My sister's experience with her implant is more in line with Limom's. The dentist didn't check her bloodwork like Gabs007's dentist did and considering Vitamin D deficiency runs in our family that could have been a risk. Her implant is smaller than the other molars in her teeth and the shape looks fake. I also don't think there is a coating over the metal/screw. I'll have to ask. I know a decent chunk of her tooth was broken off but I don't know if it was enough to warrant an implant.
Like some other posters my sister and I thought an implant was the cream of the crop in regards to broken/damaged teeth but it looks like it depends on the situation and the dentist. Implants are SO expensive and quite invasive that you want the best of the best.
Regarding my husband's tooth, it's been filled and re-filled so many times that I think it's more filling than tooth. It's a ticking time bomb. For the past couple years it's been ok but it will often hurt while eating, 2 years ago he ate popcorn and a chunk of tooth broke off (no more popcorn for him), and a dentist will sometimes need to add to the filling (I think the original cavity wasn't fully filled and maybe some shoddy dentistry). Because of this I don't know if he'd be able to get a cap and we can't afford an implant right now. He's fine with getting it pulled and that's that but I wonder about the bone loss in his jaw because a tooth is no longer there.
That was one of the issues I faced, I had a lot of dental work done, bridges and caps mainly, because due to a genetic weird thing, my eye teeth were missing, now you don't want gaps or never be able to smile, so apart from suffering as a teenager from braces (I honestly hated them) when I was I think 18 or so, I got the bridgework done, to do that, they had to file down the other teeth, then after a few years, the problems with getting infections, then new crowns and bridges, and every time they file the teeth down. The amount of money the bridges and crowning cost me, I think it would have been a medium sized house, then the problem with the roots due to the jaw fracture. I honestly had nightmares thinking about how they pulled the teeth, then drilled into my jaw to put the implants in. I visited about 5 different dental clinics, when I asked about smoking (I am friends with a dentist in LA who told me smoking and implants, the risk is so stupid, he won't do it, not even if the patient signs that it is his own risk, as this results in law suits and damaging his reputation) and they played the risk down, I knew I wouldn't go to them (despite the fact that I had stopped, I just wanted to see how ethical and well informed they are - if they play that down, I wouldn't trust them).
In the end I went with the clinic who not only did all the preliminary tests to remove the risk (and they have a success rate of 98%), offered the guarantee but who also did some serious quizzing about my lifestyle and demanded my GP, that they could request files, that I would be OK with them sending the GP the files of the bloodwork they did. I think I spent about 3 hours just discussing cosmetics, the shape, the colour, I wanted nice but natural looking, not the blinding whiter than white "give me sunglasses" look that just screams "dental work". Oddly enough while they weren't the cheapest, they were also not the most expensive ones, they offered a room where you can rest after the surgery (I was high as a kite), they did all the follow ups, since they knew I am gluten intolerant, they stressed how important it is that I keep the GF diet up and supplement with vitamin D, they even went "Your thyroid results are unusual" so I said "I am on an NDT, as I can't metabolize synthetic levo, that is why the results might be a bit odd but for the medication I am on, it is actually normal" so they were OK with that once they researched the issue. For me the idea of dentures just freaked me out, I didn't feel old enough for them, it was the ideal solution.
Would I want to do it again? Hell no, it was traumatic as hell, you are awake when they pull your teeth and drill into your jaw, the healing pain is awful, but I am really glad I did it and would do it again.
Anybody who considers implants, research the procedure, research the clinic, it's a bit like if you would get a face lift of a boob job (haven't had one of those but I would also be super careful), you want to be sure that you get the best Dr and the best results, it's your mouth, your smile, your teeth, and yep, a lot of your money. The nearest and most convenient option might not be the best (mine was several hours away and there were several trips involved).
PS: Yes timing is also important, if you are missing a tooth or teeth, the jaw bone will shrink, somehow the implant acts like an anchor, however there are different implants, apparently the best ones are the ones where they bit in the bone is titanium, as that then bonds, whereas the bit that is under the gums should be gold.
