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lots2do_gw

Ever heard of this?

lots2do
17 years ago

We went to our new dentist today. DS is missing a tooth - never came down and just isn't in his head and he is a teenager. We knew this but our two previous dentists didn't make any noise about this...now it seems that his whole bite is shifted on the top because of the missing tooth...orthodontia and then a tooth implant!!!! I asked in a quivering voice "About how much for a tooth implant?" 4,000 dollars at this present time...but they won't be able to do it until he is finished growing. He took it well, knows someone with the same problem who has a little retainer like thing with her fake tooth on it so that her smile doesn't look bad until she can have the implant. DH took it well. Now it's early evening and DS is apologizing for being so expensive...and I am reassuring him that this isn't his fault and that we will be able to take care of it for him. But, inside, I'm thinking "oh poor baby, I wish you didn't have to go through this." I know there are much worse things, Michelle and other kids with cancer etc. but this was so out of the blue and unexpected...talk about sticker shock!

I took my Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks with me and was nicely piecing along until I got the 'news'. Then I was so flapped I just put it all away...

:) Kelly - Lots2do

PS The good news is that he doesn't have any wisdom teeth at all!!! So we won't have to deal with them...

Comments (8)

  • bkfdwife
    17 years ago

    ah, poor kid! poor kelly's pocketbook!!! Both of mine had to have all 4 wisdom teeth and 2 extra teeth removed before they had their braces on. Their mouths were just too small for all the big teeth they had! Now they both have beautiful, expensive smiles!
    It's good they caught it now, our ortho guy said the kids inherited their bad side bite from me, and by then it was too late to fix mine, so I will always have dental problems. What kills me, is I had braces too, but my doc was more concerned with overbite than side bite.
    Sounds like you have a few years to save up til he needs the implant....
    poor kid!
    I feel for you all Kelly!
    Lisa

  • lots2do
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Phew! Thanks for the sympathy...I needed that... It is good that we found out now and I am impressed by how calmly DH took the news...he is not a hot head but he is the money guy here in the family who handles the finances etc. I am hoping to have DH attend the consulting appointment with the ortho. with DS and I so that I don't have to be the middleman and have to explain everything.

    I will still need my quilting therapy though! LOL!
    Take care,
    Kelly

    PS You made a good point. Less extractions! I had to have a slew of teeth out myself when I had braces way back in the day.

  • glassquilt
    17 years ago

    Any chance your insurance will cover it as a medical procedure? Need a good bite to avoid future stomach/gastrointestinal problems.

  • grammyp
    17 years ago

    Glassquilt is right. Have your dentist check with your dental insurance and your medical insurance for coverage. Somtimes surgical procedures are covered under medical, especially if it is affecting his bite/jaw placement. Also see if there is a dental school in your area. They often offer to do procedures for teaching purposes at a discount. It is worth a try.

    beverly

  • lots2do
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    hi,
    We don't have dental insurance. I mentioned to the dentist that maybe I should find a teaching position with dental and she said that it usually isn't covered. I don't know about medical, I'll have to check.
    Thanks,
    Kelly

  • cmc_97
    17 years ago

    My daughter needed oral surgery as part of her ortho treatment plan and it was covered under our **medical** insurance, not our dental insurance, so it's possible that at least the implant procedure might be covered.

    Orthodontia won't be covered under medical insurance, of course.

    Dental insurance sometimes covers orthadontia, but it's usually very limited. My dental insurance will pay up to $1000 towards ortho, lifetime per patient, and it has to be done before the person turns 18. In other words, if you are an adult having ortho done, they pay nothing, if you are a kid, they pay a small fraction.

    Better than nothing, I suppose.

    CMC

  • ironkit
    17 years ago

    Um. They shouldn't HAVE to do an implant unless his mouth is HUGE.

    I'm missing a tooth on the bottom. My dentist really wanted to put an implant in, but I needed braces no matter what, so I went to the orthodontist and they told me that an implant would be very bad for my mouth, my jaw and my bite. I had braces for two and a half years, and wear a retainer on the top and bottom at night. Before my braces, I had a large gap where I was missing the tooth. Now, it's snug against my other teeth, just like all the rest.

    So! Don't trust your dentist completely! Talk to the orthodonist first. They know more about what's good for mouths/jaws/teeth than the dentists.

    After all that... at least he doesn't have wisdom teeth. The year after I got my braces off, both of my brothers and I had all of our wisdom teeth removed within six months. My oldest brother had four, my other brother had five and I had four. We maxed out the dental insurance. So at least that's not happening to you!

    ~ Kit

  • nanciii
    17 years ago

    My daughter had the same thing. Missing tooth on one side. Out dentist just took the same tooth other side to make it even. She had plenty of spaces. Her top bite was more pointed so first was make it more round by connecting a bridge arcoss roof of mouth and turning a little crank daily for a couple of months. Braces when on came off beautiful smile, then at 20 she got pregnant had baby and now her teeth are shifting again. . Its not bad yet, but she will have to pay for the next braces.

    Nanci

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