My dentist has done hundreds of dental implants successfully, so I felt fairly confident in him doing mine. It has not worked out that way. When we went in for my dental implant procedure, he ended up closing me up without placing the implant. He told me that once he was in there he realized there wasn’t enough bone to secure the dental implant properly. He suggested we do bone grafting first. I agreed because I did want a dental implant that will stay in place. So, we did the bone grafting procedure. Then, when we went back to do the implant, he again closed me up saying there is still not enough bone structure. Now he is suggesting I get a dental bridge. Can you tell me if there will be any possibility of me getting a dental implant if I use another dentist or am I stuck with a dental bridge?
Kevin
Dear Kevin,
First I want to tell you something great about your dentist. He has integrity. Some dentists would have just placed the dental implant and let it fail. You would have never known that he placed it with too little bone structure. Regarding his bone grafting failure. While he has done hundreds of dental implants, bone grafting may be a newer skill that he is developing. We all have to start somewhere. That is a second great thing about your dentist. He is continuing to build up his skills and opening up new ways to serve his patients.
Now, to answer your questions. You will not have to get a dental bridge if you do not want one. However, you are going to have to go through these procedures yet again. My suggestion is to get the bone grafting done with someone else, who has a lot of experience with that procedure. From there, you can go back to your dentist for the dental implant or have the person who did the grafting place your implants. Either will be fine.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.