July 2021 | Williams Family Dentistry

I was going to my family dentist for a dental implant. Before the surgery, he said everything looked good. Then, when the surgery was over there was a totally different story. He told me that when he went in that it was apparent there was not enough bone structure there to retain the implants for very long. He placed them anyway and is telling me he thinks we need to remove them. I’m so frustrated. Have you ever heard of a dentist doing something like this? I’ve spent so much money.

Dean

Dear Dean,

This is insane. He cannot get away with this. It is serious negligence, even malpractice. This was completely preventable if he’d have done the right diagnostics to begin with. He should have done diagnostics, which included x-rays and preferably also a CT scan in order to determine if you have enough bone to be a good candidate for dental implants. He obviously skipped this step or completely botched reading them. Had he done this properly, he would have recognized the problem and been able to take steps to ensure you would have a successful outcome.

One of the basic principles of any dental procedure is that the dentist believes the procedure will work. When he places an implant knowing it would fail, he violates a basic standard of care. In fact, he does more harm than good. I do not want you to merely ask for a refund, which you are definitely entitled to. Instead, I want you to ask him to pay for this to be done correctly by the dentist of your choice.

Unfortunately, it will not be as simple as just taking out the old ones and putting in the new ones. When the implants are removed it will take some of the bone with it. You will need a bone grafting procedure to build up the bone. Then, after a period of healing you will be able to get the dental implnats you need.

When you pick the dentist to fix this, make sure they have post-doctoral training in dental implants. This is important.
I am sorry this happened to you. Know that you have the right to get this done correctly. If he gives you a hard time about it, let him know that if you took him to court, you would get everything you are asking for plus damages. It is in his favor to pay for this to be repaired.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

I am sixty-two years old and have been in dentures for close to thirty years. In recent months, I cannot keep them in for anything. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Jane

Dear Jane,

Your upper dentures are held in by suction, so those generally have less trouble staying in. The bottom dentures, however, simply rest on the ridge of your lower jawbone. The big problem with that is a condition known as facial collapse. When your teeth were first removed, your body recognized you no longer had teeth roots. To maintain efficiency in your body, it immediately began resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use in other places in your body that it perceives will be more useful. After twenty years or so, you will no longer have enough bone left in your jawbone to retain your denture. This is what you are currently facing.

The solution to this is to have a bone grafting procedure done. This can be done outpatient and will build up the missing bone. This will give you back the jawbone you need. From there, you will have two choices. The first option is to simply get a new denture to wear. It will stay in. The problem with that is you will find that you will again start losing bone structure. The cycle will start over again.

A better option would be to get implant overdentures. This uses four to six dental implants and then anchors a denture to them. The benefits of dental implants are significant. In relation to the facial collapse issue, the implants signal to your body that you still have teeth. Because of that, it will leave your jawbone intact and you will not have to worry about your jaw shrinking. You will also love the security that comes with them. They don’t slip and slide. You never have to worry about them falling out. Additionally, you will find that your chewing capacity increases substantially, allowing you to eat whatever you want.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Dentist Placed Implants Knowing They Would Fail

Can’t Keep My Dentures In

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