"bb" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 00:44:26 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not 10%
as
you claimed.

Well, like it or not, I think offshore medical and dental care could
become a big thing in the future. Maybe, as you say, the quality is
hit and miss right now. It would appear there's a large market
potential for marketing cheaper medical and dental services by our
close neighbors. Certainly one such as yourself, who's relatively
early in a career, has a lot to be concerned about. Auto and steel
workers may not be the only ones who's life is adversely affected by
cheap foreign labor.

I doubt it. Comprehensive treatment (ie--the expensive stuff like full
mouth rehabilitation and dental implants) can't be completed in a day. It
requires dozens of trips to the dentist...in a period sometimes spanning
anywhere from 6 months to a year or more. The cost of travel and lodging,
and the inconvenience of multiple trips, takes away any comparative
advantage the foreign countries might offer.

Plus, who are you going to see for emergency care when the 14-unitb
roundhouse bridge you just had placed in Costa Rica fractures the weekend
before your daughter's wedding?

The non-comprehesive stuff (fillings and single crowns) can be completed in
a day or week...but who's going to travel to Costa Rica for treatment just
to save $500-600 dollars?

NOYB wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
NOYB wrote:

"basskisser" wrote in message
m...
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:Cwp1c.19784
I very much doubt the fee's are 10%. Looked at the prices in Costa
Rica?

Again, I know fact doesn't mean anything to you but:

http://www.cocori.com/library/life/med1.htm

According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not
the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not 10%
as
you claimed.



My dentist and friend showed me a catalog of implant posts from some
company with the word "Gold" in its name...or something like that.

Sterngold.

I don't know anybody that uses them, however.


The
posts were something like $125 each...titanium.

They're actually even cheaper than that. About $80-90.

Add another $20 for the impression post, $16 for the analog, $75 for the
UCLA coping, $25 for the healing abutment, $75 for the lab-fabricated
temporary, $50 for the cost of the gold (used with the UCLA coping), and a
lab bill of about $250 for the crown and custom abutment.

That's about $600...and Sterngold is the flat-out cheapest on the market.
The implants my surgeons use are about 3 or 4 times as expensive...the
surfaces aren't machined, but acid-etched...which gives better
osseointegration.


This was six or seven
years ago. I wasn't shopping, but I was curious about the procedure.




Well, I've never claimed expertise in the black magic of dentistry.

John H wrote:

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 19:56:46 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

John H wrote:

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 19:52:06 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

NOYB wrote:

"basskisser" wrote in message
m...
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:Cwp1c.19784
I very much doubt the fee's are 10%. Looked at the prices in Costa
Rica?

Again, I know fact doesn't mean anything to you but:

http://www.cocori.com/library/life/med1.htm

According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not 10% as
you claimed.



My dentist and friend showed me a catalog of implant posts from some
company with the word "Gold" in its name...or something like that. The
posts were something like $125 each...titanium. This was six or seven
years ago. I wasn't shopping, but I was curious about the procedure.

The procedure is no fun, especially if they have to do a "sinus lift."

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!


I have no idea what a sinus lift is...care to elucidate?

Well, I'm not 100% sure what it is, but I'll tell you what I think it
was. Maybe NOYB will jump in and elucidate my elucidation.

I think there is not enough room in the mouth for the teeth to close
properly when the implants, screws, caps, crowns, etc. are installed..
So room must be made by raising the upper bone in which the teeth
root. This is done by placing a metal punch against the bone and
literally beating it upwards with a metal hammer. Of course, you've
had shots to deaden the pain (yeah, right!), so theoretically this
shouldn't hurt. But it did. And for the next 24 hours my head felt as
though someone were still going at it with a jackhammer, albeit a
small one.

And then the procedure had to be repeated on the other side of the
mouth. I just couldn't wait for that appointment.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

Holy ****...and you got to pay for this torture?

NOYB wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
John H wrote:

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 19:52:06 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

NOYB wrote:

"basskisser" wrote in message
m...
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:Cwp1c.19784
I very much doubt the fee's are 10%. Looked at the prices in Costa
Rica?

Again, I know fact doesn't mean anything to you but:

http://www.cocori.com/library/life/med1.htm

According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not
the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not
10% as
you claimed.



My dentist and friend showed me a catalog of implant posts from some
company with the word "Gold" in its name...or something like that. The
posts were something like $125 each...titanium. This was six or seven
years ago. I wasn't shopping, but I was curious about the procedure.

The procedure is no fun, especially if they have to do a "sinus lift."

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!


I have no idea what a sinus lift is...care to elucidate?

When there's not enough bone left in the maxilla (upper arch) to place an
implant of sufficient length, the surgeon lifts the membrane at the floor of
the sinus, and places bone grafting material (cadaver, autogenous, bovine,
synthetic, etc) iunderneath the membrane in the space he/she created. This
gives the surgeon enough bone thickness to place a sufficiently long implant
in the area...so that it doesn't protrude into the sinus space.


Oh..cadaver, definitely...that's the way to do it.

On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 01:23:47 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


"bb" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 00:44:26 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not 10%
as
you claimed.

Well, like it or not, I think offshore medical and dental care could
become a big thing in the future. Maybe, as you say, the quality is
hit and miss right now. It would appear there's a large market
potential for marketing cheaper medical and dental services by our
close neighbors. Certainly one such as yourself, who's relatively
early in a career, has a lot to be concerned about. Auto and steel
workers may not be the only ones who's life is adversely affected by
cheap foreign labor.

I doubt it. Comprehensive treatment (ie--the expensive stuff like full
mouth rehabilitation and dental implants) can't be completed in a day. It
requires dozens of trips to the dentist...in a period sometimes spanning
anywhere from 6 months to a year or more. The cost of travel and lodging,
and the inconvenience of multiple trips, takes away any comparative
advantage the foreign countries might offer.

Plus, who are you going to see for emergency care when the 14-unitb
roundhouse bridge you just had placed in Costa Rica fractures the weekend
before your daughter's wedding?

The non-comprehesive stuff (fillings and single crowns) can be completed in
a day or week...but who's going to travel to Costa Rica for treatment just
to save $500-600 dollars?


bb, this is all true. I had eleven teeth pulled and replaced with
implants. I went to the dentist about every 3-4 weeks for over a year.
No way could I have afforded to fly to Costa Rico for all those trips.

And yes, in between the scheduled visits I made several trips to get
the temporary dentures repaired, reglued, or replaced because I bit
down on something the wrong way. (Or because I chewed Nicorette's and
they stuck to the plastic stuff the temporaries were made of!)

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 20:39:44 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

John H wrote:

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 19:56:46 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

John H wrote:

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 19:52:06 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

NOYB wrote:

"basskisser" wrote in message
m...
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:Cwp1c.19784
I very much doubt the fee's are 10%. Looked at the prices in Costa
Rica?

Again, I know fact doesn't mean anything to you but:

http://www.cocori.com/library/life/med1.htm

According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not 10% as
you claimed.



My dentist and friend showed me a catalog of implant posts from some
company with the word "Gold" in its name...or something like that. The
posts were something like $125 each...titanium. This was six or seven
years ago. I wasn't shopping, but I was curious about the procedure.

The procedure is no fun, especially if they have to do a "sinus lift."

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!


I have no idea what a sinus lift is...care to elucidate?

Well, I'm not 100% sure what it is, but I'll tell you what I think it
was. Maybe NOYB will jump in and elucidate my elucidation.

I think there is not enough room in the mouth for the teeth to close
properly when the implants, screws, caps, crowns, etc. are installed..
So room must be made by raising the upper bone in which the teeth
root. This is done by placing a metal punch against the bone and
literally beating it upwards with a metal hammer. Of course, you've
had shots to deaden the pain (yeah, right!), so theoretically this
shouldn't hurt. But it did. And for the next 24 hours my head felt as
though someone were still going at it with a jackhammer, albeit a
small one.

And then the procedure had to be repeated on the other side of the
mouth. I just couldn't wait for that appointment.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

Holy ****...and you got to pay for this torture?

That's exactly what I asked the dentist. He was having all the fun,
and I was paying him for it!

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 20:40:44 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

NOYB wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
John H wrote:

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 19:52:06 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

NOYB wrote:

"basskisser" wrote in message
m...
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:Cwp1c.19784
I very much doubt the fee's are 10%. Looked at the prices in Costa
Rica?

Again, I know fact doesn't mean anything to you but:

http://www.cocori.com/library/life/med1.htm

According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not
the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not
10% as
you claimed.



My dentist and friend showed me a catalog of implant posts from some
company with the word "Gold" in its name...or something like that. The
posts were something like $125 each...titanium. This was six or seven
years ago. I wasn't shopping, but I was curious about the procedure.

The procedure is no fun, especially if they have to do a "sinus lift."

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!


I have no idea what a sinus lift is...care to elucidate?

When there's not enough bone left in the maxilla (upper arch) to place an
implant of sufficient length, the surgeon lifts the membrane at the floor of
the sinus, and places bone grafting material (cadaver, autogenous, bovine,
synthetic, etc) iunderneath the membrane in the space he/she created. This
gives the surgeon enough bone thickness to place a sufficiently long implant
in the area...so that it doesn't protrude into the sinus space.


Oh..cadaver, definitely...that's the way to do it.

I really think NOYB could make a two-week old, road-killed 'possum
sound appetizing!

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

When I was a teen my orthodontist pulled two of my bottom teeth to make
room. Normal enough to pull permanant teeth for this procedure. Except -
that no one looked at the ex-rays.

Appears the crowding was caused by a couple of fairly well rooted baby teeth
that both fell out before I was 30. Of course the two pulled teeth were
right next door and had the two baby teeth been removed moved instead it
would have been abou tthe same overall effect.

So now I have a 1/4" gap behind each of my lower canine teeth, then the
molars start. I've often considered implants for those 2 holes - the rest of
my teeth are fine.

-W


"NOYB" wrote in message news:nzQ1c.178084

When there's not enough bone left in the maxilla (upper arch) to place an
implant of sufficient length, the surgeon lifts the membrane at the floor
of
the sinus, and places bone grafting material (cadaver, autogenous, bovine,
synthetic, etc) iunderneath the membrane in the space he/she created.
This
gives the surgeon enough bone thickness to place a sufficiently long
implant
in the area...so that it doesn't protrude into the sinus space.

"John H" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 01:14:00 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
NOYB wrote:

"basskisser" wrote in message
m...
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:Cwp1c.19784
I very much doubt the fee's are 10%. Looked at the prices in
Costa
Rica?

Again, I know fact doesn't mean anything to you but:

http://www.cocori.com/library/life/med1.htm

According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not
the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not
10%
as
you claimed.



My dentist and friend showed me a catalog of implant posts from some
company with the word "Gold" in its name...or something like that.

Sterngold.

I don't know anybody that uses them, however.


The
posts were something like $125 each...titanium.

They're actually even cheaper than that. About $80-90.

Add another $20 for the impression post, $16 for the analog, $75 for the
UCLA coping, $25 for the healing abutment, $75 for the lab-fabricated
temporary, $50 for the cost of the gold (used with the UCLA coping), and
a
lab bill of about $250 for the crown and custom abutment.

That's about $600...and Sterngold is the flat-out cheapest on the market.
The implants my surgeons use are about 3 or 4 times as expensive...the
surfaces aren't machined, but acid-etched...which gives better
osseointegration.


This was six or seven
years ago. I wasn't shopping, but I was curious about the procedure.


Now go back and correct what I told him about a "sinus lift."

Your description was much more colorful. ;-)

"John H" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 01:23:47 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


"bb" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 00:44:26 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


According to your link, implants in Costa Rica cost $750-800. In the
states, they cost $1200-1800. (We're talking about the implant...not
the
abutment, and not the crown). That means they're about 50-65%...not
10%
as
you claimed.

Well, like it or not, I think offshore medical and dental care could
become a big thing in the future. Maybe, as you say, the quality is
hit and miss right now. It would appear there's a large market
potential for marketing cheaper medical and dental services by our
close neighbors. Certainly one such as yourself, who's relatively
early in a career, has a lot to be concerned about. Auto and steel
workers may not be the only ones who's life is adversely affected by
cheap foreign labor.

I doubt it. Comprehensive treatment (ie--the expensive stuff like full
mouth rehabilitation and dental implants) can't be completed in a day.
It
requires dozens of trips to the dentist...in a period sometimes spanning
anywhere from 6 months to a year or more. The cost of travel and lodging,
and the inconvenience of multiple trips, takes away any comparative
advantage the foreign countries might offer.

Plus, who are you going to see for emergency care when the 14-unitb
roundhouse bridge you just had placed in Costa Rica fractures the weekend
before your daughter's wedding?

The non-comprehesive stuff (fillings and single crowns) can be completed
in
a day or week...but who's going to travel to Costa Rica for treatment
just
to save $500-600 dollars?


bb, this is all true. I had eleven teeth pulled and replaced with
implants. I went to the dentist about every 3-4 weeks for over a year.
No way could I have afforded to fly to Costa Rico for all those trips.

And yes, in between the scheduled visits I made several trips to get
the temporary dentures repaired, reglued, or replaced because I bit
down on something the wrong way. (Or because I chewed Nicorette's and
they stuck to the plastic stuff the temporaries were made of!)

At least you chewed the Nicorette and didn't smoke. The sinus lift would
have failed.