I have to get some dental work done and I need advice!!!?

Question

I am 33 and I have 2 teeth (eye tooth and next 1 closer to the front) on the bottom that need work. I do not have dental insurance and funds are limited. My options are to get root canals and crowns on both (which I'm not sure I can afford) or to get them extracted and get a partial with would be cheaper so that is the direction I am leaning.

I am a mother of 5 and can not see spending an excessive amount of money on my teeth.

Answer 1

I guess the pros and cons are:

-Crowns look much more natural, although a well-made denture isn't too bad.  The teeth in question are near the front, but perhaps your lower lip covers them anyhow when you smile?

-It would be easier to chew with the crowns than the partial-Your canine teeth have long roots and are key teeth in sensing your bite so it's good to keep them when you can.  Functionally speaking, a denture is a good substitute for NO teeth, and not a very good substitute for real teeth.

-The feel of wearing a partial denture on the bottom at the front can take a bit of getting used to

-Partial dentures are cheaper, and easier to clean than flossing real teeth

-If you have problems with other teeth too, the denture can be made so that if you have other extractions in the future it can be modified to add more teeth

-There is no guarantee as to how long the root canal and crown is likely to last.  There is a small chance that after spending the money on the crowns, in a few years you may need an extraction anyhow.  

From your post, you seem to be leaning toward the partial denture, since cost is a major factor.  That is the decision that a lot of people would make, so do what you think is best for your situation and you won't go wrong!

Answer 2

You didn't mention if you have dental insurance or not.

If you are looking for a way to save money on these procedures I would recommend looking into a discount program.  I have a family plan through Ameriplan Dental and it only cost me $20/mo and I save up to 80% on my dental expenses.  

If you want more information their website is www.DentalDiscountsPlus.com.

Good luck.