Dental Implant (1 Viewer)

[the moops]

When I was 12, I got my front tooth nearly knocked out playing football (damn you Greg McCabe and your giant *** head). Dentist shoved it back up, put a temp brace on it. Eventually had a root canal, then a porcelain crown (well sort of crown, it just went on the front of my dead and black tooth). Over the years the tooth has dropped a bit, exposing a gap between my gums and the crown. Have had some pain over the years and honestly have always been self conscious about this tooth.

Well, I am 50 now and I want a new smile!

Anyone have any experience? I hate the dentist so am so not looking forward to this. But if anyone has undergone something similar can you share your experience?

And @Dentist if you are still lurking what you think?

 

[SWC]

yep i lost a tooth to an elbow playing basketball they had to pull the whole damned thing out and they put in a post and then a temporary tooth on the post and then a permanent one i had had no problems with it in like 20 years and it looks like the real mccoy although it is sort of off to the side and not my front tooth but i think they are like miracle workers these days with this stuff take that to the bank brochacho

 

[MTskibum]

Relevant article:

A new dental scam is to pull healthy teeth to sell you expensive fake ones

It turns out you may not have needed those implants after all.

arstechnica.com

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I doubt that's helpful.

Moops, just find a reputable dentist. (Ask your friends.) It's a front tooth. Shouldn't be too much trouble.

 

[NutterButter]

Have a front tooth implant. Lengthy process and expensive.

 

[The Duff Man]

My daughter was born missing two teeth.

She is 19 and we are going to deal with it in the next couple years, she has temporary teeth in.

It is super expensive. I have been researching having it done in Puerto Rico, that looks like a viable option. Dental Tourism I think they called it? All the standards of the US at a fraction of the cost.

 

[NutterButter]

My daughter was born missing two teeth.

She is 19 and we are going to deal with it in the next couple years, she has temporary teeth in.

It is super expensive. I have been researching having it done in Puerto Rico, that looks like a viable option. Dental Tourism I think they called it? All the standards of the US at a fraction of the cost.

Costa Rica is another great option. My airbnb neighbor had a few done. Said it went very smoothly. Modern equipment. American trained dentist. I think he said it was like half the cost. Of course you need to factor in a few trips.

 

[[icon]]

Howdy. 6 years in this space.

If im understanding correctly you have a single bad tooth?

Your best option, assuming the bone is still good, is a single implant with monolithic zirconia crown.

Bone is a living thing, and like a muscle if you dont use it, it will shrivel up (resorption). Occlusal forces like chewing help keep bone strong and healthy.

With a single failing tooth, your bone resorption shouldnt be too bad, but its certainly possible its an issue. If so they will need to apply some bone grafts to build it back up to have enough bone to place an implant.

In multi unit or whole arch restorations this is more common. Basically the longer you go without living functional teeth, the higher the risk you’ll never be able to have implants to fix them.

If you want optimal aesthetics, you can request porcelain stacked on the incisal edge. That will improve translucency, but is more fragile and technique sensitive (you’ll find out how talented the ceramists are in the dental lab thats making your crown).

As far as the process goes, I’ve never had an implant crown but had one standard crown and the grinding down of the old tooth wasnt nearly as bad as I expected. Life with a crown is kinda the same. Forget about it most of the time. Can’t even tell it’s there.

10/10 would recommend.

 

[[icon]]

My daughter was born missing two teeth.

She is 19 and we are going to deal with it in the next couple years, she has temporary teeth in.

It is super expensive. I have been researching having it done in Puerto Rico, that looks like a viable option. Dental Tourism I think they called it? All the standards of the US at a fraction of the cost.

Costa Rica is another great option. My airbnb neighbor had a few done. Said it went very smoothly. Modern equipment. American trained dentist. I think he said it was like half the cost. Of course you need to factor in a few trips.

Nicaragua is an even better option. I have contacts in San Juan Del Sur… beautiful town on the pacfic. My buddy owns Destination Nica and helps coordinate.

Hes a gringo from Tampa. Good dude. Had work done himself. Happy to help introduce if needed.

Destination Nica

"You're one stop shop to everything Nicaragua"

destinationnica.com

 

[the moops]

How much cheaper we talking? I have a quote for 5K and another for 6K n

 

[Fat Nick]

Had a dental implant about 5 years or so ago. Started with a root canal and a crown on one of my bottom molars. The crown worked for about 6-7 years, but the tooth eventually became unstable and couldn't hold it on, so we went implant.

Clearly [icon] knows more than me here, but my take is that the process is long and involved, but the results in my case have been great. They told me it would take ~6 months, but it was closer to a year. Remove the old tooth, and put a bone graft in to facilitate bone growth in the socket, then after that healed up, they drilled and inserted a socket/post, then after that heals, install the implant into the threaded socket. Not sure how it differs for a front tooth, but I was without a tooth for pretty much that whole time. For me, cosmetically it wasn't an issue because the tooth was pretty far back.

 

[arrow1]

Another option maybe: if there is a university with a dental college they do have reduced fees for some procedures.

 

[NutterButter]

Had a dental implant about 5 years or so ago. Started with a root canal and a crown on one of my bottom molars. The crown worked for about 6-7 years, but the tooth eventually became unstable and couldn't hold it on, so we went implant.

Clearly [icon] knows more than me here, but my take is that the process is long and involved, but the results in my case have been great. They told me it would take ~6 months, but it was closer to a year. Remove the old tooth, and put a bone graft in to facilitate bone growth in the socket, then after that healed up, they drilled and inserted a socket/post, then after that heals, install the implant into the threaded socket. Not sure how it differs for a front tooth, but I was without a tooth for pretty much that whole time. For me, cosmetically it wasn't an issue because the tooth was pretty far back.

That sounds like an additional stage if you don't have good bone structure. I didn't have to get that luckily. And mine was just a post install from the beginning. Might be different since mine was a front tooth while yours was a molar. For me, it was post install, then 3-4 months of healing then crown.

 

[NutterButter]

My daughter was born missing two teeth.

She is 19 and we are going to deal with it in the next couple years, she has temporary teeth in.

It is super expensive. I have been researching having it done in Puerto Rico, that looks like a viable option. Dental Tourism I think they called it? All the standards of the US at a fraction of the cost.

Costa Rica is another great option. My airbnb neighbor had a few done. Said it went very smoothly. Modern equipment. American trained dentist. I think he said it was like half the cost. Of course you need to factor in a few trips.

Nicaragua is an even better option. I have contacts in San Juan Del Sur… beautiful town on the pacfic. My buddy owns Destination Nica and helps coordinate.

Hes a gringo from Tampa. Good dude. Had work done himself. Happy to help introduce if needed.

Destination Nica

"You're one stop shop to everything Nicaragua"

destinationnica.com

One of these years, I need to make it up there; not for an implant per se. Hear mixed reviews from my costa rica fb groups and you never know who is just trying to sell you something.

 

[Fat Nick]

Had a dental implant about 5 years or so ago. Started with a root canal and a crown on one of my bottom molars. The crown worked for about 6-7 years, but the tooth eventually became unstable and couldn't hold it on, so we went implant.

Clearly [icon] knows more than me here, but my take is that the process is long and involved, but the results in my case have been great. They told me it would take ~6 months, but it was closer to a year. Remove the old tooth, and put a bone graft in to facilitate bone growth in the socket, then after that healed up, they drilled and inserted a socket/post, then after that heals, install the implant into the threaded socket. Not sure how it differs for a front tooth, but I was without a tooth for pretty much that whole time. For me, cosmetically it wasn't an issue because the tooth was pretty far back.

That sounds like an additional stage if you don't have good bone structure. I didn't have to get that luckily. And mine was just a post install from the beginning. Might be different since mine was a front tooth while yours was a molar. For me, it was post install, then 3-4 months of healing then crown.

Could be. I know I have super deep roots, so when they removed the original tooth, the oral surgeon said the socket was "huge."

 

[Peggy]

All I know, which isn't much, is the wife thought she needed an implant. Badly chipped tooth. Went into ClearChoice and they did a whole examination, x-rays and review and told her she only needed a crown and referred her to a good dentist. And they didn't charge a red cent for it. I'd tend to trust an outfit like that.

 

[Major]

I recently had to get a tooth removed and was debating implant vs. bridge. Ended up going bridge. Feels great and no complaints. Costs less and not as invasive but a lot depends on your situation - I had a neighboring tooth that needed a crown so went this route. Think the whole process cost me around $2500

 

[SWC]

My daughter was born missing two teeth.

She is 19 and we are going to deal with it in the next couple years, she has temporary teeth in.

It is super expensive. I have been researching having it done in Puerto Rico, that looks like a viable option. Dental Tourism I think they called it? All the standards of the US at a fraction of the cost.

i had no idea that going to costa rica or peurto rico for dental work was a thing i am going to see if i can convince my lady that i need to go to cozumel for a cleaning take that to the bank brohans

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I do miss @Dentist. He doesn't even come up when I do the "at" thing.

Oh, there it is. Weird.

 

[Stoneworker]

I recently had to get a tooth removed and was debating implant vs. bridge. Ended up going bridge. Feels great and no complaints. Costs less and not as invasive but a lot depends on your situation - I had a neighboring tooth that needed a crown so went this route. Think the whole process cost me around $2500

This is what I did replacing my original front teeth bridge that had had lasted 25yrs.

My current dentist who also did a lot of cosmetic dentistry was insistent on doing implants that were going to take months and cost upwards of $15-20K (three teeth).

So I went back to my old dentist who did a new bridge for $2,500. Color-matching was perfect.

Implants would have been a colossal waste of money and unnecessary trouble.

 

[The Duff Man]

How much cheaper we talking? I have a quote for 5K and another for 6K n

Websites I looked at claimed around $2500 plus $500 if you need the bone graft (my daughter does on both).

I think that means multiple trips unless I am mistaken as they need to be done separately.

 

[the moops]

How much cheaper we talking? I have a quote for 5K and another for 6K n

Websites I looked at claimed around $2500 plus $500 if you need the bone graft (my daughter does on both).

I think that means multiple trips unless I am mistaken as they need to be done separately.

I don’t need bone graft (although that’s just an educated guess from the dr from my scans). i think it would be at least 2 trips to whatever country but flights may be kinda cheap and I would get to take a little vaca. Hmmmm

 

[mr. furley]

How much cheaper we talking? I have a quote for 5K and another for 6K n

wife had this done last year and it was a hair under 6 all in

 

[Ministry of Pain]

You can't put a price on your teeth and self worth about this tooth that has bothered you for this long
You've never ever come across as a rich guy, always portray yourself as a working class man

-You've earned it, treat yourself and get the best Dentist you can afford, make sure they administer laughing gas or a mixed cocktail of things that will make you feel NOTHING
If they try and shoot you up with a needle, pick another Dentist. The best ones from my experience administer the gas or something very heavy that will keep you pretty sedated
There is insurance and things they gotta carry to do these things so again, find the good dentist in your area

You also are looking at a guy that gets his teeth cleaned every 4 months and will go in January for a "deep clean" which cost triple or quadruple what i normally pay.
I like my dentist and all of his assistants, recently handed the office over to his son who is in his 30s and I like him as much if not more than the dad

-My insurance is no good at this Dentist so I just pay for cleanings 3x a year out of pocket, totals out at about $400 but I have very few issues since I started doing it this way
Once or twice a year cleanings just don't cut it for me. I also turned 50 this year

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Great time to get a new credit card and get a lot of points on your first purchase

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

You can't put a price on your teeth and self worth about this tooth that has bothered you for this long
You've never ever come across as a rich guy, always portray yourself as a working class man

-You've earned it, treat yourself and get the best Dentist you can afford, make sure they administer laughing gas or a mixed cocktail of things that will make you feel NOTHING
If they try and shoot you up with a needle, pick another Dentist. The best ones from my experience administer the gas or something very heavy that will keep you pretty sedated
There is insurance and things they gotta carry to do these things so again, find the good dentist in your area

You also are looking at a guy that gets his teeth cleaned every 4 months and will go in January for a "deep clean" which cost triple or quadruple what i normally pay.
I like my dentist and all of his assistants, recently handed the office over to his son who is in his 30s and I like him as much if not more than the dad

-My insurance is no good at this Dentist so I just pay for cleanings 3x a year out of pocket, totals out at about $400 but I have very few issues since I started doing it this way
Once or twice a year cleanings just don't cut it for me. I also turned 50 this year

Complete disagree here. All that means is that it is likely that your dentist didn't do it correctly. Gas doesn't always do the job for everyone. People have different needs here.

Same for the "deep cleaning" thing. You may need it, but we never have. Again, it's an individual thing.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

You can't put a price on your teeth and self worth about this tooth that has bothered you for this long
You've never ever come across as a rich guy, always portray yourself as a working class man

-You've earned it, treat yourself and get the best Dentist you can afford, make sure they administer laughing gas or a mixed cocktail of things that will make you feel NOTHING
If they try and shoot you up with a needle, pick another Dentist. The best ones from my experience administer the gas or something very heavy that will keep you pretty sedated
There is insurance and things they gotta carry to do these things so again, find the good dentist in your area

You also are looking at a guy that gets his teeth cleaned every 4 months and will go in January for a "deep clean" which cost triple or quadruple what i normally pay.
I like my dentist and all of his assistants, recently handed the office over to his son who is in his 30s and I like him as much if not more than the dad

-My insurance is no good at this Dentist so I just pay for cleanings 3x a year out of pocket, totals out at about $400 but I have very few issues since I started doing it this way
Once or twice a year cleanings just don't cut it for me. I also turned 50 this year

Complete disagree here. All that means is that it is likely that your dentist didn't do it correctly. Gas doesn't always do the job for everyone. People have different needs here.

Same for the "deep cleaning" thing. You may need it, but we never have. Again, it's an individual thing.

Hi Mrs R, you disagree that Moops shouldn't put a price on his teeth?

-I don't do needles.

Let me share a story as I had my teeth cleaned this week, my wife booked the appointment but she unlike me doesn't really care who cleans her teeth, I typically have the same lady every time and that makes the experience a lot more comfortable and we joke around a lot. Much to my surprise I had a new hygienist because mine doesn't work on Mondays and I usually like to book Wed or Thurs

-The hygienist can see the disappointment in my face and my caution in wanting to let her start working on my teeth and she says "Since this is our first time and I want you to relax and have a good experience, if it's alright I'd like to numb your gums" It's done with a little cherry numbing thing they rub around the gums and teeth, I've never had my hygienist ever suggest something like that and there's always a couple times where she has to scrape a little under the gum and occasionally I get a tickle/pinch...I will be asking for that cherry numbing thing every time now

-I've had a couple major things done, wisdom teeth 25 yrs ago was when I discovered not all Dentists are the same and not all do their shop the same way
I prefer if it's gonna be much past a normal cleaning that they help deaden the pain. My regular Dentist had to do a cavity redo from when I was a kid a while back and he didn't hesitate giving me the laughing gas and I never had so much fun in the chair before.

Thank you for the post, I understand what you're saying, like you said it's all up to individual but I would push people who are afraid of the dentist to find one that can get you relaxed in the chair and you'll have a much better flight.

And my larger point was once you are paying $5k, you might as well try and find the best one in your area, if that means it cost $6k vs $5k, I understand $1,000 spread can be a lot of money but we're talking about your teeth, smile, appearance, the way people look at you and treat you. I wanted to cheer Moops for discussing this and doing something about it, so many folks don't act on things that will enhance their lives. I hope you weren't put off by my "Laughing gas" snobbery.

 

[Psychopav]

If you want to pay with pre-tax funds, get yourself an FSA or a limited use FSA (if you are in a HDHP). If your work offers these things, it might be something worth putting off until after 1/1.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

If you want to pay with pre-tax funds, get yourself an FSA or a limited use FSA (if you are in a HDHP). If your work offers these things, it might be something worth putting off until after 1/1.

That's when I am having my deep clean done because it was going to cost like $1500 per side and I'm like that can wait a while...
My wife discovered we have a new option on our healthcare, a PPO that wasn't there prior and it includes an expanded list of things I can have done at the Dentist
Insurance kicks in 1/1, I am scheduled for Mid Jan and it won't cost me anything close to $1500+

I pay for my cleanings out of pocket because my Dentist previously did not take my insurance but this new plan works with them, should save us a little moolah

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I typically have the same lady every time and that makes the experience a lot more comfortable and we joke around a lot. Much to my surprise I had a new hygienist because mine doesn't work on Mondays and I usually like to book Wed or Thurs

I always have the same person. Alas, Dorcas retired a year ago, and I had to break in a new hygenist. She does seem nice. My dental practice has high standards.

I really hate the gum numbing stuff. Flavored dental products are from the devil's workshop. I tolerate it, but I'm not happy. I can't believe you'd never had that before.

We're gong to the dentist for routine maintenance in a week. Always fun. As long as I don't get the bubblegum flavored gloves again. Holy crap, that was awful.

 

[[icon]]

I recently had to get a tooth removed and was debating implant vs. bridge. Ended up going bridge. Feels great and no complaints. Costs less and not as invasive but a lot depends on your situation - I had a neighboring tooth that needed a crown so went this route. Think the whole process cost me around $2500

This is what I did replacing my original front teeth bridge that had had lasted 25yrs.

My current dentist who also did a lot of cosmetic dentistry was insistent on doing implants that were going to take months and cost upwards of $15-20K (three teeth).

So I went back to my old dentist who did a new bridge for $2,500. Color-matching was perfect.

Implants would have been a colossal waste of money and unnecessary trouble.

I wouldn’t call an implant a waste… there are quite a few substantial advantages to implants over bridges that I’m sure you were briefed on before either procedure.

Implants last longer, look better for longer, keep bone healthy, and don’t increase risk of structural issues and decay on neighboring teeth.

Also a 3 unit implant supported restoration should not have cost $15-20k. Should have been 2 implants with either zirconia on Ti Frame or monolithic zirconia (cheaper).

I would have shopped around.

 

[NutterButter]

I recently had to get a tooth removed and was debating implant vs. bridge. Ended up going bridge. Feels great and no complaints. Costs less and not as invasive but a lot depends on your situation - I had a neighboring tooth that needed a crown so went this route. Think the whole process cost me around $2500

This is what I did replacing my original front teeth bridge that had had lasted 25yrs.

My current dentist who also did a lot of cosmetic dentistry was insistent on doing implants that were going to take months and cost upwards of $15-20K (three teeth).

So I went back to my old dentist who did a new bridge for $2,500. Color-matching was perfect.

Implants would have been a colossal waste of money and unnecessary trouble.

I wouldn’t call an implant a waste… there are quite a few substantial advantages to implants over bridges that I’m sure you were briefed on before either procedure.

Implants last longer, look better for longer, keep bone healthy, and don’t increase risk of structural issues and decay on neighboring teeth.

Also a 3 unit implant supported restoration should not have cost $15-20k. Should have been 2 implants with either zirconia on Ti Frame or monolithic zirconia (cheaper).

I would have shopped around.

The longevity is what my dentist sold me on the implant. He's like if you were 70, I'd tell you to get a bridge b/c you might not even outlive it, but at 35, you'd be getting that redone a few times.

 

[[icon]]

I recently had to get a tooth removed and was debating implant vs. bridge. Ended up going bridge. Feels great and no complaints. Costs less and not as invasive but a lot depends on your situation - I had a neighboring tooth that needed a crown so went this route. Think the whole process cost me around $2500

This is what I did replacing my original front teeth bridge that had had lasted 25yrs.

My current dentist who also did a lot of cosmetic dentistry was insistent on doing implants that were going to take months and cost upwards of $15-20K (three teeth).

So I went back to my old dentist who did a new bridge for $2,500. Color-matching was perfect.

Implants would have been a colossal waste of money and unnecessary trouble.

I wouldn’t call an implant a waste… there are quite a few substantial advantages to implants over bridges that I’m sure you were briefed on before either procedure.

Implants last longer, look better for longer, keep bone healthy, and don’t increase risk of structural issues and decay on neighboring teeth.

Also a 3 unit implant supported restoration should not have cost $15-20k. Should have been 2 implants with either zirconia on Ti Frame or monolithic zirconia (cheaper).

I would have shopped around.

The longevity is what my dentist sold me on the implant. He's like if you were 70, I'd tell you to get a bridge b/c you might not even outlive it, but at 35, you'd be getting that redone a few times.

Yep.

And with 3 units gone, odds are high Stoneworker’s jaw bone is deteriorating pretty significantly.

Over time there is a very good chance that will develop issues… not the least of which is never being able to have implants placed once it gets to a certain point.

 

[Stoneworker]

I recently had to get a tooth removed and was debating implant vs. bridge. Ended up going bridge. Feels great and no complaints. Costs less and not as invasive but a lot depends on your situation - I had a neighboring tooth that needed a crown so went this route. Think the whole process cost me around $2500

This is what I did replacing my original front teeth bridge that had had lasted 25yrs.

My current dentist who also did a lot of cosmetic dentistry was insistent on doing implants that were going to take months and cost upwards of $15-20K (three teeth).

So I went back to my old dentist who did a new bridge for $2,500. Color-matching was perfect.

Implants would have been a colossal waste of money and unnecessary trouble.

I wouldn’t call an implant a waste… there are quite a few substantial advantages to implants over bridges that I’m sure you were briefed on before either procedure.

Implants last longer, look better for longer, keep bone healthy, and don’t increase risk of structural issues and decay on neighboring teeth.

Also a 3 unit implant supported restoration should not have cost $15-20k. Should have been 2 implants with either zirconia on Ti Frame or monolithic zirconia (cheaper).

I would have shopped around.

The longevity is what my dentist sold me on the implant. He's like if you were 70, I'd tell you to get a bridge b/c you might not even outlive it, but at 35, you'd be getting that redone a few times.

Yep.

And with 3 units gone, odds are high Stoneworker’s jaw bone is deteriorating pretty significantly.

Over time there is a very good chance that will develop issues… not the least of which is never being able to have implants placed once it gets to a certain point.

All that is certainly possible. But my first bridge lasted 35 years and this second one has lasted 5 with zero issues along the way.

I will concede that my estimated implant cost may have been cheaper had I shopped around but the initial estimate was so high and my long-time bridge experience so non-eventful that IMO it wasn't worth the effort. My "second opinion" dentist whom I trust and re-did the bridge agreed.

Note: At the risk of TMI I've got two "nubs" onto which the bridge attaches across the void left by the avulsed tooth. So perhaps that is helping maintain jawbone integrity.

 

[SayChowda]

I had two implants done either 21 or 22 years ago and both have held up great. My dentist office was great and split the bill for me over 2 calendar years so I could use my FSA in both years.

 

[[icon]]

I had two implants done either 21 or 22 years ago and both have held up great. My dentist office was great and split the bill for me over 2 calendar years so I could use my FSA in both years.

Nice!

 

[Kiniavelly]

I was on the fence too until I talked to a specialist at jeffreygrossdds.com and got all my questions answered without the usual upsell vibe. The process felt way less stressful once I understood the timeline and what healing actually looks like. Good communication made a big difference.

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

Dentist here. Probably late to the party on the OP's question, but my first question would be if the tooth is still viable. You might be able to keep the tooth with a new crown. The on again / off again pain is concerning and it may need another root canal treatment (called a retreat). If your dentist has figured out that the tooth has a root fracture or that there is just constant infection surrounding the tooth, then it may need to be taken out and replaced.

I usually break down 3 options to replace teeth in my office.

#1, and the least expensive, is a removable partial denture. It's a plastic piece that fits into your mouth and hooks to other teeth to replace the missing one. Newer flexible partial dentures are much more aesthetic than granpa's old metal jig he put in for church. The benefit is that it's relatively cheap and can replace mulitple missing teeth. The cons are that you have to remove and clean it daily and leave it out overnight.

#2 is a Fixed Partial Denture (bridge). In most cases, the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth are prepared just like crowns and then a solid three tooth unit is glued in. It looks more natural than a removable partial and is glued into place. It can be a PIA because you have to floss underneath the bridge and use something called a floss threader to feed the floss underneath. It is more costly than a removable partial, but mostly less expensive than an implant. It also can be done to completion in 4-6 weeks instead of the long healing process that may need to be in place for implant treatment.

#3 is the dental implant. It's by far the most natural looking treatment and allows you to brush/floss like normal. Most often, it is a long process. Extraction of the tooth (sometimes with grafting), followed by 3 months of healing then placement of the intraosseous implant (into the bone) followed by another 3 months of healing. Finally, the dentist will take an impression and have the abutment/crown fabricated that will be the part that sticks out from the gingiva. Yes, there are a lot of ways to shorten the time to finish, but they can be risky. Some providers like to place the implant the same day as extraction, but healing can be unpredictable and in an aesthetic area that can be a risk. Implants are often more expensive than the other treatments because surgical complications can be plentiful.

Full disclosure, I'm a US dentist who owns a practice. My POV is that doing minor procedures overseas (mexico, turkey and thailand have been the most common) is super risky because you have almost no recourse if things go poorly. Most of those places count on the fact that the dental tourist will never be back. If you decide to go the dental tourism route, make damn sure you vet the provider/clinic/doctor thoroughly. I've had two rather large cases come back from Mexico with a mouth full of junk that started immediately failing and needed to be replaced.

Also, @the moops, the dentists hate you too.