Hi Skyla, I've been out of town so I was wondering if you have any more news or decisions regarding your teeth. I did read your one post and it looked like nothing new has happened while i was gone.

Hi Lateeth,

I hope you had a nice time and are doing well. You know I'm not even sure where I left off LOL...I'm kinda in limbo. I had 2 appt's with an all-in one guy and ruled him out. I had one consult with another peri, and in order for him to give me a plan he needs exam, waxup and cat scan. My 1st peri decided he couldn't make me happy and quit. Today he talked to my husband, and now wants me to come in for a cleaning only. I've been to a general dentist who told me to hang on to the 6 top teeth and even a few molars, but the peri's so far seem to want me to pull them.

Skyla~
Sorry to hear that you STILL haven't been able to come up with a solution... Ugh. I know its frustrating, and I wish I could offer some sage words of wisdom, but I just don't have any... I don't know if this was brought up, and you may have answered it already, but is there a dental school anywhere near you? They could really be of a lot of help I think - they would be able to offer you numerous opinions with just one appointment, and they would confer with one another. It may even be worth traveling a bit to go to one... They see such complex cases all the time that they may be better able to offer you some real help.

But anyhow, I hope that you are able to find a resolution soon...

Hi Kikki,

Yes I agree dental school's can be great. For me it's not an option, I don't drive and my husband couldn't take off the time I would need to have all this work done. I need to find out what the new Dr. charges. The prost the 1st peri works with gets 2000.00 a crown. I can't afford that.

If you could go to a dental school and were able to get them to make a few suggestions, you would not necessarily have to do the work there. I have heard that they will be more frank about what can and should be done, although my experience was that i went directly to the specialist there so i did not get an overall suggestion. I think it is possible that what Kikki is suggesting could happen where a professor could consult with your "student" dentist and they might come up with several options which are viable all in one visit and then you could go back home and find the dentist there who is willing to carry out the choice you have made. The professor might even suggest some dentists in your area as many of them may have been former students.
I know it is hard making this decision. Whatever you decide on you will need to live with so it is important to be completely satisfied you are making the correct decision for you.
I don't know the distance you would need to travel but if you called them first and then they confirmed they would be able to consult on the whole process in one visit, your husband would only need to take off one day. The other option would be to learn how to drive (lol). I didn't learn to drive until i was 29. I thought i was the only adult around without a liscense!
Do you think your original dentist is reconsidering evaluating your situation since he invited you in for a cleaning? Have any of them told you what they think might happen if you hold off pulling the better teeth? Will they ruin anything or make things worse? I have read many stories of people who were told they needed to have teeth pulled, did not do it and still have those teeth years later. Of course, I am sure there are many who didn't have the teeth pulled and ended up with something worse going on, but if the worst outcome would be having them pulled eventually, that would buy you some time to see how they would respond to therapy. I know you have bone loss already, but how fast do they think it will get worse? With my own teeth, i am pretty sure i heard it is a slow process. the infection recurring constantly seems to be my biggest problem if i leave teeth in.

"Do you think your original dentist is reconsidering evaluating your situation since he invited you in for a cleaning?"
Doubtful that he is. I still don't even have a total plan from him. But I do need someone I can call in an ER. And the cleaning can only do good so.

Have any of them told you what they think might happen if you hold off pulling the better teeth?
Basically if they went I would replace them. Right now I still got the bad teeth in my mouth LOL. There only saying to pull them because they don't know how long they will last. And I think because a full arch restroation is easier for them.

"I have read many stories of people who were told they needed to have teeth pulled, did not do it and still have those teeth years later. "

Well thats what my dentist is telling me, he told me to even hold onto the molars.

How are you doing?

I have an appt for my other side deep cleaning on friday. I am not sure how long i have to wait to see if there is any change in pocket size but my pockets are so deep there is a good chance they will never shrink enough. The perio said she would try a series of cleanings to see if my gums respond. So far i have had only one on one side and have not been back since then.
This visit I am going to ask her to give me a list of pocket sizes so i can keep track of them myself when she calls them off. I have little hope, but by trying to save them that is the best i feel i can do.
If one of your dentists feels you should keep your teeth (but i thought many of them were loose) that sounds like my kind of answer. If you can hold out maybe there will be better therapies in the future. With my deep pockets, the perio doesn't think she could control the infection unless they are reduced severely in size or the nonresponsive ones get pulled.(12-14 mm each)

Lateeth,
Good luck to you friday. I went for a cleaning today, basically just the bottom tho. The hygienist seemed amazed that with nothing done to my top the bottom pockets went down. The 4's went to 3's the 3's went to 2's there's still 2 5's. The doctor came in and now decided for now no surgery on the bottom. But want's me to find a prost. There's more but I wont' go into it now

Lateeth,

Just wondering how you made out today?

Hi Skyla, that's great news on your teeth. Hopefully someone can figure out how to correct bone loss without taking the teeth out.
I had my other side deep cleaning done and had so many questions i did not get to the pockets. she said she doesn't want to measure them for another 6 weeks to leave them time to tighten up without disturbing them. But i did feel her probing somewhat and then she told me i probably will need gum surgery. By that time i needed to go to the bathroom so badly after a few hours in the chair and was worried about my car getting towed so I flew out of there without all my questions answered.
I'll be back in October so i will find out more then. Now I need to look at threads on flap surgery but i am not sure how to search the boards.

Hi Lateeth,

Actually my husband had a few bone grafts when he had surgery. So it can be done, I don't know the sucess rate tho. I'll be crossing my fingers that your pockets go down.

I know what its like to just want to get out of that chair to, don't feel bad.

Quick update:
I called for a scaling on top since nothing has been done for them. They made the appt.

Long story short I didn't do the scaling and root planing. The peri came in before it got started. Asked me why I made the appt when he didn't tell me to. Then told me now he's only willing to treat the bottom, and go with the most aggressive plan on top, even tho he said those teeth could last 10 years. So I left called the Dr I consulted last, since he didn't do an exam. Made an appt. I asked some prices, big savings cause he's on my plan, 105.00per quad for the root scaling, the 1st peri got 315.00per quad for this. His implant price 1697.00 but since he's on the plan it would be 1292.00 (the 1st peri got 2000.00 for this)My insurance co won't pay for the implant but because he's a listed doctor he has to agree to take less.

So guess I'm seaching for another Dr.