Dental Implant FAILED. Try again? - Dental Health Message Board

Toofless · 03-24-2005, 12:27 AM

I got a dental implant on the upper right front tooth (#8 it's called) and went through the entire process.

It supposedly healed "better than it should have" as bone had grown up right around the first sealant cap. The surgeon had to cut away bone to remove the first cap and do whatever he had to do, then put on the second cap that pokes out through the gum. He stitched me all up, let the gum heal around the new cap and I came back later for another x-ray.

"Oh yes, this is perfect, you see that?" he asked, pointing to the screw-like object in my x-ray. "It's all filled in with bone right around the threads. That is perfect."

So, what happens? I go back today to get the post placed in and the temp tooth, impressions made for the porcelaine tooth and I'm all happy that in just 2 weeks I will have my new permanant tooth.

The guy starts jamming a post (I think) and it feels like the roof of my mouth is bulging DOWNWARDS. He's pushing UP in the front of my mouth, but yet the roof of my mouth feels like it's caving in or something. I become paranoid that he is going to split my skull open because that's basically what it feels like. He asks if it's hurting, I do my best to explain what the heck it feels like. He says it's "too tight" and begins filing the post, adjusting, whatever. Too tight? It doesn't seem like it should affect the roof of my mouth, more like it should feel like it's going up my nose like all those novacaine needles did!

Finally, he gets it right (I guess) and goes to "torque it" with some tool....

POP! Out comes my implant. Clean as a whistle. No bone fragments stuck in the threads or anything. He says it looks like I just put it in today because it is so clean. Meanwhile, I've been going through this process since January, 2004.

Now how is that possible? And should I even bother trying again?

I'm frankly a little concerned they weren't worried about infection, too. I just sat there bleeding onto some gauze for 5 minutes and that was it. "Go home, see ya Tuesday and we'll talk about your options." I can get a free second implant or just go for the Maryland Bridge, which I'm leaning toward at this point.

Toofless · 03-29-2005, 11:22 PM

I get the impression most of these questions are not answered...

bkbui · 04-02-2005, 07:00 PM

I would try the implant again. Did a general dentist place the implant? What specialist placed the implant: an oral surgeon, periodontist, prosthodontist, endodontist?

If a general dentist placed the implant, I would recommend asking that dentist to reimburse you and refer you to a periodontist or prosthodontist (with extra training in implants) to get it done the second time.

There was obviously some difficulty that the first dentist did not anticipate. A specialist has had extensive training allowing them to forsee difficulties and provide the correct course of action.

Toofless · 04-15-2005, 05:37 PM

Apparently, he was a specialist. He's some guy who comes from Manhattan on Tuesdays to do the implants. He is supposedly "one of the best oral surgeons in the area" (but of course they are going to say that). I know for a fact he is only there on Tuesdays and he did once offer for me to visit him in his Manhattan location...

His name is Dr. Gilili or Gallili or Gillilli or something like that. I haven't been able to locate his name anywhere online.

I'm reading all sorts of things about failed implants now. It appears alcohol can make the implant fail. I drank over the holidays. Maybe that was it.

I also found a bunch of rules they never told me:
1. do not drink hot liquids for 24 hours
2. do not USE TOOTHPASTE until sutchers are removed!
3. do not EXERCISE for 3 days following surgery (aerobic)
4. Do not wear removable dentures (what's a flipper then?)

... and a bunch more rules that I could've very easily broken...

When I told him that my implant did get a little sore about a month before the final process, he said it was nothing. I'm thinking it was something.

bkbui · 04-19-2005, 03:22 PM

Yes, implants fail all the time. Many dentists have become very aggressive with implants choosing to extract teeth to place implants when those teeth could just as well been saved with a root canal. Your drinking did not contribute to the implant failure, or at least I doubt it. It sounds to me there was some restorative issue. The implant may not have been placed at the correct angle or at the correct depth.

Oral surgeons are not the best specialists to go to for implants, especially when it comes to front teeth. For front teeth, you should see a periodontist who is working in conjunction with a prosthodontist. The periodontist will ensure the correct bone and gum level which dramatically effects the esthetics. While the prosthodontist will ensure proper restoration.

Good luck.