Hi, I am planning to have one implant placed into my lower jaw about the 3rd tooth from the front.

When I was about 11 or 12 years old and loosing my baby teeth (I could have been a bit younger, cant quite remember but I was a late starter when it came to adult teeth)........
anyway, I was at a young age and after an x-ray at the dentist he told me I had an adult tooth (still in the gum at this point) that would never push its was through the gum.......

A long process then followed, I remember going into Guys hospital and they took the "adult tooth out of my lower gum and stored it in my top left gum/cheek to preserve it........this was to stay here until I had lost my baby tooth in the bottom.

So I finally lost my baby tooth in the bottom and then went back in to have the "stored tooth in my top gum/cheek implanted into my lower gum/jaw....where it always should have been!

At the time I felt very special and was told the procedure was quite rare and that my case was very interesting (maybe they told me that to make me feel better) anyhow I went home with a mouth guard on and this new tooth and had an intensive long process of keeping it clean and praying the tooth would take!

I am 26 now meany years have passed without any problems.
Sadly recently I have been to my dentist as I have had problems with the tooth feeling sensitive etc....he found a small infection which was treated and then a small filling was put in.....he told me it may not last.

That only lasted a few months and I had to go back as the filling came out, the tooth felt different and I knew there was something wrong.
Another dentist who works there who I believe is the "head dentist" saw me, he took an x-ray, sat me down and explained what was happening to the tooth.

He told me it was on its way out and that there was no way to save it.
He was also amazed that it had lasted so long, he said the procedure I had was out of date now and old fashioned, he also told me that in the UK a natural tooth implant (being my own tooth) would normally only last 3 or 4 years, he said in Norway thay had a better survival rate due to protein or something like that which they put in the gum??

My natural tooth transplant has lasted at least 15 yeras!!
Correct me if im wrong but that must be a new record???

I am wondering if its worth me contacting Guys hospital to inform them of this as it may be of some interest?

My current dentist has been great in explaining the whole procedure of an implant and the cost and I do feel very confident that I want my implant treatment with him.
He tells me he has been researching tooth implants for 25 years now and this is his specialist field!

For those of you looking into implants I would say that from what ive been told, researched on the internet and read on the blogs on this site, the price of £2,000 sounds right and that you should trust and have confidence in your dentist from the start!

My question to the dentists on here are:

1.) Does having a bone graft increase your chances of the implant lasting/ working?

2.) How long is it best to wait after a bone graft has been put in before you put the titainium implant in?

My dentist took a measurement using this metal measuring device to see if my bone was going to be substantial enough to take the implant, he said I may need a bone graft??

As my natural tooth is very irritating and I am paranoid its about to fall out and being right at the front of my mouth I decided to have it out in a week, have a bone graft put in and have a denture made up so I can wear it until my final tooth implant can go in.

This means it give me a few weeks to get my head around the whole thing and the shock of having the pay out so much.
It will also preserve my gum.

I am still a little worried about the whole thing as it all still feels so new and alien!

In your overall opinion does all this sound normal to you??

I would be very grateful if you could kindly reply,

Kind Regards,

Caroline