Dental Implants Archives | Williams Family Dentistry

I Can Smell My Husband’s Dental Implant

Posted on June 16, 2025 by writeradmin.

My husband had a dental implant placed and I have been absolutely miserable since then. I have a very strong sense of smell. His dentist gave him a metal implant and I feel like the implant is reacting with his jaw because his mouth smells absolutely horrible. I haven’t been able to face him while we sleep. There’s no way I’m kissing him. He doesn’t have the permanent crown yet. Just the temporary denture. I want him to switch out the dental implant for a non-metal type. His dentist pretty much said I’m nuts. My husband doesn’t want to switch it either. I have to live with this. Is there anything you can tell me that I could use to convince them?

Robin

Dear Robin,

I am glad you wrote. While I am sure that you are smelling something foul that is interfering with your ability to interact intimately with your husband, I do not think it is your husband’s dental implant that is causing the smell.

The metal dental implants are made from titanium. These are very inert. You can ask your husband’s dentist if he has any loose dental implants around. If he does, see if he’ll let you hold one. You can smell it and you likely won’t smell anything. Your husband’s implant is deep within the bone, which makes it even more unlikely that you will smell anything.

You mentioned that you are worried it is reacting with his jaw. Let’s say that your husband had an infection from the dental implant procedure. That could, and likely would, cause some type of smell. Bacteria smells. However, there are other signs of an infection, such as fever or pain. There is no sign of infection here, so that would not be what you are smelling.

So, what is causing the smell? I haven’t examined him, so bear that in mind, but my guess would be he is not getting the temporary partial denture or crown completely cleaned out. One easy solution or way to check that is to have him use a WaterPik every day when he is doing his oral health care. That will help get out those tricky bits that might be getting caught in there, which will take care of the smell.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. James Williams.

Can I Get Dental Implants After Ten Years In Dentures?

Posted on July 30, 2024 by writeradmin.

I’ve been in dentures for ten years. Now, I finally have some extra money and can get the dental implants that I have always wanted. However, my dentist hinted I may not have enough bone left to get the implants. Did it take me too long to save up?

Jamie

Dear Jamie,

While you have likely lost a lot of bone structure, that doesn’t mean you can’t have dental implants. However, it will require you get one additional procedure. Your body is designed to be as efficient with its resources as possible. When your teeth were first removed, your body recognized that and began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body. You may have started noticing that it is getting harder to keep your dentures in place. It starts with slipping, eventually they will start falling out. Then, you won’t be able to wear them at all. In dental circles, this is known as facial collapse.

The good news is that there is a solution. You will need to have bone grafting done in order to build back up the lost bone structure. Once that is done and healed you can move forward with getting the dental implants.

You’ll be pleased to know that having dental implants in your jaw will signal to your body that you still have teeth. Because of that it will leave your new bone structure intact and you will no longer have to worry about facial collapse.

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

Is Zirconia Radioactive?

Posted on April 26, 2024 by writeradmin.

I’m hoping you can help me. I need to get my first dental implant (and hopefully my last if I keep up with my oral healthcare). My dentist wanted to give me a titanium implant, but I was worried about that being metal and having that rust or something in my jaw. He assured me it wouldn’t be an issue. When he could see I wasn’t convinced, he suggested zirconia as an alternative. That sounded good until I read that there is radioactivity in them. Now I’m not sure what to do.

Olivia

Dear Olivia,

I am glad that you are trying to keep a careful eye on what you put into your body. That is always an important and healthy thing to do. Your dentist is correct that the titanium implants are perfectly safe to use. In fact, they’ve been used successfully for decades in more than just dental implants. They are also a tried and true standard in other prosthetics such as a hip replacement. Titanium is an inert metal and very biocompatible.

However, if you are still concerned, then zirconia is a fantastic metal-free dental alternative. I know you read about some radioactivity that has you worried. However, I’m willing to bet the article didn’t mention that most things we encounter have some radioactivity, including your own body. The type of radioactivity you will find in zirconia is equivalent to what you would find brick, stone, or even water. I hope that puts your mind at ease.

The most important part of getting a dental implant is making sure your dentist has post-doctoral training in placing dental implants and has experience doing them. It’s also important that if your dentist is sending you to an oral surgeon for the surgical part, make certain that you see the dentist first. It is the dentist, not the surgeon, that should determine the placement of the dental implant.

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

Dentist Won’t Give My Zirconia Implants

Posted on May 29, 2023 by writeradmin.

I really want a zirconia implant but my dentist said they are not as reliable as the titanium implants. I have some pretty bad metal allergies so the zirconia sounds much safer to me. One of the things that puzzles me about this is I am the one taking the risk. Shouldn’t he allow me to get the one I want anyway?

Cheyenne

Dear Cheyenne,

Dentists are not bound to do any procedures. It is completely up to them. The good news is that if they are not meeting your needs, there are many other dentists who are perfectly capable of taking their place. I am not certain why he said that the zirconia dental implants are not as safe as the titanium. Zirconia is certainly strong enough. In fact, it has been dubbed ceramic steel.

The only thing I can think of is that there is not as much research on the longevity of the zirconia implants. However, this does not indicate inferiority. It simply means it has not been around as long so we don’t have the data. If you are a good candidate for dental implants in general, you can have zirconia implants.

I suggest that you look for a metal free dentist or a holistic dentist. They will be more open to this newer material. Bear in mind, you still want to check their dental implant credentials. It is not a procedure adequately taught in dental school, so you will want a dentist who has invested in some post doctoral training in dental implants.

One thing to be aware of is the inert quality of the titanium implants. Even though you have other metal allergies, it is very unlikely that you will be allergic to titanium. It is one of the most biocompatible metals there are and has been used for decades as prothetics. So, you have a couple of options. You can go ahead and find someone to do the zirconia allergies, or you can have the titanium. If you are super worried about an allergy, you can be tested for that specific allergy.

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

Some of My Dental Implants have Fallen Out

Posted on December 27, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have paid for six dental implants. I’ve only had them for a couple of weeks and already four of them have fallen out. I have some questions. Seeing as I have already paid for these, should I get a refund on the ones that have failed? I also am concerned about the ones that are left. Do you think they will fall out as well? Is there a way I can still get dental implants or do I have to find a different option?

Bruce

Dear Bruce,

Getting a refund is the very least you should expect. I actually want you to ask for something completely different, which we will go over in a moment. First, you should know this is not normal. In most cases, the failure rate for dental implants is about 5%, even then it would take more than a year for that to happen. Your dentist has a 60% failure rate in just two weeks. I’ll tell you right now that I do not recommend you hold out much hope for the remaining two implants. All that being said, it is likely you can still have dental implants. I just don’t think you can with this particular dentist.

The first thing I want you to do is see another dentist and find out why these dental implants failed. Go see a dentist with a lot of successful dental implant experience.

Reasons For Dental Implant Failure

Infection at the implant site. This often happens because of poorly fitting implants but can happen for other reasons as well.
Inadequate bone support. There is a solution for this and if the dentist does proper diagnostics, they would know ahead of time that some bone grafting is necessary.
Substandard fixtures purchased overseas. The implant dentures we use in the states have to undergo high standards. Because of that, they cost more. Some dentists, trying to increase their profits will purchase the less expensive ones that you can get from other countries. Unfortunately, that sometimes means the fixtures will not hold up.
Placing the dentures or dental crowns on your implant fixtures before there was time for the bone to integrate with the implants. This is known as premature loading.

Where to Go From Here

Rather than asking for a refund, I want you to ask for this dentist to pay for you to have your implants placed by another dentist. This will include the cost of the bone grafting that you will now definitely need as a result of your implants failing. But, it needs to be a dentist of your choosing.

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

Dental Implants After Years In Dentures

Posted on August 29, 2021 by writeradmin.

I’ve had dentures for about fourteen years. Lately, they have not been fitting correctly and have begun slipping a bit. It is possible for me to switch to dental implants or did I wait too long?

Maddie

Dear Maddie,

Technically, it is never too late to get dental implants. However, the longer you have been wearing dentures, the more likely you are to need an additional procedure for it to work. There is a condition known as a facial collapse that begins the moment you remove your natural teeth. Your body recognizes that you no longer have teeth there because the roots are missing. It immediately begins resorbing the minerals normally used by your jawbone to use elsewhere throughout your body. It does this to be as efficient as possible with your body’s resources. The longer you are without teeth, the more your jawbone shrinks. This is why your denture is currently feeling less secure. Eventually, it will get to the point where you can’t even keep the denture in.

In order to get to where you have enough bone structure to retain dental implants, you will need to build that bone back up. This requires a procedure known as bone grafting. Once that is completed, you will be good to go for your dental implants.

Tips for Successful Dental Implant Procedure

Make certain your dentist has dental implant training. Just dental school is not enough.
If someone other than the dentist will do the surgery, make certain you see the dentist first and he or she is the one to determine the placement of the dental implants.
It would be a GREAT idea to have a CT scan done as part of your diagnostics. Dental implants are a 3-Dimensional procedure and your dentist needs 3-Dimensional images.

There are many benefits to upgrading from dentures to implant overdentures: security, increased chewing capacity, comfort; however, the biggest benefit is the preservation of your jawbone. Once those dental implants are in place, your body interprets that as you having teeth and it leaves the minerals from your jawbone in one place.

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

Dentist Placed Implants Knowing They Would Fail

Posted on July 26, 2021 by writeradmin.

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.