1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health

Several opinions-collapsed arch, jaw, bite. Osteoporosis Implants

Posted by tmtm4 @tmtm4, Jun 21, 2022

Multiple health issues but primary question now is regarding my mouth. I have Osteoporosis, RA, OA, severe scoliosis, severe arthritis throughout my spine, neuropathy, and other stuff. Two yrs ago, the orthopedic surgeon said I need a rod in my back & have three smashed discs. I have had scoliosis since I was ten but always thought it only involved two discs. He refused to fix any because two are inside the curve and the one outside will make my back collapse. Second opinion said, sure, he can fix the one outside the curve. Third opinion (to break the tie.) Of course, he said they are both right. I will probably need the "big operation" in the near future, but he can fix the one disc outside the curve. Had that done two years ago. I've had 12 or 13 surgeries in the past ten years (six shoulder, 4 or 5 foot from a failed bunionectomy that broke/dislocated six joints in my other toes, back, so now I have PTSD and panic when I go in for any procedure. Shocking but I also have depression and anxiety too.
Long story to set up my question:
I have lost a lot of bone in my mouth and my teeth are rapidly falling out in my upper arch. Depending on who I talk to, some say from Reclast, Osteoporosis, etc. My old primary dentist (40+ yrs) referred me to a Prosthodontist who tried to tell me I need this stock denture. Moved on. Second Prosthodontist said I must have a pallet if I get implant supported dentures. One of his surgeons said six implants to support denture. His other choice said NO implants because of the Reclast. My NEW primary/temporary? dentist said no implants- they won't work and right now dentures probably won't work either unless I use the goop to keep them in place. She put me in an Occlusal Guard to help move my jaw where it belongs.
Went to a another opinion since there doesn't seem to be a consensus w/anyone. My ex told me his dentist/pros. was good so, off I went: He said he doesn't feel comfortable because my mouth is a "unique situation." Sent me to a surgeon that said I can get "All on 4", same day, and then the Prosthodontist will care for me afterward until I get the permanent bridge (and he said I do have plenty of bone.) The Prosthodontist wants to go to my surgery to collaborate w/surgeon. This surgeon has a nifty brochure with a lot of info and appears to have many good reviews but I heard that can be manipulated. Who knows?
I stopped Reclast and my primary doc (love her) put me on Tymlos to build bone in my mouth because my upper teeth are rapidly falling out. My Rheumatologist (love her too) said if my teeth are falling out now, won't the implants fall out too? I take Oriencia infusions once/month which I would have to stop during this process.
I fit into so many of these groups, it's ridiculous and cannot find Osteoporosis as a choice. I am 64 yrs old. I'll just pick one and someone can tell me if I am in the wrong place. Somebody please tell me what to do.
Scared, overwhelmed, and don't know what to do. I am retired and lost quite a bit in the Stock Mkt. The bridge surgery will cost a minimum of $25,000.

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Mentor
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Jul 1, 2022
In reply to @loribmt "I have an idea. It’s very unorthodox but I remember in the dental practice where I..." + (show)
@loribmt

I have an idea. It’s very unorthodox but I remember in the dental practice where I worked, we occasionally had patients who absolutely could not afford a full porcelain crown, but we needed to preserve their teeth.
So as a stop-gap measure, we’d make a temporary crown to help save a deteriorated tooth. We removed all the decay from from the tooth and basically prep it as though it was getting ready for a crown. But, we’d place a temporary plastic crown or construct a resin crown to go over the prepared tooth and used permanent adhesive. That was for front teeth. Molars, we used stainless steel crowns. Again, this was a temporary fix to buy time… As long as the patients didn’t open bottles, eat corn on the cob or chew taffy it lasted a really long time. Then when the money was available, we constructed the new, permanent crown.

So, I’m wondering if your dentist would consider this option for you! It’s not unreasonable to request this.
You need to save those two front teeth on the bottom but can’t afford to right now. See if he’d clean out the decay and place a more ‘permanent’ type of temporary cap on for you now. That way those teeth wouldn’t deteriorate any further. Then, keep up with regular cleanings so the rest of your teeth remain strong and stable
Hold out for your Medicare in November. Your health insurance rate should drop and often a dental supplemental policy can be added. Or with the difference in premium cost you may have more discretionary money available. It’s worth a try. Then you may be able to afford the new permanent crowns.
Since you’ll be eligible in November, I’d suggest calling or going to see a Medicare insurance agent in your area soon. Where I live, there are several of these insurance companies who help retirees get their Medicare set up. My husband and I used this service. The guy knew his stuff and there was absolutely NO charge for this service. That way you can find out what your benefits will be in the future and this can help give you a plan going forward. I don’t want to see you frightened for the future.
What do you think?

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@tmtm4 I have been talking to the insurance reps recently too, and there is no fee for this. You will pay the same amount for Medigap insurance plans as if you had called the companies yourself. An agent will get information about your health issues, prescriptions, and find plans and rates that would apply to you. One concern for me was that my Traditional Medicare and Medigap plans need to be portable and will work in another state. It is really confusing and the plans called "Medicare Advantage" are not traditional Medicare, and your choices will be limited to their networks of providers, and may not work in other states. Make sure to ask these questions when you speak with an agent. I am a Mayo Clinic patient and live in another state, so I wanted to make sure my insurance would work there after retirement if I need further care. I also will be getting a Delta Dental plan because my husband is retiring, so I will loose his employer's spouse provided benefits. The best plan for Delta Dental gives an annual benefit amount of $2500 and pays at 50% if your dentist is out of network with them. They pay at a higher rate if you use one of their in network dentists. Chose the best dentist for you in or out of network because you have a complex condition. If you go to the Delta dental website, so can view the plan details and they spell out specifically what is covered. They did have some coverage for implants, but there is also a waiting period of I think 6 months if major work is to be done. The agent recommended the best Delta Dental plan with the $2500 benefit. The agent can also tell you what your costs will be for payments and deductibles, and it will ease your mind. Lori makes a great recommendation!

You must be proactive in your personal oral care to mitigate further disease as well as more frequent checkups. I know I got myself in some trouble with dental decay because of my limited mobility with a broken ankle, and I didn't brush or floss as soon as I should have because I couldn't walk and was in pain and struggling to get around the house. Since I have just had a procedure to removed some diseased bone near an implant, I now look at myself as the fire department rushing to put out a fire. The sooner I get the brush, floss and water pic going, the sooner I put out that fire and keep it from spreading. If I wait until I'm too tired at the end of the day and have been snoozing on the couch, the more difficult it is to do the job. You will need to be your own volunteer fire department and put out the fire ASAP!

Go ahead and make the call about insurance. Knowledge is power. You also have a 6 month window around your 65th birthday to do this in order the receive the lowest rates for Medicare Part B and Part D (prescription drugs).

REPLY
2 replies
tmtm4 | @tmtm4 | Jul 2, 2022
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@tmtm4 I have been talking to the insurance reps recently too, and there is no fee..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@tmtm4 I have been talking to the insurance reps recently too, and there is no fee for this. You will pay the same amount for Medigap insurance plans as if you had called the companies yourself. An agent will get information about your health issues, prescriptions, and find plans and rates that would apply to you. One concern for me was that my Traditional Medicare and Medigap plans need to be portable and will work in another state. It is really confusing and the plans called "Medicare Advantage" are not traditional Medicare, and your choices will be limited to their networks of providers, and may not work in other states. Make sure to ask these questions when you speak with an agent. I am a Mayo Clinic patient and live in another state, so I wanted to make sure my insurance would work there after retirement if I need further care. I also will be getting a Delta Dental plan because my husband is retiring, so I will loose his employer's spouse provided benefits. The best plan for Delta Dental gives an annual benefit amount of $2500 and pays at 50% if your dentist is out of network with them. They pay at a higher rate if you use one of their in network dentists. Chose the best dentist for you in or out of network because you have a complex condition. If you go to the Delta dental website, so can view the plan details and they spell out specifically what is covered. They did have some coverage for implants, but there is also a waiting period of I think 6 months if major work is to be done. The agent recommended the best Delta Dental plan with the $2500 benefit. The agent can also tell you what your costs will be for payments and deductibles, and it will ease your mind. Lori makes a great recommendation!

You must be proactive in your personal oral care to mitigate further disease as well as more frequent checkups. I know I got myself in some trouble with dental decay because of my limited mobility with a broken ankle, and I didn't brush or floss as soon as I should have because I couldn't walk and was in pain and struggling to get around the house. Since I have just had a procedure to removed some diseased bone near an implant, I now look at myself as the fire department rushing to put out a fire. The sooner I get the brush, floss and water pic going, the sooner I put out that fire and keep it from spreading. If I wait until I'm too tired at the end of the day and have been snoozing on the couch, the more difficult it is to do the job. You will need to be your own volunteer fire department and put out the fire ASAP!

Go ahead and make the call about insurance. Knowledge is power. You also have a 6 month window around your 65th birthday to do this in order the receive the lowest rates for Medicare Part B and Part D (prescription drugs).

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Thank you!

REPLY
callalloo | @callalloo | Jul 2, 2022
In reply to @jenniferhunter "@tmtm4 I have been talking to the insurance reps recently too, and there is no fee..." + (show)
@jenniferhunter

@tmtm4 I have been talking to the insurance reps recently too, and there is no fee for this. You will pay the same amount for Medigap insurance plans as if you had called the companies yourself. An agent will get information about your health issues, prescriptions, and find plans and rates that would apply to you. One concern for me was that my Traditional Medicare and Medigap plans need to be portable and will work in another state. It is really confusing and the plans called "Medicare Advantage" are not traditional Medicare, and your choices will be limited to their networks of providers, and may not work in other states. Make sure to ask these questions when you speak with an agent. I am a Mayo Clinic patient and live in another state, so I wanted to make sure my insurance would work there after retirement if I need further care. I also will be getting a Delta Dental plan because my husband is retiring, so I will loose his employer's spouse provided benefits. The best plan for Delta Dental gives an annual benefit amount of $2500 and pays at 50% if your dentist is out of network with them. They pay at a higher rate if you use one of their in network dentists. Chose the best dentist for you in or out of network because you have a complex condition. If you go to the Delta dental website, so can view the plan details and they spell out specifically what is covered. They did have some coverage for implants, but there is also a waiting period of I think 6 months if major work is to be done. The agent recommended the best Delta Dental plan with the $2500 benefit. The agent can also tell you what your costs will be for payments and deductibles, and it will ease your mind. Lori makes a great recommendation!

You must be proactive in your personal oral care to mitigate further disease as well as more frequent checkups. I know I got myself in some trouble with dental decay because of my limited mobility with a broken ankle, and I didn't brush or floss as soon as I should have because I couldn't walk and was in pain and struggling to get around the house. Since I have just had a procedure to removed some diseased bone near an implant, I now look at myself as the fire department rushing to put out a fire. The sooner I get the brush, floss and water pic going, the sooner I put out that fire and keep it from spreading. If I wait until I'm too tired at the end of the day and have been snoozing on the couch, the more difficult it is to do the job. You will need to be your own volunteer fire department and put out the fire ASAP!

Go ahead and make the call about insurance. Knowledge is power. You also have a 6 month window around your 65th birthday to do this in order the receive the lowest rates for Medicare Part B and Part D (prescription drugs).

Jump to this post

Just FYI, Medicare Advantage programs do not, necessarily, limit the client to a network. Some do, and are analogous to HMOs. But others are not though have a lower co-pay for PCP and specialists 'in network.' The Medicare Advantage program I'm in includes Cleveland Clinic, Mayo and Sloan-Kettering and other top facilities as 'in network' which was very reassuring last year when I needed one of them.

I pay a $0.00 premium. Had I agreed to an HMO model, the provider, I'd have $0.00 and the program would have paid me $75/month. A friend took that option but I'm not a fan of HMO restrictions.

A long phone call to Medicare led to a very-helpful Medicare representative answering all of my questions and her asking the right questions to help us understand what would be my best option.

One important thing to remember is that, under Medicare regs, one can only change Medicare supplements or Advantage programs during the annual Open Enrollment period, with a few exceptions. So it's important to make a list of one's current doctors and hospital-of-choice and make sure that the coverage includes them. And double-check with the doctors and hospital as these things can change without notice.*

There are a zillion companies offering Medicare supplements and 'advantage' models and the quality varies from excellent to dangerously poor. And, unlike many other commercial transactions, the cost is not necessarily indicative of quality. [A friend has health care aides. We've been able to get 3 of them far better, and cheaper, care by shopping around. It's a strange marketplace, I think relying on peoples' confusion and mis-info.]

I had a convoluted, and ridiculously expensive, path to current good dental health and stability. I empathize with how tricky it can get to avoid one problem while addressing another. And how getting the basics under control first are critical. Kudos to Lori and you both for thoughtful, helpful problem-solving in @tmtm4's situation.

*Some programs are called insurance. E.g., one of the United Healthcare plans offered by AARP. One can pick up, or drop, Medicare insurance at any time during the year without waiting for the Open Enrollment period.

REPLY
1 reply
tmtm4 | @tmtm4 | Jul 3, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "Just FYI, Medicare Advantage programs do not, necessarily, limit the client to a network. Some do,..." + (show)
@callalloo

Just FYI, Medicare Advantage programs do not, necessarily, limit the client to a network. Some do, and are analogous to HMOs. But others are not though have a lower co-pay for PCP and specialists 'in network.' The Medicare Advantage program I'm in includes Cleveland Clinic, Mayo and Sloan-Kettering and other top facilities as 'in network' which was very reassuring last year when I needed one of them.

I pay a $0.00 premium. Had I agreed to an HMO model, the provider, I'd have $0.00 and the program would have paid me $75/month. A friend took that option but I'm not a fan of HMO restrictions.

A long phone call to Medicare led to a very-helpful Medicare representative answering all of my questions and her asking the right questions to help us understand what would be my best option.

One important thing to remember is that, under Medicare regs, one can only change Medicare supplements or Advantage programs during the annual Open Enrollment period, with a few exceptions. So it's important to make a list of one's current doctors and hospital-of-choice and make sure that the coverage includes them. And double-check with the doctors and hospital as these things can change without notice.*

There are a zillion companies offering Medicare supplements and 'advantage' models and the quality varies from excellent to dangerously poor. And, unlike many other commercial transactions, the cost is not necessarily indicative of quality. [A friend has health care aides. We've been able to get 3 of them far better, and cheaper, care by shopping around. It's a strange marketplace, I think relying on peoples' confusion and mis-info.]

I had a convoluted, and ridiculously expensive, path to current good dental health and stability. I empathize with how tricky it can get to avoid one problem while addressing another. And how getting the basics under control first are critical. Kudos to Lori and you both for thoughtful, helpful problem-solving in @tmtm4's situation.

*Some programs are called insurance. E.g., one of the United Healthcare plans offered by AARP. One can pick up, or drop, Medicare insurance at any time during the year without waiting for the Open Enrollment period.

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Thank you!

REPLY
ncylucyann | @ncylucyann | Mar 1, 2023

i have been on reclast for 2 years. i now have to decide on dentures for upper and lower, dont know if i should get implants too, so they stay in place. I know i have bone deteriation. Dont know what to do. I would need bone graft, probebly.

REPLY
debrajean674 | @debrajean674 | Mar 4, 2023

Hi will you take certain kinds of medicines f o r having osteoporosis and if you take the medicine you have a lot of problems with your jaws and bleeding you you're doing the right thing with the dentist I have to go to a specialist too also I have two Harrington rods in my spine I got them when I was 17 I was paralyzed on the left side from a car accident they really helped me out a lot cuz I can walk and everything now but at 58 it's causing me a lot of problems and I have bone spurs and have a lot of pain on my left side but I just try to forget about it I'm waiting to have surgery again so I feel for you I really do cuz I know how you feel it all gets better you got to be positive and exercise if you can sorry about that if you need anything just let me know Debbie.

REPLY
1 reply
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 4, 2023
In reply to @debrajean674 "Hi will you take certain kinds of medicines f o r having osteoporosis and if you..." + (show)
@debrajean674

Hi will you take certain kinds of medicines f o r having osteoporosis and if you take the medicine you have a lot of problems with your jaws and bleeding you you're doing the right thing with the dentist I have to go to a specialist too also I have two Harrington rods in my spine I got them when I was 17 I was paralyzed on the left side from a car accident they really helped me out a lot cuz I can walk and everything now but at 58 it's causing me a lot of problems and I have bone spurs and have a lot of pain on my left side but I just try to forget about it I'm waiting to have surgery again so I feel for you I really do cuz I know how you feel it all gets better you got to be positive and exercise if you can sorry about that if you need anything just let me know Debbie.

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You may have noticed that I removed personal phone numbers from this discussion. Connect is a public forum. We recommend sharing personal contact information using the secure private message function.

I might also add that by sharing here in the forum, you are connecting with several people where all can benefit from group support. 🙂

REPLY
rowdybird | @rowdybird | Mar 7, 2023

Last week I picked up my Snap In Dentures.
It's the 2nd time in over three years I actually got to take them home.
I'm not able to eat or talk, the dentures pop out on the bottom, they don't snap into place which has been the exact same problem since day one 3 years ago.
I'm researching trying to figure out what to do after spending a great deal of money.
My advice is for anyone thinking of Implants to find out EVERYTHING prior to surgery

REPLY
amillisp | @amillisp | Aug 4 8:39pm

I also have bad teeth. I need an implant in the lower first molar and scared. Not sure if it will stay in and couple of my front teeth are a little loose. Not sure if I should pull them now. Say no, but I’m scared because I want to put me on tymlos fortwo years and then start with Reclast, then I can’t do anything. I’m not sure. Needed advice, talk to Paradont and oral surgeons. I’ll have conflicting thoughts so confused.

REPLY
1 reply
lkel | @lkel | Aug 5 10:29am
In reply to @amillisp "I also have bad teeth. I need an implant in the lower first molar and scared...." + (show)
@amillisp

I also have bad teeth. I need an implant in the lower first molar and scared. Not sure if it will stay in and couple of my front teeth are a little loose. Not sure if I should pull them now. Say no, but I’m scared because I want to put me on tymlos fortwo years and then start with Reclast, then I can’t do anything. I’m not sure. Needed advice, talk to Paradont and oral surgeons. I’ll have conflicting thoughts so confused.

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I wouldn't have teeth pulled. I some (front teeth) that have been loose for many years. I can easily move them with my fingers. I still have them. I finished Forteo last fall and am on Fosamax.

All teeth are slightly loose, some just more than others.

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