Please help scared periodontal disease & implants (long) - Dental Health Message Board

Skyla · 05-24-2004, 12:06 PM

I have been reading this board for about a week now, and have seen how helpful you all are so I figured it was time I asked for help.

Here's abit of background, I have been sick since the end of March, It started with a leaking from in between my gums. The dentist drained it and gave me antibiotics. 5 days into the antiobotics I couldn't breathe and my ears hurt I went to my regular doc and he changed the antibiotic and put me on a steriod...I had a reaction to the steriod so I went to ER room who then diagnosed me with a sinus infection that had spread. They said to follow up with my doctor, so I went back to my docter who then again changed my antiobotic...He put me on Biaxin for 20 days, but my ears still didn't get better so he sent me to an ear, nose and throat guy, the ear nose and throat guy said I had conductive hearing loss and he thought it was due to the infection in my mouth...So back to the dentist who said the infection was gone...I knew the infection wasn't gone so my husband suggested I see his periodontist (he was just diagnosed with the diease a few months ago)

So I went to his periodonist and he diagnosed me with advanced periodontal disease last week. I was told by the periodontist that I needed scaling and root planning on the bottom, and then surgery. He said I need to loose 2 of my bottom molars...The scaling and root planning and surgery for the bottom comes to 3000.00. The implants on bottom another 6000.00 Now the top he said I could keep 6 he needs to pull my front 4 and my 4 top molars. He discussed getting partials and then implants. He said if I kept the 6 I would need a 4 bridge in the front and then sinus lift on each side the cost of this is about 28grand..He said it would be better to pull them all and get an attached denture the cost of this he said about 38grand. I told him I couldn't afford those figures and the only way I could see is keeping the 6 and doing the implants over a longer period of time..Also my top molars are not loose, but there's an infection that I've had for months on one of the right molars..My regular dentist had drained it and gave me antibiotics but the infection is still there...The periodontist said all the molars should come out even if not loose to get rid of infection, and because there's a lot of bone loss, and because he's worried because of my age that I could have a stroke by the time I'm 55. He sent me to a prosthodontist who wasn't very encouraging, I asked him if he could make the 4 teeth in the front and he said yes but question is how would they look....Huh I thought it was there job to make them look good???? Anyhow I spoke to my periodontist today and he wants to do the surgery on bottom next. I already had the scaling and root planing last week...But I told him, I needed to figure out what we're doing with the top if I'm keeping the 6 I'd rather get the scaling and root planning on them to get rid of the bacteria that is making me very sick. I feel like I'm in limbo, I don't know which way to go? My periodontist kinda sounded annoyed and said he'd have to call me back after he spoke to the prosthodontist.....

I guess I'm looking for advice here...Do these prices seem right to you? I realize I live on Long Island, NY where everything is more expensive but 38 grand for a fixed denture that will sit on top of the gums sounds steep to me..Also I just feel if I keep the 6 if something goes wrong I still have options...He said out of the 6, 4 are good 2 are questionable. But he also told my husband he had 10 questionable teeth so far he has lost one..I can't sleep or eat due to all the stress this has caused.. I was hopeing there was someone on this board who might have some advice or have been thru the same thing.

martid · 05-28-2004, 03:28 PM

Hi, the first thing you need to do is stop being stressed out. That does not help the infection. If your gums are that infected, it seems to me you need the full gum surgery, that's when they cut the gum away, scrape and clean your roots, get rid of all the disease and sometime pack it with antibiotic when they stitche everything back together. I just had that done yesterday morning at a cost of 2100.00 (bottom only). If I were you, I would not even think about implants until I get rid of all infection, and stay infection free for a few months, or you will waste your money on implants.That root planning and scaling or what ever, I've had that done too, but it does not work for major infection. I have never heard of an infection you could not control after surgery. Has your perio. prescribed Peridex or some sort of mouth wash, that would help a lot after any scaling or gum surgery. I use mine all the time, because I have so many implants, I have to stay gum disease free. Also a lot of people wear a 4 teeth bridge in the front and are very happy with it.If you can't get rid of the infection on your molars, you may have to get them extracted in order to control the infection, but as far as I know, gum surgery should take care of the infection so you could keep these molars, especially if they are not decayed.If you have to have teeth extracted now, and cannot afford implants now, your oral surgeon could also pack the site of the extraction with syntethic bone also, so that bone won't be a problem later with placing implants. Bone graft for each tooth here runs about 300.00 per tooth. It also means your gum does not shrink after extraction. I don't know how long you can wait before having the implant placed after that bone graft, but I'm sure your surgeon can tell you. Don't let you perio. rush you. The main thing right now is to control your infection with minimum extractions if any. Maybe It's time for you to consult with another periodontist who can control the disease and for a different approach to you dental treatment. Some people take 3 years or more to get all their implants in, because of the cost. good luck Marti

Skyla · 05-28-2004, 04:23 PM

Martid I had the root scaling and planning on the bottom only last week, he wants to do the surgery next on the bottom.I know about the root planning and surgery as my husband just finished his last surgery yesterday packing and all...But I think hes keeping how bad he feels from me as not to scare me. The cost of the scaling & surgery bottom only is 3000.00 with I paid already. The infection is on one of my right top molars. My reg dentist had tried to drain it 2 months ago and gave me antiobotics, but this hasn't helped...I had another scipt from my dentist so I took that, but am off now and have nothing for it. This he wants to pull, along with the other 3 top molars...My top molars are not loose but he says theres so much bone loss there, they will give me problems later on, plus he said because of my age (45) hes worried I could have a stroke by the time I'm 55. One of my front teeth are very loose and the other 3 are looseing...Each day that goes by seems they get worse... It seems he wants to finish the bottom and move on to the top, but in the meantime I still have an infection. He said if it really borthered me he would pull it soon.

This peri seems to be one of the tops on LI....I do have his website but don't think I can post it here...He has been very nice, he opened up one night to discuss the different options with me...And today my husband called him at HOME because he was worried about me...The prosthodontist set me off last Saturday when I asked him if he could make the 4 teeth in the front and he said yes but question is how would they look...Since then my imagination has been running wild, I can't eat or sleep...The peri asked my husband if I would like to talk to him, which at the time I didn't...But he told my husband to reasure me that all options we discussed were still options....and no matter what he would make me a nice smile...He said if I would like to talk to him to call him anytime, on his home or cell phone # which he gave us both.

Anyhow thanks for listening to me. Its hard for people who never went thru this to understand...It was such a shock to me to be told I needed to loose so many when I have all my teeth now except one that was lost when I was 18.

Skyla

martid · 05-28-2004, 06:29 PM

Hi Skyla, well you have to get rid of the infection, period.. !! ----- Why can't the perio do a surgery on that top molar and clean it when you go for the bottom surgery ??. ---- I would not have the other molars pulled just because you have lost bone unless you could replace them right away with implants, especially if they don't give you any pain and are not infected.We all loose bone as we age, you are 45 and I am 52, and back molars are hard to clean and hard to floss, most people have lost bone around them and they can still function just fine in their 70's. If your top front are really loose evidently you have gum infection there too. If they have to be pulled, a bridge would work just fine at a much cheaper price than implants for right now. Your prosthodondist should do a nice job for you. The main thing is to get you gums in shape so you don't loose anymore teeth. The gum surgery is supposed to thighten your gums against your teeth so that no food will get in there. My lower 2 front were a little loose because I had so many gum surgeries and I really lost a lot of gum, but they are much stronger now. I remember a dentist wanting to pull them 12 years ago and do a bridge there but I would not let him extract them. Well, they are still there today, and no other dentists suggested I had them pulled. Did you talk to the perio, about placing bone grafts if he extracts any tooth to keep the bone in that site ??. Good luck and try to relax, and keep us posted. Marti

Skyla · 05-28-2004, 08:10 PM

Thanks Marti for such a quick response. Thats exactly what I want to do is get rid of this infection it's driveing me nuts...He had said orginally that if I was older my treatment would be different. He said because of my age he was worried about stroke if I kept the molars. Besides haveing alot of bone loss on the molars, they have deep pockets and he said some had furcations. I had asked him if I could hold onto some of the molars until I could afford the implants, plus I would have someplace to eat and he said if he went up there they would abcess. I aksed him if that could be controlled and he said possibly and maybe we could keep one out of the 6. He did say when he pulls them he is going to do a bone graft. He said once in awhile we get lucky doing that and can avoid a sinus lift. By the way I just looked at my husbands bill and he charges 450.00 for a bone graft. I was actually shocked he said I could keep my lower 2 front teeth as they have alot of movement and the roots are showing but he said there is some bone down there he could work with, and the pockets there are mostly 3's 4's. I sure hope they will tighten up as I wouldn't dare try to eat on them now...They just got loose hummmm maybe 4 weeks ago....I really think stress has alot to do with it...It's funny both mine and my husbands went around the same time, we both been under alot of stress this year, with a death in the family, illness of other family memebers etc....My front top I knew about they had shifted forward quite awhile ago....So yes I'm kicking myself for that...Of cause I blamed it on money, time etc, but it was really fear. I can't have a bridge in the front, not really sure why not I'm guessing the span is to great but the only option I was given was a partical. I have a meeting with the prosthodontist on Tuesday not looking forward to it...Besides what he said I just didn't feel comfotable with him. Every thing I said he would say I hear you, but I don't really think he was listening.

Anyhow I want to thank you again, you have been very helpful so far, and tonight I was actually able to go out to dinner with my husband and parents and actually eat half a meal. If I could get a half nights sleep tonight I think I would feel a hell of alot better. I went out and bought some Vitamin C and some CoQ10, I know its no cure but maybe it will do something to help my body fight till I can get this resolved.

By the way what type of upper did you decide to go with??

Skyla