multiple extractions - Dental Health Message Board

switch625 · 09-26-2003, 09:29 PM

Hi everyone, Im new here. My situation is that I have many cavaties and old large fillings. I wish I could keep my teeth but I don't have that kind of money and don't really feel like going through all that dental work. So Im getting teeth extracted for a full denture on the top and either a partial or a full on the bottom. I also need to get a tori removed ( excess bone on upper jaw). Anyone here ever have a tori removed?
Okay I don't want to be put to sleep. I was awake when I had my wisdom teeth pulled so I know I can handle it. Due to money issues Im gonna do the top first and then the bottom later. Im trying to decide how many teeth I can handle getting pulled due to the fact of being awake. The suggestion is to have 4 uppers removed along with the tori removal. I only have 10 teeth on the top and 12 teeth on the bottom due to a small mouth and getting teeth pulled before I wore braces. Then have the remaining 6 pulled and the plate would be put in immediately. Anyone here had multiple extractions while awake? One last question: Is $1300 a reasonable price for upper dentures? Seems a bit high to me, but then again all dental prices are outrageous!!

Thanks!

Switch

Yos · 09-27-2003, 11:24 AM

Hi Switch,

Your plan is the one most people getting dentures follow because it does spread out the cost. Another advantage is that it gives most of the gums time to heal before the denture is put it. That often translates to fewer soft relines which contribute to the cost. If you don't mind being without a few back teeth for a while it's as good a plan as any to follow.

For anaesthetic, I have read of people saying they were given "concious sedation" as an anaesthetic. I don't know if it's a needle, pill or gas but apparently you stay wake, are somewhat aware of what's going on around you but feel no pain and have little recollection of what happened. I've read of it being used for full mouth extractions as well as other dental procedures. And of course there is the old stand by - novocaine. It sounds like there's more choice these days than just a few years ago. Unfortunately, you'll have to choose between what your dentist offers or get a referrel to another dentist the uses the anaesthetic of your choice.

$1300, what does that include? It's a little steep if that's the cost of the upper denture alone. In Canada and the US the average cost of full dentures (upper and lower) including extractions, relines and post extraction care seems to be about $5000. It can cost a little more or less depending on how many extractions, the fees the dentist charges, where you live, etc, etc. I would ask your dentist for a detailed breakdown of the cost for the work to be done. If insurance is involved they will want that breakdown too.

Good luck!

Yos

switch625 · 09-27-2003, 10:04 PM

Hi Yos
Thanks for the reply. Yes the $1300 is for the upper denture alone. The total for my upper jaw is $2745. The reline will be $240 and will be done 9 to 12 months later. I have distrust of Dentists! They all seem to want big bucks. I have had quite a few bad experiences with them. I live in Florida and all the Dentists here seem the same. I thought my current seemed okay but now Im seeing bad communication between him and the oral surgeon. Went to oral surgeons office on Mon, dentist office was to have mailed them my treatment plan and xrays. They werent there! Oral surgeon seemed to want to rush me and I did make an appointment for the first extractions on Weds but cancelled because the oral surgeons office called and said the my dentist wanted them to pull 6 more from the bottom! My understanding was to do upper jaw first. Seems like they are only thinking about the money. Oh, oral surgeon had to do another x-ray and I told them I wasn't paying for another one. They said they wouldn't charge me but I had to pay $60 for the consult. Don't know if thats a normal rate or a inflate to cover for the x-ray. My teeth are not bothering me so maybe I'll shop around abit!

Switch

Yos · 09-28-2003, 03:27 PM

Hi again Switch,

Shopping around is a good idea. Your estimate is also missing a soft reline or two that you'll need sometime between the inititial extractions and the hard reline 9 to 12 months down the road. That'll put your total cost well over $3000 for the upper alone which is definitely on the high side of the average. I hope you can find a less expensive dentist but they tend to stick together through their associations which probably have "suggested" rates or have "guidelines" for fees across the state. For what it's worth, Colorado seems to have the highest rates and I don't mean in elevation

I was fortunate in that my dentist and oral surgeon were one and the same. With separate dentist and oral surgeon it would be in your best interests to make sure the three of you are reading from the same page so to speak. If your mouth isn't hurting it's probably best that you not rush into it too quickly. Make sure that you're comfortable with all of the arrangements and have a good idea as to who is supposed to do what and when. It may be a common procedure to them but it's not for you. My dentist didn't tell me enough about what to expect or what the longer term game plan was. It seems that most dentists tend to do that. If you have any questions of your dentist or oral surgeon don't hesitate to ask them. For the $ you're paying it should at least buy you some answers.

Yos

bluejeanbaby · 09-30-2003, 06:09 AM

Hi Switch,

I am in Canada so I'm not sure about the pricing but I recently had 7 teeth pulled from my upper jaw (including a wisdom tooth). My dentist just used Novocaine on me- although I did ask him for something to calm my nerves a bit before I went. It was over before I knew it- and I probably could have easily sat through having the other 6 upper teeth pulled if they had needed it. I think that the biggest challenge is afterwards- when your mouth is sensitive and it is difficult to eat. Rather than going through recovery twice I would think that you might as well have all the uppers pulled at once and get it over with! I would strongly suggest that you ask the dentist for something to take the edge off- you will probably be nervous and the medication seems to help everything seem to go much more quickly! Good luck to you- Debbie