I took advantage of a commercial offer I saw on television for affordable dental implants. I did my research and all the reviews I came across seemed to be okay. I had two teeth that needed to be replaced on the bottom and the estimate I got from the implant dentist included the surgery and placement of the posts, abutments and the porcelain crowns. He had me get the teeth extracted at the initial appointment and then said I really needed “bone beads,” which were to aide in my healing. Well, fast forward six months and the bone beads weren’t covered by insurance and now he’s trying to tell me that I need to have my gums treated before the final restorations can be done. Did I mention, I still don’t have teeth! This affordable dental implants deal is turning out to be way more expensive than I anticipated. Was it a mistake to have the teeth removed? My smile is ruined and I feel like I’m just getting jerked around. Do you have any advice on what I should do next?

-Jeff in Nevada

Jeff,

Thank you for reaching out with your question. First off, sorry you are having a negative experience with your affordable dental implants. The biggest concern of your story is that fact that the cause for your teeth needed to be removed, doesn’t sound like it was ever addressed. This is highly concerning. If your teeth failed because of periodontal disease, then you wouldn’t have been a dental implants candidate in the first place. The periodontal disease should have been taken care of first. So, the fact that the implant dentist is suggesting “gum treatments” at this time, is a red flag. You will never know now if those teeth that were extracted, really could have been salvaged.

At this point, it would be in your best interest to consult with another implant dentist. Explain the situation up to this point and get an independent opinion about how to proceed. Another huge concern is the fact that you weren’t given temporary teeth. You should not have to walk around hiding your smile for months on end! Under normal circumstances, a dental flipper or a removable partial denture is recommended to fill the empty space. This also prevents any drifting of the surrounding teeth and would help you feel better from an aesthetics perspective. But, it’s time to cut your losses and find a reputable implant dentist in your area. Look for one that has extensive training and credentials in implant dentistry. Ask about their experience, success rate and to see examples of before and after photographs of work they have personally done.

Again, sorry this has turned into a dental implant horror story. Best of luck as you get this figured out.