I had one tooth crack well in to the gum and had to have a transplant. The entire procedure took several months. I first had my dentist evaluate the tooth and he said it couldn't be saved due to the deep crack. He then sent me to a specialist who confirmed the diagnosis and I set a date to have the tooth extracted at which time they drilled in to the bone and inserted the posts , I then had to wait until it all healed very well but, in the meantime, I had to get one fake flip tooth to fill the gap so he worked on that. My own dentist made the implant as he was a hotshot on Rodeo drive and does beautiful cosmetic work. Back to the specialist to have the implant put in place and one last visit after a few weeks to see that it was all in order. The cost was $3200.00 including the flip tooth which was 350.00 It should last the rest of my life. If your friend is lucky enough to have good bones which I did, she'll have no problems. I'd say it was a relatively easy job except for holding my mouth open so long. I experienced very little pain as I was given pain meds. I'd do it again if it were necessary.

She has bone loss and will need a bone graft and was quoted a price substantially higher than yours.

Even tho' he's a "hotshot," he referred you to a specialist for some of the work? Was it a periodontist?

Thanks for the info, Yaya.

I also had one. I was fortunate that I have really good bone in my jaw so I did not need a bone graft. My regular dentist referred my to a specialist for the post. I'd lost the tooth (a molar in the back) awhile ago and had had it extracted. I finally got tired of the hole back there and really did not want a bridge.

The post was inserted and covered with a temporary crown. It took a few months for the bone to grow around the post and become solid.

My regular dentist made the permanent crown and placed it on the post. The only hitch was that the first permanent crown began to wiggle. He had to remove it, which was not easy, and replace it with a new crown. So, I had to pay for two crowns, although he only charged me what it cost him to have the second crown made.

I am very happy with my decision to do it. It cost about $4000. I had a Health Savings Account at that time and I put money (pre-tax) in there ahead of time, so I saved a little that way. I don't think my dental insurance covered much of anything.

Having the bone graft drives up the cost as well as the healing time. The grafted bone must become solid before the post can be implanted. If your friend can possibly afford it, I say go for it. It is a much better option than anything else out there.

Oh yes, she'll do it, definitely. She's just a little nervous about the dentist who seems good but is new to her, wants to verify everything she is being told. It's good to get "real life" experiences like you two have shared. She wants to go into this project which will take months as informed as possible. No surprises!

Thanks.

My dentist sent me to the periodontist because he wasn't certain whether I would need bone grafting (I didn't). My periodontist did two implants ($3,900); the dentist did the crowns ($1,300). That was in 2005.

The process take several months; the pain is not bad at all. It has been 8 years now and I love my implants. If I ever lose another tooth, I will absolutely have an implant!! It is money well-spent, IMO.

(I had bone grafting on a different tooth years ago, with no problems--other than the pain in the wallet.)

I, too, have had one, and so did DH. Our regular dentist was/is well qualified to do the procedure and both were successful. Mine took considerably less time than DH, he just does not heal as quickly as I do. Would do it again if needed. DH healing took almost a year... mine 6 months.

I needed a bone graft too, so I waited 4 months for the bone graft to heal, then they put in the implant part, waited another 4 months for that to heal, then they put in the tooth..it was done by a specialist except for the last part, making and inserting the tooth, done by my regular dentist. I think it was about $3000..

Socks, it was an endodontist. I will say my gf went to the same dr. and her bones were poor so she agreed to have bone inplants done in the hope of making enough growth to support the post. That was almost two years ago, only one tooth took and the other two were failures to the tune of sixteen thousand dollars. I tried to talk her out of it as it wasn't a sure thing but she wouldn't listen and has no insurance to cover it. Your friend should know all the facts before she takes any steps. Could she have a bridge?

She had a bridge for years, but the dentist says the bone under the bridge is deteriorating (not sure if that is the exact word) and so a graft and implant should be done. (No adult tooth ever came into that space, which is why the bridge was put in.)