How Ronald’s Children Made His Dental Implants Affordable

Last updated on December 26th, 2024 at 09:02 pm

After years of neglect, Ronald’s failing teeth had become too difficult to chew with. His diet began to suffer, causing a ripple effect on his overall health and desire to socialize. Ronald’s children noticed he was no longer eager to join in regularly scheduled family feasts. Ronald’s partial dentures remaining teeth were failing him. His advanced periodontal disease led him to lean on his children for support. Remarkably, Ronald’s children rallied around him and made his recommended dental implant procedure a priority. In this article we share the inspiring story on Ronald’s children devised a plan to support their dad.

Ronald Enjoys Breaking Bread with His Children Each Month

Ronald is a 76-year-old retired Army veteran who proudly served his country in the Vietnam war. As a medic, Ronald witnessed countless life altering injuries and deaths. As a consequence, Ronald suffers from varying levels of PTSD.

When Ronald returned from the war, he married his late wife and together they raised six children. To say that he is proud of his children is an understatement. His children make it a point to bring their families together with Ronald each month for a family feast.

Ronald credits these gatherings with keeping the family strong. As a sufferer of PTSD, Ronald says, “Seeing my children and grandchildren at least once a month helps me to keep my sanity.”

Ronald’s Family Gatherings Hindered by His Bad Teeth

Ronald’s six children figured something must have gone terribly wrong when their dad suddenly began showing little interest in joining in the traditional monthly family feast. Being with his children and their families each month had always brought Ronald great joy.

Upon receiving multiple inquiries from his children, eventually Ronald explained that it had nothing to do with them. It simply had become too difficult for him to enjoy a good meal with his bad teeth. Ronald told his children that several of his teeth were loose and very painful to eat with.

Ronald’s oldest son — who we’ll refer to as Child #1 —  immediately scheduled a dental appointment for his dad. Ronald received a complete examination and x-rays.

The x-ray revealed that Ronald’s advanced periodontal disease had led to significant jawbone loss around his teeth, causing his teeth to be loose. This had much to do with the pain Ronald suffered when chewing.

His dentist explained to him that the bacteria found in periodontal disease can be linked to other system illnesses like heart disease and some forms of cancer including oral and colorectal cancer.

The dentist warned Ronald that this is more than a dental issue; it’s a serious medical problem.

Ronald’s Dentist Offered Three Treatment Plan Options

Ronald was advised to have his remaining teeth pulled and replaced. The two options for replacing his teeth were dentures or teeth supported by dental implants, also known as full mouth dental implants or all-on-X.

An upper and lower set of dentures would cost him $3,500 total. Far more expensive would the a full set of dental implant supported teeth for his upper and lower jaws; $50,000 total. The third option would consist of an upper denture and lower dental implant supported teeth. This option would cost $26,750.

Here is a clear view of the three options present to Ronald:

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Upper Denture: $1,750	Upper Dental Implants: $25,000	Upper Denture: $1,750
Lower Denture: $1,750	Lower Dental Implants: $25,000	Lower Dental Implants: $25,000
Total Dentures: $3,500	Total Implants: $50,000	Total Denture/Implants: $26,750

Retired and living on a fixed income, Ronald felt that Option 1 was affordable. As much as he wanted the implants, he believed implants were beyond his financial reach. He had $2,000 cash savings and would need to place the difference on a credit card.

Ronald was ready to move forward with the regular denture option until his dentist shared the following facts about dentures and implants:

• Dentures do not preserve jawbone and may contribute to jawbone loss
• As the jawbone recedes, the denture will become loose and require denture glue
• Chewing with a denture can take weeks or months to get used to
• Dentures should be considered as a temporary solution
• Dental implants helps to preserve jawbone, offer superior chewing ability and offer a permanent solution

How Ronald’s Children Came Together to Give Him a Gift of Health

Ronald’s son — who we will refer to as Child #1 — set out to devised a strategy to gift their dad with a healthy mouth. His plan would be to figure out a way to make one of the dental implant options affordable.

Child #1 called a family meeting with his five siblings to discuss Ronald’s urgent situation. He presented the three treatment plan options. He shared why Option 1 is not an optimal choice in spite of its much lower price.

He shared the explanations of each treatment option, per the dentist. The upper denture is more stable and performs better than a lower denture. “If implants are not feasible for dad’s upper and lower jaws, he would be far better off to at least choose implants for the lower jaw,” explained Child #1.

“A bridge supported by dental implants on the lower jaw will remain stable and allow dad to enjoy a much wider variety of food choices. Mango, raw carrots, steak, nuts, and the like are not a problem for dad to chew with either Options 2 or 3,” he went on to explain.

After much discussion, amicably Ronald’s children all agreed that their dad deserved Option 3, at least. They each agreed to make individual financial sacrifices to see it through.

Ronald’s Dental Implant Payment Plan

Ronald was prepared to cover the $1,750 fee for the upper denture. The payment arrangement for Ronald’s breaks down as follows:

Method of Payment	Amount
Ronald (cash savings)	$1,750
Child #1 contribution	$4,800
Child #2 contribution	$4,800
Child #3 contribution	$4,800
Child #4 contribution	$4,800
Child #5 contribution	$4,800
Child #6 contribution	$1,000
Total Paid to Dental Office	$26,750

How Ronald’s Denture and Lower-Jaw Implants Fared

Ronald’s remaining diseased teeth were removed. A traditional denture for his upper teeth and dental implants were performed at the same appoint, in a few short hours.

Ronald slept through the entire procedure, under IV sedation. He was amazed that there was zero pain. He left the appointment with an upper denture and a lower bridge that was supported by dental implants. Per usual, his implants required a four month healing period.

Ronald is extremely grateful to his children and the support they offer him through this journey. Four months following his surgery, his dental implants are completely healed. Almost immediately he felt relief from the pain and soreness he suffered from his loose and diseased teeth.

Ronald is back to enjoying the monthly family feasts with his children and grandchildren again. He claims he can’t remember when he was able to enjoy a steak dinner to this extent.

It’s also worth noting that Ronald took advantage of his Standard FEDVIP dental insurance. He is eligible to participate as a retired uniformed veteran. The dental office filed claims with his insurance for the extractions and denture. The insurance paid up to the annual maximum of $1,500.

Since Ronald’s treatment was paid in full, the insurance reimbursement check was signed over to him by the dental office.

Summary

Ronald’s failing teeth reached a point of pain and misery. His level of discomfort while eating was so bad that it caused him to avoid the very thing he enjoyed the most, breaking bread with his children and grandchildren each month.

While Ronald realized he needed to do something about it, he wasn’t quite sure where to start. His children recognized signs that something was wrong and took action by getting him to the dentist for an examination. Dental implants came highly recommended as a part of the solution, but he could not afford to pay for the service.

Fortunately, Ronald’s children rallied behind him. They took on the financial responsibility to pay for his dental implant treatment by splitting the cost among them. Ronald received his much-needed implant surgery. His mouth is no longer painful after having his remaining diseased teeth removed.

Once again Ronald can eat anything he likes, including mango fruit, raw carrots, salad, nuts and steak. Most importantly, he looks forward to eating dinner with his family each month. There is nothing he enjoys more.

References

1. Johns Hopkins, More Evidence of Link Between Severe Gum Disease and Cancer, 1/18/2018
2. Harvard Health Publishing, Gum Disease and the Connection to Heart Disease, 10/8/2024