My whole life I have been plagued with cavities. Now my teeth are so weak that some of them are broken. So I have crowns and bridges all over. The latest bad news at my lest check up was that the tooth that was holding one of the dental bridges has broke off. So, the dentist decided to extract the root and shave off a portion of the dental bridge. Now he is pitching dental implants. But when I heard how expensive they were, I just don’t know how to tell him they aren’t in my budget. I don’t want him to think I’m cheap, but I have put so much money into my oral health and feel so defeated. Do I have any other options at this point than dental implants. I’m on a fixed income and don’t want to finance something like this.

-Bart in Michigan

Bart,

It’s unfortunate to hear that you have been frustrated over the years with problems with your teeth. It’s likely that your dentist’s recommendation is for the optimal treatment to replace a missing tooth, which would be dental implants. But that doesn’t mean that is your only option. There are other more affordable dental implant options, or you may be able to incorporate a single implant to better support your dental bridge. Or another more affordable treatment is a partial denture.

You should not feel embarrassed or feel like your dentist will judge you if you cannot afford a treatment. So, don’t let any preconceived ideas make you feel forced or trapped into dental implants. Be open and honest with your dentist. Tell him that you would like to sit down and discuss your other options to replace your missing tooth.

If for some reason you are feeling pressured or guilty about this, then maybe it’s time to find a new dentist. Trust is the most important part of dentistry. You need to trust that your dentist has your best interests in mind. And if you cannot afford dental implants, you need to be able to talk through that with your doctor. Good luck. Hopefully this has reinforced the fact that you do have options. Thank you for your question.