Dental Implants Archives - Drake & Wallace Dentistry

Should I Trust Comfort Dental in This?

Posted on November 7, 2024 by writeradmin.

I had a dental bridge across my front teeth and the canine teeth were the “anchor” teeth. The anchor teeth came loose. I’d been going to Comfort Dental and went back to them. They extracted the loose canines and provided me with a partial denture to replace all the teeth. I am finding that I hate the partial. It is very uncomfortable. I went back and they’re suggesting using mini implants for the partial and said it would last about ten years.

I decided to get a second opinion with a private dentist. He has suggested something completely different. He wants to do a dental bridge anchored to three full sized dental implants. Two at the canines and a third at the in the center area between the two. This is more expensive than what Comfort Dental is suggesting.

Normally, I would go with the less expensive option right away. However, I haven’t had the best experience with them so I am concerned. Do you have any insight on these two options?

Avery

Dear Avery,

I’m glad you wrote. I would not expect the mini-implants to last very long. Ten years is really pushing it. These are much less able to handle the stress on them than full-sized implants can. You can get an idea of their difference in the image above.

You’ve brought up a good point that cheap dentistry rarely equates to affordable dentistry. If Comfort Dental would have done this right to begin with, you would not be in this situation.

The way they placed your bridge caused a lot of stress unnecessary stress on your anchor teeth. Your biting forces would put a lot twisting forces on your canine teeth so I am not surprised they came loose. Using them as the anchor teeth was not a great idea without other precautions being taken. I’m guessing that bridge did not last long.

What the private dentist is suggesting is a much better idea. Not only are the full-sized dental implants much more stable for your bridge, but placing that additional implant in the center is further stabilizes things and will completely eliminate the twisting forces. This will protect your new anchor teeth.

If you’re asking my opinion, I would go with the full implants. It will save you a lot of grief in the future.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Dental Implants and Sinus Perforation

Posted on June 6, 2024 by writeradmin.

Hi, I am hoping you can help me. I have recently had a dental implant placed. The dentist perforated the sinus cavity. He said it is fairly common for that to happen and that it only went through a few millimeters. He removed it about six months later because the bone never integrated. He said because there was no bone that I did not need antibiotics after that. He put me on a Flonase and told me not to blow my nose. He also warned that if I need to sneeze to do it with my mouth open. He did not treat the perforation because he said that my perforation would heal on its own. Once the area healed up, he said I could try again with another dental implant. However, a few weeks later my nose became infected. I had to convince him to give me an antibiotic. My question is, would the area have gotten infected if he had prescribed me with antibiotics after he removed the implant?

Carolyn

Dear Carolyn,

I am sorry you had to go through all of that and still do not have your dental implant! It is not a bad thing that your dentist did not start with antibiotics when he first removed your dental implant, especially if there is not any sign of infection. You don’t want to start with antibiotics if they are unnecessary. This is because if they did become necessary they would no longer work and you’d need something much stronger. This can lead to antibiotic resistance.

I have some other concerns that I think need to be addressed before you consider having your dental implants done by this dentist. First, is the perforation. While it is true that the sinus cavity does occasionally get perforated, a few millimeters is actually a HUGE amount in dental procedures. We are used to dealing in exiguous amounts. I would like to know what type of pre-diagnostics he did. I doubt it included a CT scan. This would have given him a three-dimensional glimpse at the area and could have prevented the perforation altogether.
A second big issue I have is the lack of osseointegration. This is another huge thing. Does he know why?

My suggestion is you get some answers for these questions before you let him near you again. This is a procedure that requires advanced post=doctoral training. If your dentist is just going by what he learned in dental school, he is not going to be the best dentist for you. I suggest you look for another one.

You will need some bone grafting done in order to have this redone. I’m a big believer in making lemonade out of lemons. While you are waiting on this healing time, it could be a good opportunity to have some teeth whitening done. This way, when you do get your new dental implant, you can match it to your new brighter smile.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Is Diabetes a Contra-Indication for Dental Implants?

Posted on August 15, 2023 by writeradmin.

I want to get Dental Implants for two of my teeth. However, my dentist said that I am not a good candidate because of my diabetes. Is there any way around this?

Brandon

Dear Brandon,

I’m glad you wrote. Dental implants are a fantastic choice in tooth replacements. While diabetes is not a contra-indication for dental implants, it is a significant risk factor. You will require careful diagnostic work as well as diligent follow up throughout the procedure.

Make certain you see a dentist with significant dental implant training and experience. Do careful diagnostics, including a 3-Dimensional x-ray, such as a CT scan. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure they keep a close eye on you throughout the procedure. Infection is a particular danger for someone in your position.

If you have a dentist who send you to an oral surgeon to place the implant themselves, that is fine. However, and this is VERY important. It needs to be your dentist who determines the placement of your implant NOT the surgeon. There are counteless dental implant horror stories where the oral surgeon, who will have no occlusion training, only surgical, placed the dental implants in the wrong position. Occlusion is how your teeth meet together properly. When this is off, it throws off your whole bite. That can lead to constant pain and headaches as well as sharp pain when your trying to eat.

So, the bottom line for you is, yes, you can very likely get the dental implants you want. To do that safely, you will need a dentist with post-doctoral training, who is willing to do the proper diagnostics and keep a close eye on you throughout the procedure.

One other word of caution. Your dentist’s hesitance about this tells me he does not feel qualified to handle your particular case. He may be fine with less complicated ones. You, however, will need to find a different dentist to do your tooth replacements. That’s okay and common.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Dentist Cannot Match My Implant Crown

Posted on April 10, 2023 by writeradmin.

I am not sure what to do. I had to have a dental implant placed on a canine tooth. I was excited about it until the crown fiasco. I am pretty fastidious with my teeth and keep them rather white. My dentist said that my teeth are too white to match a crown. That I have unnaturally white teeth. I was a bit surprised by this statement as many people whiten their teeth these days. I really don’t want a tooth that looks really yellow compared to my other teeth. Is there any way to match this?

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

Before teeth whitening became very popular, dentists all used a similar shade guide that would help them to adequately match dental work, such as dental implant crowns, to the natural teeth. Then, the use of teeth whitening explodes. Suddenly, teeth were whiter than even the whitest shade on the guides dentists used.

Fortunately, some companies caught on and updated the shade guide. I provided an image of that above. It sounds to me that your dentist does not keep up with his field very well and does not have the updated shade guide to work with.

Here are a couple of recommendations. If your dental implant is otherwise okay and you have not yet paid for your crown portion, tell your dentist that you plan on getting the crown done elsewhere and that should end the issue as long as you go to a dentist a little more up to date in his field. If you’ve already paid for the crown, ask for a refund and tell him you are going elsewhere to have this crown done. It is not unreasonable to expect your dental implant crown to match the remainder of your teeth.

If there is any reason you are concerned about the dental implant, then I would suggest you have it looked at by another dentist before moving forward. If everything is okay, go ahead with the process mentioned above. If there is a problem, then you should ask for a complete refund, plus the cost of bone grafting.

This additional cost is because you will need to have the poorly done dental implant removed, which will take some of the bone structure with it. This structure will need to be replaced in order for you to have a secure implant when it is redone.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Should I Update My Dental Implants?

Posted on December 22, 2022 by writeradmin.

I’ve had my dental implants for almost 20 years. I know there have been some advancements in dental implants and there are now the metal-free kind. I think I might be better off switching to the metal-free ones. I’ve read they are better for my health. Is there anything I need to know in order to do this right?

Drew

Dear Drew,

While you are perfectly within your rights to change out your dental implants for the metal-free implants, I want to make sure you understand what it would require first.

Replacing Dental Implants

In order to replace dental implants, they have to be removed, which will take bone structure with it. That bone is absolutely necessary in order for whatever implants you place next to have retention. To get that bone, you will need a bone grafting procedure. This will build back up the bone so your dental implant will be secure. After that is healed, you can then have the new dental implants placed. Again, you will need another period of healing and then, when the bone has had time to integrate with the implant you can have the dental crowns placed. There is a risk with this. When you add an additional surgery, especially after losing some bone, then it is possible the second set of implants will fail.

Titanium versus Zirconia Dental Implants

There have been several “natural news” sites that have made patients uncomfortable with the idea of metal in their bodies, saying that it can cause neurological problems. First, let me say there is absolutely zero evidence that titanium causes problems. In fact, it is extraordinarily biocompatible and has been safely used in prosthetics for decades.

As for the risk of metal in your body, it really depends on the type of metal. You wouldn’t want mercury, but your body is loaded with metals naturally that you need to survive, such as iron. Titanium is inert and quite safe.

It is totally up to you whether or not you switch, I just want to make sure you do it for the right reasons. If you’re asking an opinion, and it is only an opinion, if it were me I would wait. While your current dental implants are functional, I would keep them and then switch after they have lived out their usefulness., then switch to the metal-free version if y0u’d like.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Half My Dental Implants Came Out In Less Than A Week

Posted on July 30, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had six dental implants placed in order to get implant-supported dentures. Within a few days of placement, three of them have already fallen out. I’ve already paid for 3/4 of this treatment. Is it reasonable for me to ask for a refund on the ones that have fallen out? Should I be worried about the remainder of them? Does this mean I am not a good candidate for dental implants? I don’t really want dentures. Is there anything I can do to improve my chances?

Eric

Dear Eric,

I am sorry this has happened to you. Let’s take these questions one at a time. First, is it reasonable for you to ask for a refund on the ones you’ve lost? Absolutely. In fact, I would ask for a complete refund on all of your dental implants, which leads me to your second question. Should you be worried about the remainder of them? Yes.

In most cases, with a decent implant dentist there is a 3-5% failure rate, even then they would last for at least a year. Your dentist has a 50% failure rate in just a few days. I do not expect the remainder to stay in place. As to whether you are a good candidate, in most cases if you are in good general health than you are a good candidate. I think the big problem you have faced is an incompetent dentist. Dental implants are an advanced procedure that are not adequately taught in dental school. It takes post-doctoral training to learn how to do this adequately. I doubt yours has much additional training.

My suggestion to you is to go to an expert implant dentist and have them tell you what has gone wrong with your dental implants. This will help you to get your refund too because a dentist can give you some legitimate backup that it was the dentist’s fault. I want you to see someone with real expertise. Look for a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI). These are the top implant dentists in the world. Then, once you’ve gotten your refund, this will be the dentist to give you the new implants. It is extremely likely (think 100%) that you will need a bone grafting procedure done in order to have enough bone there to retain your new implants.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Dentist Ruined My Mouth and Skipped the Country

Posted on January 21, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had a full-mouth reconstruction done. I regret this very much. Starting six months after the procedure, the dental work began failing. First, it was the crowns. Then, a few of the dental implants fell out. I am now left with a mouth full of failed dental work. I was having the hardest time getting any recourse from the dental clinic and now I’ve found out that the dentist has left the country, probably permanently. What do I do?

Gina

Dear Gina,

I am sorry you are facing this. Obviously, this particular dentist was a crook. Unfortunately, if he stays out of the country you will not have any recourse to get your money back. All you can do at this point is to try to get your bite back as best you can. A full-mouth reconstruction is not only a very advanced procedure, it is also quite expensive. You did not mention the reason for this procedure. Often it is done because of serious TMJ Disorder.

However, given that your dentist swindled you, I wonder if it was necessary at all. I want you to see a skilled dental implant dentist. Look for someone with post-doctoral training in placing dental implants. Have them look at what you have that is salvageable and go from there.

To make these repairs affordable, I would have your dentist triage the most urgent work so you can prioritize everything. This way, you can get the most important work done first and slowly get the rest repaired as you can afford it.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentist Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Stuntman Losing Teeth

Posted on December 29, 2021 by writeradmin.

I work as a stuntman which is a high accident-prone job. Normally I do fine, but in the last year I have sprained my ankle, broken one finger, and lost three teeth. I need to replace those teeth but I am trying to figure out the best solution. I want to get dental implants but wondered what the impact would be if my run of bad luck continues. I’m not superstitious but I’m to the point where I wonder if burning some sage wouldn’t be a bad idea. Haha. If dental implants aren’t my best choice, what other options do I have?

Adam

Dear Adam,

I’ve been giving your situation some thought. While I do think dental implants will be your best solution, some minor adjustments will need to be made because of your line of work. What you don’t want is to have a tooth replacement with dental implants only to have it ripped out of your jaw by another accident. At the same time, having implants in there will protect you from any bone loss through resorption.

What I think you need is to have the implants themselves placed. This will protect your jawbone and keep the space open and available for the final restoration. In the meantime, don’t have the crowns placed. This is what I think will put you at risk. When you’re not doing a stunt, you can wear a temporary tooth replacement, such as a removable partial denture or a dental flipper. This will give you some teeth for social reasons and protect you during stunts. I assume you are wearing a mouthguard.

Then, once you are ready to retire or move onto a different field you can have the permanent dental crowns placed and have the steady replacement that will last you a lifetime.

Here’s hoping 2022 is a much better year for you and sage does not become a necessity.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Bone Grafting Didn’t Work

Posted on October 23, 2021 by writeradmin.

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.

Smelling My Husband’s Implants

Posted on June 30, 2021 by writeradmin.

My husband is in the middle of the all-on-4 dental implant procedure. I have horrible metal and chemical sensitivities. I’m pretty sure I am having a reaction to his dental implants. Right now, he only has the temporary acrylic ones and titanium posts. Here’s the thing, I can smell rubber on his breath. It’s awful. I can barely sleep with him at this point. I spoke to the oral surgeon and he said titanium is really the only option for him. However, I have the feeling that he’s one of those doctors who only checks off boxes and never even considers alternatives. Do you have any suggestions? I’m thinking he should switch out the implants for zirconia.

Karen

Dear Karen,

I would be very surprised if it were his titanium implants that you were smelling. They are very inert. It is possible that you are smelling the acrylic. I would ask the dentist if you can smell them to see if that matches the smell you are being plagued with. I don’t think that will be it either, but I cannot think of any other material currently in his mouth that would give off a smell.

The most likely scenario is that he’s having trouble getting everything cleaned out when he brushes his teeth. If food and other bacteria are getting trapped, it will leave a strong smell, though I have never heard it described like rubber before. If that is the case, something like a Waterpik could help get the debris out from those tricky crevices.

While it may be true that your particular oral surgeon is a “standard” only kind of doctor, I don’t think you’ll want your husband to switch dental implants at this point. it would mean a lot of unnecessary surgery for him. First, they would have to remove his current dental implants, then he would need to have some bone grafting done, which requires a period of healing. After the bone grafting is done, then he would have to have another implant surgery to place the zirconia implants. That is a lot of surgery and a lot of risks that will very likely produce the same results he has with the titanium implants. While zirconia is metal-free, it actually has the same allergy/sensitivity risk as titanium because of how biocompatible they both are.

I would stick with what he has and see if the Waterpik helps.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentist Drs. Drake and Wallace.