Retiring, what to do about dental needs?

For a while my dentist has been telling me to have 5 - 6 teeth in front crowned and they all should to be done at one time.  I have fibromyalgia so the thought of a whole day in the chair - and the aftermath - is quite daunting, so I've kept putting it off

I'm also getting ready to retire and the cost of dental work like this is quite scary. It looks like I'll need to go to a different dentist who's on some kind of a dental insurance plan.

My basic questions are how to find a dentist who can best work with someone who has fibromyalgia and also is more affordable.

[Sam Delfino]

Hi,
You are asking a great question. There are many different facets to this question and we would have to peal this one layer at a time. First of all, lets look at the choosing process. Any professional that you would like to find, you would have to ask yourself, how would a highly rated or qualified person from that profession would go about finding someone for themselves. So the question should be how would a highly trained and qualified dentist would go about finding a dentist for themselves.
1. Cont
inuing Education Training- which programs and what courses they have taken
2. Accolades from organizations-- not belonging to an organization, but what type of Fellowhsips, specialty, board certifications they have received and what do those things mean
3. Number of Years in Practice
4. Before and Afters, make sure they are their own before and afters as these things can be bought on the web
5. Testimonials

So in your case, I would look for someone who has Cosmetic Dentistry Training. Not that they claim to be a cosmetic Dentist. Then also, you may not need CROWNS per say for your teeth, you might be able to get away with something more conservative or more conservative materials. Then the question is, why do you need these crowns? If it is due to wear of your teeth for example, then we would have to ask what has caused this and there is an underlying problem and if these new crowns are done, you could actually cause more damage to the teeth and to the gums and the bones. So is the function of your jaw evaluated? This is done by someone who has training in prosthodontics or they have training in Full Mouth Rejuvenation. Also, because of your Fibromyalgia, I would recommend being evaluated by someone who has TMJ or Neuromuscular Training as well.
There are dentists who have training in all these aspects and there are those who have none and claim to be treating one or the other.
Once you find the properly trained dentist, then the question is how can you make this affordable both timewise and financially.
You can visit www.top3dentists.com, there you will be able to find a dentist in your area that has the proper training and it will be explained to you as to what each training means and what is the right type of training. I would start with people who are in the Full Mouth Rejuvenation and Neuromuscular Dentistry and TMJ therapy. Then look into other areas if needed. Then go in for a consult and go with the person that you feel most comfortable with. For a highly trained dentist, doing 5 or 6 teeth and one or two at a time, would not be that much of a difference timewise. At times Fibromyalgia could be related to your TMJ issues as well and they may be interrelated so I would look into this more carefully.
Once you choose, many of these people can do a customized treatment plan for you. Anything is possible, as long as the dentist has the proper training.
I hope this was helpful,