just opened shop last November. All new equipment, Alberta fee guide prices or less. Well trained in the new technologies. One of few dentists that personally clean your teeth. If you are going to get implants in town would suggest him for estimates. Every tooth cost will be different.

[AB2506]

Wife had a front incisor done when the crown would no longer hold on the remnants of the tooth broken in a car accident when she was a teen. IIRC, because she needed a bone graft (2), the whole process took about a year and close to $8000.

If the crown next to it ever fails, she is not sure if she would go through the implant process again.

[Spidey]

Thanks for the input folks! We're likely going to rule out Mexico given that it's a two-step proceedure with 3 to 4 months in between. I may shop around a bit, but good to know that the estimate is somewhat in the ballpark. She didn't need that car anyway.....

[Oldan Grumpi]

If they’re third from the back, the resulting gaps might not be even be visible or important to her chewing.

In addition, there is a tendency for adjoining teeth to migrate toward the gap - it seems to me that was the principle explained to me when we had our sons braces done.

Yes, Alberta’s dentists are outrageously expensive, and when they ask you right off the bat what you do for a living (as most do, immediately) don’t let them get the idea you have any money. I got up and walked out of one guys office when he got going about the importance of removing my old root canals and amalgam fillings and replacing them with caps and crowns for the price of a Cadillac.

I think I’d check around for a well recommended orthodontist; the price of a consultation might save you a bundle. There are websites where Alberta medical/health care practitioners are publicly rated by their patients - might be worth some googling.

Off my phone now...here's the site; snoop around!

https://www.ratemds.com/best-doctors...onton/dentist/

[hayseed]

Costa Rica.

Ab overpriced dentists will never see another hard earned penny from me.