My regular, mostly check-up and cleaning dentist (Martin Man) recommended implants by Dr. Charles Kaner because, in Dr. Man’s experience, Dr. Kaner’s work never has to be corrected or redone. Dr. Man did say it would be expensive.
Dr. Kaner turned out to be a very thorough dentist. I decided to make everything as perfect as possible and to obviate any future dental problems as much as possible. In the end this amounted to planning for seven implants. Along the way it entailed four bone grafts (including one sinus graft), some periodontal surgery, and some lesser procedures such as two complete scans, one below-the gums cleaning and two additional cleanings. Dr. Kaner emphasizes preventing infections. At Dr. Kaner’s suggestion, one implant was later rendered unnecessary by grinding a fraction off one tooth instead.
The work has been in progress for almost a year. Most of the time is waiting for bone grafts to firm up. Only one implant remains to be done. The front bottom teeth were done first. Dr. Man put the crowns on them six months ago. Since then they have been as perfect as he foretold, as forgettable and fully useful as natural teeth and no problems cleaning them or otherwise.
Cost for everything, including crowns, prescriptions, etc? About $46,200. I knew I could spend a lot less by having the work done in Mexico or Bangkok, but I wanted the convenience and quality assurance which were being offered in New York. I paid for everything in one calendar year, which meant paying in advance for a lot of the work, and I kept my adjusted gross income down as much as possible for that year. As a result, over $39,000 of this was tax deductible.
out of 5 stars
