I need to change some of my teeth. What is the best material I should ask my dentist to use - quality and money wise. What else shall I consider when having teeth replaced?
200321
You can't replace your teeth, unless you go with implants and then you wouldn't be asking that question here.  so I can only assume you mean fillings.  Crowns are most of the time covered by porcelain which is OK but they still have to be placed on roots which are still susceptable to decay.   So you need to brush and floss to keep your crowns from becoming undermined by decay.  Now if your talking strictly fillings then it depends what type of dentist you see.  A cosmetic dentist will sell you white fillings.  White fillings are basically plastic bonded to your teeth.  It's the bonding part that is the most important part of placing a white filling it is very technique sensative and therefore more prone to fail if your dentist is not careful.  Metal fillings are amalgams;  they can be placed under water, in a bloody area, and twice as fast as plastic and they will still achieve a very good seal with the tooth, BUT they are ugly.   I usually reccomend metal fillings for practical people not obsessed by their teeth and the thought of the few micrograms of mercury leached out by the amalgam over the lifetime of the filling. They're cheap, but ugly and last a long time most of the time.  Plastic goes into my most reliable patients, who walk into my office with a hand mirror open obssesed by appearance.  They are more expensive and look great.  If your'e not the most reliable dental patient then go for the metal.  But then your dentist should tell you all this.
225198
Now that the tooth is decayed you have several options\n1.  Crown Lengthening and crown; Since there the body (coronal portion)of the tooth is gone.  You can have a procedure done to actually remove bone to expose healthy root structure(usually no more than 2mm).  this procedure allows the dentist finish a crown on the health tooth structure. This procedure is destructive to bone but is usually chosen by the patient who is not ready to loose a natural tooth. \n\n2.  Bridge; You can have the tooth removed and have a bridge placed.    This is an option provided that it is not the last tooth in the arch.  so there has to be a tooth in the front and the back, to allow the bridge to be placed. \n\n3.  You can have tooth removed and have an implant placed.  This is by far the most expensive in the short term but has the potential to cost you less in the long-term since implants don't decay.  The only risk is of structural failure and bone infection (low with reasonable care).  this is      a great option.  However prices can skyrocket if you need a bone graft.  Since you had the root canal a couple of years ago chances are the bone is still pretty good in your case.\n\n4.  You can have the tooth removed and have a "flipper" made.  The is a plastic partial denture, made to fill the space.  This is an option if funds are limited and you need the gap filled for aesthetic purposes.  \n\n5.  You can have a removable permanent denture made.  This is similar to the flipper, but the design is different.  It has metal bars and lots of spaced to allow the tissues to breath thus allowing it to be used long-term without harming the gums.  \n\nPrices range from $350 for a flipper, to $3500 for implant and crown.    \n\ngood luck
592162
There are plenty of dentist in the OKC area that can help you but they are going to want to know, how long you have had each set and if and how long you were able to wear them. If the dentures were made recently, like no longer than a year ago, you should call the dentist that made them and have him/her look at them, there are some doctors that will not adjust newly made dentures if they didn't make them themselves. \n\nLots of times when people have dentures made and they don't fit, they don't wear them and when dentures aren't worn for a long period of time, they will be ill-fitting. Were you keeping your appliances in water? Dentures are made under water and if they are not kept in water they will warp and this will cause them to be ill-fitting.
31804
You should always get a custom mouthguard from an orthodontist, so he's the best person to ask. See if he knows what's available.
207106
You may want to try a local university or college in your area.  Many times they have dental students who do a lot of work and it is generaly a good thing because the instructors are on hand as well.  Sometimes you can get quality care.\nGood Luck Health Care Does Break Your Bank
510947
Sounds complicated. What you need is a second opinion by\nanother dentist or periodontist. To find dentist and peridontists\nthat will also save you additional money go to eHealthPlus\nclick on Find a Dentist and call them.
515964
talk to your dental doctor tell him that you need alternatives for operation if he think that he can control the situation without using operation he wont do any operation..But if the problem have increased very much that means you gotta do the operation...
339631
Have a consult with your dentist...
541695
I had thought about it too but found out they're going to file my teeth down.  veneers are permanent and that sort of disturbs me. I did have my teeth bleached and they look great and I also had braces a few yrs ago since I didn't as a kid. some veneers turn yellow too. so ask your dentist how long they'll staywhite and what happens if you have to replace them
222910
I went with veneers myself. \n\ngood luck.
32582
Free may not be the best option.  I know your teeth are not the best from your existing condition but, you do not want to have bad dentistry done and end up in pain or even worse without teeth.  I would recommend doing your research and save your money.  Find the best doctor and have a beautiful smile for life.  You can contact a local laboratory to find out who they prefer.  They see many of these cases every day from different dentist. If you are stuck on free still you can contact your local university and see if they are doing research on your condition.
330338
Night Guards\n\nMost people can benefit from a night guard.  There are some store bought kits that you heat up and mold to your teeth, but as of yet I have not  found a patient that uses them regularly.  You really need to have them custom made for your teeth they are more snug.  Even custom made ones find their way across the room in the middle of the night for the first few days or weeks.  Eventually you get used to them they become part of your sleep routine.  \n\nGood luck
284173
Partials, stayplates, flippers.  The cost is the same weather you are getting one tooth replaced or multiple teeth.  Most labs don't charge more for 1 vs. 2 teeth.   flippers and stayplates are temporary measures and made almost always out of plastic Prices i've seen go from $200 -$500 depending on what side of the Valley you are on in my area.  Partial or denture are definative that means they are made and build to be long term equipment, hence more care is taken to let the gum tissue breath.  we are also carefull tu use the surrounding teeth to stabalize and take the force of chewing.  Prices I've seen from $600 - $1900 again depending on Zip.  \n\ngood Luck
675636
$1300.00  there is the problem, thats too cheap.\n\nYou must have some kind of HMO.  \n\nMost dentist will tell you if the tooth may need further work.  But maybe we can get away with a filling. We'll just have to see how the tooth responds.  Every now and then a tooth does still suprise me and die for no reason that I can think of.  so we usually do the root canal then the crown if all things are good for a few weeks.\n\nPatients hate surprises so we try to cover all the possible risks when they are expected.
221246
i take pretty good care of my teeth and i visit the dentist regularly, besides, that's what they're there for, why get embarressed...however, i still from time to time get one of those creatures on my teeth, so i get it treated, proceed with the dentists' instructions and move on. but i can offer you this, obviously you're not taking care of your teeth as well as you should to have two-three cavities and a rotten tooth at one time...so you may want to work a lil harder on cleaning your teeth and visit the dentist sooner than later. finally, where is the embarressment coming from? it goes beyond the dentist...soul search. people tend to get embarressed when they worry about what people say about them. not i and you should'nt either...hell, if no one had bad teeth the dentists would'nt have a job...
666839
don't get dentures.....get veneers....they drill down your teeth and then replace them with new and straight white teeth
421425
go back to your dentist!  if after you go back to him you still are having problems, go to another dentist. there is always the possibilty that the work that was done is bad dental work. there plenty of detists out there that will throw any piece of garbage in a patients mouth if its cheap enough for them. good luck to you.