# Calpe Dentists



## celia50 (Nov 4, 2010)

Hi please can anyone personally recommends a good and honest dentist,I have had plate done but ill-fitting,too big and unable to eat.
I am very self conscious and do not want to eat out as I find it very hard to bite and chew my food.
Not keen or able to pay exorbitant prices again,once bitten I am desperate to get this sorted.


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

Clinica Britannia on the Avda Europa


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## celia50 (Nov 4, 2010)

Is the dentist English also has he/she done any work on you I hope the charges are reasonable because I am very disappointed with the last one.
Thanks,


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

Clinica Britannia is good, but a bit on the expensive side I'm afraid!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Seb* said:


> Clinica Britannia is good, but a bit on the expensive side I'm afraid!


Totally off topic but delighted to hear from Seb

Are you back in Spain? Your 'German' input would be invaluable on some threads, especially the ones where I bang on about the German economy


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## celia50 (Nov 4, 2010)

Thanks Seb,for the warning I am not sure whether to see the NHS dentist in UK


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

celia50 said:


> Thanks Seb,for the warning I am not sure whether to see the NHS dentist in UK




... you're winding us up surely?

You do know that it would be wrong (fraud / illegal) to use the NHS system in UK if you are a resident here (as per your details).


I know that some dentists choose to 'keep you on their books' but if ever they found out, you could be presented with a very large bill!


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Totally off topic but delighted to hear from Seb
> 
> Are you back in Spain? Your 'German' input would be invaluable on some threads, especially the ones where I bang on about the German economy



We have arrived in the UK on the 4th and I just started a new job last week (earlier than anticipated!), so we're here for good now. I hope to find more time now to read and post a bit more again, so I will keep visiting the Spain forums


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Seb* said:


> We have arrived in the UK on the 4th and I just started a new job last week (earlier than anticipated!), so we're here for good now. I hope to find more time now to read and post a bit more again, so I will keep visiting the Spain forums


I hope everything goes well for you.


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## celia50 (Nov 4, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> ... you're winding us up surely?
> 
> You do know that it would be wrong (fraud / illegal) to use the NHS system in UK if you are a resident here (as per your details).
> 
> I know that some dentists choose to 'keep you on their books' but if ever they found out, you could be presented with a very large bill!


Not quite,I am resident in UK and paying taxes too.

BTW just wondering if your surname is Poh


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

celia50 said:


> Not quite,I am resident in UK and paying taxes too.
> 
> BTW just wondering if your surname is Poh


in that case, unless it was urgent, why did you have such major dental work done while on your hols :confused2:


genuinely confused.........


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

celia50 said:


> Not quite,I am resident in UK and paying taxes too.
> 
> BTW just wondering if your surname is Poh


So you're not an 'expat in Spain' then, just on holiday?

(Try reversing my forum name:eyebrows

As said before, why not wait 'till your holiday's over and get the work done back in UK where most of the dentists speak English and should be a lot cheaper (NHS) than here.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I'm surprised there are any NHS dentists still practising in the UK. We decided to pay for a private monthly dental plan as in the long run, privately done bridgework etc. was cheaper than the NHS.

Whilst agreeing that high price and top quality don't always go together, I do think that you nearly always get what you pay for....


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Going off on a tangent here but....

*rant....*

Months and months ago I was told by my Spanish dentist (and his colleague who specialises in cosmetic dentistry) that I needed a couple of implants. And after getting a second opinion from a different Spanish dentist and my private dentist in the UK, I agreed.

I have been sent for xrays and a TAC scan, had numerous consultations, been measured up for a temporary prosthesis while the implants take, have had one of the teeth removed ready to make way for one of the implants....

Today I am going to have the second tooth removed ready for the other implant... but no sign of the implants! 

This is not a cost issue. I have the money ready for the treatment burning a hole in my bank account.

This is not a language issue either. One of the two dentists who are together taking care of my treatment speaks perfect English and, in any case, I can communicate well with the one who does not.

But all my questions about when are the implants going to be fitted fall on death ears.

I have a dental plan, designed by these dentists.
They are supposed to be following it.

The plan says that by now I should have one implant already inserted and the other one inserted today, after the extraction.

But this is not going to happen - just the damn prosthesis!

I do not want to loose this second tooth wondering whether or not I am actually going to get an implant to replace it. This one shows (the other one did not) and removal without replacement of an implant fairly soon after will do strange things to the shape of my mouth!

So today I am sat here wondering whether all those months have been wasted.
whether I should have paid the extortionate charges the English dentist wanted just to get the work done.
And whether to refuse to let the dentist take this tooth out.

*End of emotional rant.* :Cry:


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## celia50 (Nov 4, 2010)

Solwriter said:


> Going off on a tangent here but....
> 
> rant....
> 
> ...


Well Solwriter,I do really sympathised with you because I was treated like a NHS patient made to wait for half an hour no apology whatsoever ! 
I have had to fit in with him and have my appointments changed many times.

No language problem here,I told him the plate is too big also there is a slant but he does not listen.
I am very disappointed and it was very painful after extractions and he is not very caring at all.

The advertisement Is very misleading trust me to believed what I read.
It appears that the professionals from UK forget their etiquette once they settled here.

I am not sure I get the best value for what I have paid,poor quality plate compared to what I had from Singapore all those years ago !

Learnt an expensive lesson here,going private does not guarantee satisfaction at all and it is a real shame

Hope all works well for you in the end.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> Going off on a tangent here but....
> 
> *rant....*
> 
> ...


I presume that you have a written copy of the treatment plan. I would go with a copy of the plan under my arm and with a friendly, but firm attitude, and bags of time and patience, ask why what you had agreed to is not happening. I know that some people are experts in not giving a straight answer, and you don't want to get on the wrong side of the people who are treating you, but in my experience, when faced with consistent questions based on genuine non comprehension, some kind of explanation is given or a misunderstanding is cleared up.

One way or another I hope you get things sorted and that the treatment is successful. At least you went to the dentist. I'm trying to pluck up the courage to go to mine...


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

celia50 said:


> Well Solwriter,I do really sympathised with you because *I was treated like a NHS patient made to wait for half an hour no apology whatsoever ! *
> 
> 
> .



And that is how 99% of the serfs in the UK who have no option than to rely on the NHS are treated.

Just because you pay does not as I said earlier guarantee you will be treated any differently unless you fork out megabucks in a poor country. Then you can have the satisfaction of knowing that unlike the other poor sods you have bought 'special' treatment.

When we lived in Prague my partner spent on private dental treatment what we estimated wouold have set her back £12000 in the UK....the extensive work cost £4000. Our dog caused a hairline fracture of her upper jaw by kissing her, loosening teeth. He is a big boy.
She was treated like royalty....no waiting, unctuous courtesy and so on, taxis called....
Problems set in after a year, by which time we were in Spain. She went to a medium-priced Spanish private dentist and was told that the Czech workmanship was excellent but the materials used were crap. All had to be redone. Her teeth are the most expensive asset we have, apart from the LandRover and as with Marlene Dietrich's legs and Katie Price's boobs, I said we should insure them.

I was told to f*** off......


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I presume that you have a written copy of the treatment plan. I would go with a copy of the plan under my arm and with a friendly, but firm attitude, and bags of time and patience, ask why what you had agreed to is not happening. I know that some people are experts in not giving a straight answer, and you don't want to get on the wrong side of the people who are treating you, but in my experience, when faced with consistent questions based on genuine non comprehension, some kind of explanation is given or a misunderstanding is cleared up.


That's exactly what I did today.
I was armed with my treatment plan, a practiced speech in Spanish (so there could be no misunderstanding), a written piece in case the dentist went 'deaf' to my Spanish (he tends to do this when I ask too many questions. ), and I was friendly but firm.

The result - he didn't remove the tooth, but told me to contact his partner to discuss why my treatment plan wasn't matching up to what was happening.
In other words, he stalled me.

I have told my dentist that if I do not get an adequate reply from his partner, I will have to go elsewhere.

The problem with this is that he is actually an excellent dentist and others in the area are (evidently) not as good. I am very pleased with the work he has done on my teeth in the way of root canals, fillings and crowns, but he really seems to be dragging his feet on the implant issue, which is worrying me as to why....

So... another few days will go by without a resolution.
But at least I still have the tooth (for now, lol!).



Pesky Wesky said:


> One way or another I hope you get things sorted and that the treatment is successful. At least you went to the dentist. I'm trying to pluck up the courage to go to mine...


Thanks.
Luckily, I've never been afraid of dentists, which is just as well as I have had a great deal of dental work done over the years.

All I want is to know what's really happening.
Not much to ask for... is it?


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

celia50 said:


> Well Solwriter,I do really sympathised with you because I was treated like a NHS patient made to wait for half an hour no apology whatsoever !
> I have had to fit in with him and have my appointments changed many times.
> 
> No language problem here,I told him the plate is too big also there is a slant but he does not listen.
> ...


I don't mind waiting to see my dentist as I'm used to it. The receptionist/dental nurse makes block appointments for the same time, so for some of those in that block, waiting anything from half an hour to an hour is the norm. Not great, and everyone in the waiting area complains, but that's the way they work for some reason. 

I don't know about your dentist, but mine is only open 3 days a week (although he does run a larger surgery which is open 5 days), so a cancellation is really annoying as you have to wait at least a few days, but yes,it has happened to me too.

I really don't think it matters here whether you pay or not, because, as far as I know, there are no NHS dentists here (although children now get free treatment for most things).

But my dentist is Spanish, whereas yours is English? 

To be honest, I had a good look around at dentists when we first arrived here, and the Spanish ones seemed just as good as their English (or German or Swedish) counterparts, but that's just as well as there are only Spanish dentists close to where we live.

I have no complaints at all about the actual treatment I have received in Spain, but I do dislike that the mañana syndrome appears to have permeated dental practices, whatever the language spoken.
And I'm just not used to that. If I have a dental problem I want it fixed ASAP.

I do hope you get your plate problems sorted out sooner rather than later. Having teeth extracted is bad enough, without all the worry of trying and failing to get a plate fitted to your satisfaction.
I wish you good luck and a speedy and pain free resolution to all of this.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> All I want is to know what's really happening.
> Not much to ask for... is it?


I wouldn't have thought so...
Do you think they maybe disagree about smth to do with your treatment and that's why there's a hold up? Either that or there's a problem with the implants.


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## calpe70 (Apr 9, 2012)

All the dentists here are expensive(I am in Calpe), Clinica Brittania is very good but unless it's an emergency and you can still see a U.K dentist then I would do that.
HTH


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I wouldn't have thought so...
> Do you think they maybe disagree about smth to do with your treatment and that's why there's a hold up? Either that or there's a problem with the implants.


I am wondering whether (even though he has the necessary qualifications) my dentist is not as adept at implant surgery as his partner and therefore has to go along with whatever he says.

I am also thinking that there may be a hold-up at the lab they use to obtain their implants. This wouldn't surprise me, as when I asked for a price quote back last year it took months for the quote from the lab to arrive. So I'm thinking lab with a small number of staff and perhaps in financial trouble...

Either way, if they were honest with me about this, I would at least know where I stand in order to make a decision on whether to continue with them or go elsewhere.
But of course, that wouldn't be in their interest, would it?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> I am wondering whether (even though he has the necessary qualifications) my dentist is not as adept at implant surgery as his partner and therefore has to go along with whatever he says.
> 
> I am also thinking that there may be a hold-up at the lab they use to obtain their implants. This wouldn't surprise me, as when I asked for a price quote back last year it took months for the quote from the lab to arrive. So I'm thinking lab with a small number of staff and perhaps in financial trouble...
> 
> ...


It might not be a question of adept or not, rather than seniority. Isn't it unusual to have 2 people working on one patient? Isn't one "in charge"

Or, it could be the lab, but I think they would have told you if that were the case as that would be a good way to explain away the delay.

When are you seeing the other guy then? I'd tell hin that you wer very satified witht the other treatment you've received but that you feel you have to walk away from this one as you're not happy with the way things are going.

PS to OP. When my daughter had braces we had an appointment at least once a month for 2 years. We were regularly kept waiting 30 mins/ 45 mins the record being an hour...


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

My Czech dentist said I needed implants. The dentist I use in Spain found an alternative method of solving my 'problem' of a missing tooth for a fraction of the price. 
That was over a year ago and no problems...
Whereas Sandra's Czech implants caused her muchas problemas...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> My Czech dentist said I needed implants. The dentist I use in Spain found an alternative method of solving my 'problem' of a missing tooth for a fraction of the price.
> That was over a year ago and no problems...
> Whereas Sandra's Czech implants caused her muchas problemas...


*los* problemas son masculinos 










problems are masculine


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> *los* problemas son masculinos
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gracias...

Many would agree with you for reasons other than those of grammatical correctness


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Gracias...
> 
> Many would agree with you for reasons other than those of grammatical correctness


I completely agree......nothing to do with grammar either


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> *los* problemas son masculinos
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I sometimes struggle with gender in Spanish (especially words ending in "e"), but I always remember that problema is masculine.
Wonder why....


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Solwriter said:


> I sometimes struggle with gender in Spanish (especially words ending in "e"), but I always remember that problema is masculine.
> Wonder why....


my students always manage to remember that one too 

even the guys 

it's easy to tell the gender of nouns (most of them, anyway) ......but that would be another thread


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> It might not be a question of adept or not, rather than seniority. Isn't it unusual to have 2 people working on one patient? Isn't one "in charge"
> 
> Or, it could be the lab, but I think they would have told you if that were the case as that would be a good way to explain away the delay.
> 
> ...


My dentist is the senior partner (and owner of the dentist group).
At times there have been three people working on my teeth as a less senior female dentist does the Wednesday and Friday sessions (she is actually very good).
I'm seeing the other guy tomorrow.
Will expect at least an hours wait as he usually arrives after the time I am actually due to see him. :frusty:

I will be asking about the lab and also saying that I will have to walk away if nothing is done about the implants within the next 2 weeks (I'll give them that long to sort things out).

But I'm back in the UK in August which adds to the problem as it is now too late to get the treatment re-started by someone else in Spain.

Looks like I may be forking out mega bucks (pounds...) to pay for this in the UK and that's a shame, because my dentist in Spain is very good... usually, lol!


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## Tilley (Jun 10, 2012)

Just to say Solwriter, I have had 5 implants over the last 10 years (I am falling apart) and really from extraction to the implant going in, to the crown going on shouldn't take more than 14 to 16 weeks and that includes being with a dentist that insists the implant has a good 8 weeks to 'bed in' & ones own bone grow around the titanium, before he will put the porcelain crown on.

I'm unsure why your dentist can't source the implants though, as mine is putting in 5 or 6 a month as I asked him how many he was doing and he has never had problems obtaining them as far as I can tell. Perhaps the question needs to be asked as to why he can't get them as implant surgery is pretty commonplace nowadays 

It's a bit of a stressful process and it seems unfair that you are being messed about like this.


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Tilley said:


> Just to say Solwriter, I have had 5 implants over the last 10 years (I am falling apart) and really from extraction to the implant going in, to the crown going on shouldn't take more than 14 to 16 weeks and that includes being with a dentist that insists the implant has a good 8 weeks to 'bed in' & ones own bone grow around the titanium, before he will put the porcelain crown on.
> 
> I'm unsure why your dentist can't source the implants though, as mine is putting in 5 or 6 a month as I asked him how many he was doing and he has never had problems obtaining them as far as I can tell. Perhaps the question needs to be asked as to why he can't get them as implant surgery is pretty commonplace nowadays
> 
> It's a bit of a stressful process and it seems unfair that you are being messed about like this.


Thanks Tilley.
All that you say about implant timing is exactly how I have been told, from the dentist who is supposed to be inserting them!

I'll find out later today one way or the other what the holdup is and how this is going to proceed .....


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

*Second emotional rant!* 

Ok, I have just received a phone call from the other dentist, so no need to go in and see him this evening (and if I did, I would probably feel like slapping him!).

He has had another good look at my TAC scan and has decided that I need more than the 2 original implants - I need 8 in fact! He says that the other dentist should already have told me this, so that the work can go ahead.

Now, he isn't telling me something I didn't know already, as I knew I would need more implants over the next 3-5 years, but not all at once!

His new idea is that all the work gets done at the same time and, after waiting for the implants to take, it will all be done in the space of three months.
Now that's great.... apart from the fact that this will cost more than 4 times the amount originally quoted...

The other idea he has is that he wants to 'reshape my smile' to look more aesthetically correct, hence doing everything at once, while (sorry if this is a bit graphic) grinding down my bones a little. He insists this is the only way he wants to treat my teeth.

But I like my smile the way it is (I would just prefer that smile continued to have teeth!).

So basically we are at stalemate. I do not want my smile changed, neither can I afford the cost of 8 implants all at once plus the bone treatment (and even though he says I can pay a lump sum and pay the rest monthly, that's an awful lot of months to commit to...).

Why do cosmetic dentists always insist on changing your smile to suit _their_ taste, rather than _your_ character? :frusty:

Anyway, I am left with still needing urgent removal of the tooth in question, before it suffers another infection, and a temporary plate...

But once that is done I'll wait until I'm in England and get a second opinion from my dentist there.
He may be ultra expensive, but at least he listens!

*End of second emotional rant!*

(And sorry *celia50* for hijacking your thread!)


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## Tilley (Jun 10, 2012)

Oh dear not sounding good. Basically i could do with all my lower teeth out and replaced by implants, but I also cant afford it, so my dentist is doing it piecemeal.

Have you also been told that if two teeth next to each other are extracted you can have one implant with two crowns put on it ? There is no need for an implant per crown and it is the impalnts themselves that cost the big bucks. I have a very small mouth (OH some would disagree). 

I could have 5 implants at the bottom with 5 double crowns put on them, if I could afford 5 implants at once & that would slove my lower teeth problem.

Another thing a decent dentist might suggest, would be an implant at each end of the lower mouth & a removeable bridge that clips on to each implant, far more comfy than a plate.

It is much more cost effective than 10 implants and 10 crowns and the surgery is less stressful.

Cant beleive I am on an expat forum taking about dentistry, apologies to the OP.


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Tilley said:


> Oh dear not sounding good. Basically i could do with all my lower teeth out and replaced by implants, but I also cant afford it, so my dentist is doing it piecemeal.
> 
> Have you also been told that if two teeth next to each other are extracted you can have one implant with two crowns put on it ? There is no need for an implant per crown and it is the impalnts themselves that cost the big bucks. I have a very small mouth (OH some would disagree).
> 
> ...


Lol!
My apologies too to the OP (again  )

Thanks Tilley,
yes, I'm going to go back and check out all alternatives.
I've heard about having a bridge between two implants, but not a double crown on one implant, so I could look at that one.
It does seem that each dentist has their own preferences for how to set out implants, because my UK dentist has another method again.

Now I have calmed down a bit, I can see this guy's point in doing 8 implants at once, as this would allow for single implants and a couple of bridges, without putting too much strain on any single implant.

But.... as he is quoting me somewhere between 10k and 15k euros for this (he had previously quoted me 2.5k), and, as my gut feeling is that the final cost will be at the top end of the scale, I need to be totally convinced that this is the right course of treatment for me.
(for a start, it will mean my working twice as hard at my online work as I am right now, and no guarantee that would be enough).

The problem too is that my UK dentist (who I trust (almost...) completely), charges UK prices for very similar quality work, so I could end up with a bill double that I would pay here and that is well out of my reach!

I'd better start doing the lottery!


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## Tilley (Jun 10, 2012)

Solwriter said:


> Lol!
> My apologies too to the OP (again  )
> 
> Thanks Tilley,
> ...


Generally speaking here an implant costs 2.2K. so for me having 5 implants with ten teeth on them was going to be 11K. 

The bridge option of 2 implants and a removable bridge was 6.8K, but then over the years you can add implants to the middle if & when you can afford them, if that makes sense.

Unfortunatley due to hereditary gum disease I have been 'at this' for 10 years. I have never been quoted a price in the UK that goes up, perhaps I have been lucky.

The 2.2K (they were 1.6K when I started all this!) covers as many appointments as you need so if you are lucky & it's straightforward, might only be 6 or 7, but if you have problems & it takes 20 appointments, 12 xrays, multipule anti-biotics, endless impressions etc, it costs the same. 

It also includes insurance for the 1st year as generally speaking if anything goes wrong with an implant it will happen in the first year - so that is worth asking about as well.

You do need to get hold of someone you can trust. With upper implants they are often drilling into your sinuses, they need to know what they are doing.


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

Tilley said:


> Generally speaking here an implant costs 2.2K. so for me having 5 implants with ten teeth on them was going to be 11K.
> 
> The bridge option of 2 implants and a removable bridge was 6.8K, but then over the years you can add implants to the middle if & when you can afford them, if that makes sense.
> 
> ...


Sounds similar to the quote my UK dentist gave me, except he wanted to do 3 implants at a cost of around 7.5k. Put that against the 2.5k (2 implants with bridge) quoted in Spain and I had to go for the Spain choice (that is, until they changed their mind on the treatment...).

Both dentists insisted on a TAC scan (or CAT scan in the UK case) as well as x-rays, so they were aware where my sinuses are. So on that score I trust both of them.

Luckily my bottom teeth are ok.. so far, lol!


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