[wi_fighter]

I have a missing molar, a cracked molar crown, and a bottom front tooth that I lost in November 2004.

I went to the dentist in August for a cleaning and check up and said that I would be open to getting a partial to replace the three teeth. He told me they're a pain and "you have to rinse them off after every meal and food can get stuck under them" then set me up with an $8000 treatment plan with hopes to do another $4000 in the future.

He didn't even care that coming up with $1000 for a partial was a stretch, let alone pulling 12K out of nowhere. His office manager/wife suggested I get a loan or ask family to pay for it.

I asked if they make partials using the new flexible nylon materials and he said "No, I don't even know what you're talking about. I've never heard of it." While I was waiting in the reception area, there was a segment playing on their closed-circuit TV system that they have in every room of the clinic.

There's no way I'm going to get more crowns put on when I've had the worst luck with them over the last 5-10 years. They've been poor quality, break, one dentist even placed one on backwards, it fell off when I was eating and I swallowed it, and had to pay to replace it. The crowns I've had on my top teeth for 27 years are firmly in place, even though they're not cosmetically pleasing because they're opaque.

I've been biting my lip repeatedly this past week, on accident, and it really hurts based on the fact that there's no tooth next to it to close the gap so I have two teeth with corners that dig into my lip. It's obviously puffed up, so it makes it easy to keep biting it repeatedly.

I want this tooth replaced something awful, but I have absolutely no faith in dentists any more. I'm not afraid of having work done. I'm afraid of them pushing expensive procedures on me and then doing a half-assed job and not being accountable.

Anyone out there with a cost-effective partial that can vouch for the fact that they're an acceptable altnerative and not nearly as horrible as dentists try to make them out to be? My mom has had one for almost my entire life and has never complained about it, and hers is the old style with metal hooks and a hard plastic base.

[Danialla]

I have a partial and it works just fine!

I put off getting one because the dentist wanted me to have some orthodontic work done first......(I have many crooked teeth and my bite is awful), but the $5000.00+ price tag was waaaaaaay out of my price range!

So, I settled on a partial that would replace my lost teeth but not help correct my bite, and cost was just under $1000.00.

Looking back ,I am sorry I put off getting it for sooo long. It has been wonderful and given me some self-confidence with my smile. I so wish I could have had the orthodontic work my dentist suggested, but cost is cost and I could never have afforded it. I am happy with what I did do.........I think you will be too.

Good luck to you.

[wi_fighter]

Thanks Danialla. I'm really self conscious of talking. It's not very noticeable as far as seeing that the tooth is missing, but now I have a worse lisp and sometimes spray with certain letters. How veeeeeery attractive, eh?

[katheryn]

i undestand were you are comming from wi fighter,
i plucked up the courage to sort out a broken tooth last week, no option she told me it needed pulling so there i was expecting a filling and i ended up feeling sick at the thought of another tooth being pulled right next to gap i have had a while , still in pain this week because i keep playing with the hole,
the only diferance here is i qualify to have my work done for free so im wondering is this why they didnt want to fill it , i hope you find a soultion

[bebop]

wi I have one. no problems at all. my hubby needs all of his pulled and I tell you the dentist are wanting a fortune. it is robbery! find a new dentist. ones that don't want to rip you off

[wi_fighter]

Do you think it would be better to go to a prosthodondist, someone who specializes in partials and dentures? That's what I'm leaning towards, since I haven't had much luck with general dentists doing cosmetic work lately.

I'd love to get the four upper crowns replaced with something, but I don't want something removable since they're my smile teeth, and it'd cost at least $3200 to get a new crown and bridge. Yow! Guess I'll get by with what I have on top for the moment.

[bebop]

I went to a dental clinic for mine. much cheaper and if you have to have any pulled or not you can have them in most cases the same day. and much cheaper

[wi_fighter]

Well, I bit the bullet today and called a former dentist that is expensive, but does good work. My lip is getting sore from being bit, and the gums around the cracked crown are feeling irritated. I need to get this fixed. He can see me tomorrow already for a consult.

Why does dental care have to be so expensive?