Dental Implants Archives

Left with Unfinished Implant Overdentures

April 30, 2025 by writeradmin

I had paid for an entire procedure for implant supported dentures. I’ve only had some of the work done and now I find out that my dentist has lost his license. I have no idea why. I have no idea if I’m going to get my money back. I’m also a bit worried that the work he did was faulty. Though, there’s nothing to hint at that except that he lost his license. Will I just lose that money? I still need to have teeth.

Robbie

Dear Robbie,

I’m sorry this happened to you. The first thing I would check is to see whether or not he sold his practice. He’ll need some money to live on, so it would make sense that he’d need to sell. Whichever dentist purchases the practice, would also include all the unfulfilled contracts that he had left. That would be the ideal solution because you would just get the work you’ve already paid for completed.

Because you are concerned about the health of the work already done, you can see a skilled implant dentist and have them just look things over. You will want a dentist with advanced post-doctoral training in dental implants. That way you know they have a real understanding of dental implant procedures, which is one of the most advanced procedures a dentist has to do.

Look for dentists with training from institutions like Dawson Academy or The Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies.

If the practice has not been sold, then the next thing I would recommend is that you talk to the dental board for your state. They will have more information about this particular dentist and may even have a recommendation for you on how to handle the unfinished work. They are bound to have a procedure for when this happens. This have likely had other dentists lose their license as well.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

Dental Implants Fell Out in Just a Few Days

February 19, 2025 by writeradmin

I had six dental implants placed and planned on having four more placed after I was done with these. However, Of the six that are already placed, three have fallen out in just a few days. I’m worried that this will continue to happen. Do you think I should wait to see if the other three hold before I move forward having the other four placed? Do I need to pay for the ones that failed?

Ebony

Dear Ebony,

First, I am going to say don’t let this dentist place anything else until you know why the first three failed. Most implant dentists only have a 5% failure rate at most. Your dentist’s failure rate is ten times that with your case and, in my opinion, likely to go up. I don’t know that I would hold out too much hope for the other three.

The first thing I want you to do is get a second opinion on your dental implant situation. First, have an expert implant dentist look at everything. They should be able to tell you what went wrong. Look for a dentist who studied at The Dawson Academy, The Spear Institute, or The Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies. There are others, but these are among the top.

Causes of Dental Implant Failure

Incorrect placement of the implants
Infection, generally from poorly fitting fixtures
Premature loading, which simply means placing the crowns or dentures if you’re getting an implant overdenture before the bone has had time to integrate
Diagnostic shortcuts, such as not running adequate tests to assure there is enough bone structure there to retain the implants
Cheap implant fixtures, which means the dentist ordered cheap overseas implants to keep his profit margin high

Sometimes a dentist can do nothing wrong and a dental implant will fail, but definitely not in a few days. As to whether or not you should have to pay for the ones that have failed, absolutely not. I’d ask for a refund on those. A basic principle of dental work is that it actually stays in your mouth. Start by getting that second opinion, though. That will help you know what the problem was and give you more leverage when you approach your dentist. He or she can also tell you the condition of the remaining three in your mouth.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

Hockey Players and Dental Implants

January 15, 2025 by writeradmin

I have a son who plays hockey. He’s managed to stay uninjured all these years. But, now that he’s in college, he received a direct hit from a puck. Now he’s lost a tooth. We had already got him a dental implant and are almost to the point of getting his dental crown when one of his teammates told him that a dental implant is a bad idea because if he gets hit there again, the damage will be a lot worse. Now I am not sure what to do. Do you have any advice? Should I have the implant removed?

Casey

Dear Casey,

I’ve thought about your question. First, do not have the dental implant removed. It is the best tooth replacement and that root form being there will come in very handy in the future.

What you don’t want to do it put on the dental crown yet. With that crown anchored on a dental implant, the implant would be ripped out of the bone by another direct hit. His teammate is correct that this will do some damage. Plus, to repair it would require an additional procedure of bone grafting.

I suggest, at least until he is done with hockey, to just get a temporary tooth replacement that is easily removable, like a dental flipper. This way if he is hit, then the the replacement will come out without doing any damage to him. If you want it to match really well, then you’ll want to go to an experienced cosmetic dentist. It will cost a bit more, but no one will know that his tooth is fake, which is important to a young man.

Because you’ve already placed the root form for his implant, you are not only saving time for when he’s ready for the permanent replacement, but you’re also saving yourself expense. The implant being placed there is preserving his bone in that area. If he didn’t have the root form of a tooth, then the bone would slowly shrink because your body would resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use them elsewhere. Then, when he was ready for the dental implant there would not be enough bone for the implant and he’d need the additional bone grafting procedure I mentioned earlier.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

Will All-on-4 Keep My Face From Collapsing?

December 14, 2024 by writeradmin

I was recently diagnosed with a severe calcium deficiency. My dentist is suggesting that I remove the remainder of my teeth. I have always had trouble with them. He thinks the calcium deficiency will throw the remainder of them over the edge. I’m trying to be okay with this and be proactive. He’s suggesting dentures, but I know that will lead to my face collapsing. I can’t afford a dental implant for every tooth. I have heard about this procedure known as all-on-4, which would only require four dental implants. I think I could swing that. But, I’d like to know if it will prevent my face from collapsing.

Bethany

Dear Bethany,

illustration of an all-on-4 dental implant procedure — All-on-4 Dental Implants

I have some good news for you. First, I have serious doubts about the advice your dentist is giving you. If this is a calcium deficiency that you’ve just developed, then it would have zero impact on your teeth. The only way to for a calcium deficiency to impact your teeth is if you had it when those teeth were being formed. You haven’t told me your age, but based on your vocabulary and means of processing the issue, I’m assuming you are an adult with fully formed teeth.

It’s possible that your dentist is simply one of those dentists who does not like spending extraordinary effort to save teeth. Some dentists think it is just easier to extract them. My suggestion is that you get a second opinion on your remaining teeth. It’s very possible that they can be saved and you will not have to worry about replacing them at all.

If, on the unlikely chance, the second dentist also believes that you need to replace the teeth, then yes, all-on-4 will prevent facial collapse. However, you do not have to get a dental implant for each missing tooth. You can simply get between four and six dental implants and then have dentures anchored to them. All-on-4 is usually used for people who are lacking some of the bone structure in their jaw and do not have enough to retain traditional implant overdentures.

All that being said. I really think, barring something else going on that I’m not aware of, you can probably save those teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

Can I Get a Refund for a Failed Dental Implant?

November 30, 2024 by writeradmin

I had a tooth which was bothering me. My dentist said that it could not be saved and suggested we extract it right then. He gave me a Novocain shot that hurt a crazy amount and caused a burning in my mouth. Plus, it still hurt to remove the tooth. The medicine he gave me to numb my teeth did not work for long. The burning continued and I kept going back to find a solution. He eventually said it was thrush and gave me a prescription. That didn’t help and no matter how many times I went back he said that I should just keep taking the medicine he gave me. Next, he suggested a get a dental implant for the missing tooth, which I did under anesthesia. While I was on a family vacation the dental crown fell off for the implant. I went to see a dentist on our vacation to get it fixed. He said my dental implant was loose and needed to come out. I was devastated, but what could I do? He took it out the next day, which officially made it the worst vacation I’ve ever had. I’m scheduled to get a dental bridge from my husband’s dentist because I don’t trust my dentist any more. Is it possible for me to get a refund from my dentist for the failed dental implant?

Mary

Dear Mary,

I have very little confidence in your dentist myself. First he had the thrush misdiagnosis. Obviously, if the medicine didn’t help then that means it wasn’t thrush. My guess is that you’re dealing with burning mouth syndrome. We’ll go over that in a minute. Then, there was the crown falling off. Keeping a dental crown on is not that hard if it is properly bonded. In fact, most dentists go their entire careers without having a crown fall off.

I have some doubts about the dentist you saw on vacation. You didn’t mention that the dental implant was loose or that there was any pain or fever with it. This makes me wonder if the crown really did need to come out. It would be hard to prove either way now that it is out. However, I would get all the diagnostics from him, including any x-rays. He is ethically bound to provide those for you.

I would start by asking your dentist for a refund, letting him know what you went through on your vacation. If he says no, then you could threaten a lawsuit or to leave a bad review. Bad reviews are free and will impact his business. To get anywhere with a lawsuit, you will need expert testimony. Have a dental implant expert look over the diagnostics the vacation dentist did. If he can give you testimony that the implant failed because of something your dentist did then you have a decent chance at your refund. If he can’t, then I would ask for a partial refund because the bad thrush diagnosis and the failed dental crown are easily proved.

Burning Mouth Syndrome

The most common cause of burning mouth syndrome is a traumatic dental appointment, which you definitely had. As you are probably switching dentists anyway, and I would suggest that you do, I’d like to suggest that you look for a sedation dentist. They can give you a medication that will completely relax you for your dental appointment. In fact, depending on the type of medication you get, you will be able to sleep through the appoint if you choose to.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

Dentist Placed Dental Implant With Bone Problems

September 30, 2024 by writeradmin

I have a problem. I went to get a dental implant placed, but after the surgery the dentist told me he realized during the procedure that there was not enough bone to keep this working so now he thinks I should take it out and get a dental bridge. First, should he have put the implant in there knowing I would need to take it out? Should I have to pay for the additional surgery to get it out? Is there any way I can still get a dental implant or am I stuck with a dental bridge?

Chuck

Dear Chuck,

Let’s get these questions in order. No, he absolutely should not have placed your dental implant once he realized there wasn’t enough bone to support it. For that matter, how did he not know ahead of time the state of the bone structure? What type of diagnostics did he do before throwing you into surgery?

Not only should you not have to pay for the surgery to remove the dental implant, you should not have to pay for the implant surgery either. Not the way he handled it.

Can you still get a dental implant? Yes, but not with this dentist. Before the implant is possible, you will need some bone grafting done. This will build up the bone you need. Had your dentist done the adequate diagnostics he would have known this ahead of time and you could have gotten the needed work done.

I’m sorry that this happened to you. Look for a dentist with post-doctoral training in dental implants. For instance, Drs. Murphree and Yount both have extensive training at the Dawson Academy.

Don’t let a dentist tell you they studied implants in dental school. That is not enough. I would also ask them what their success rate is. It should be a minimum of 95%. Get your refund and go to someone else.

I am very sorry this happened to you.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.
Click here to learn about dental implant failure.

Is It Possible to Get Dental Implants After Dentures?

August 31, 2024 by writeradmin

Hey, Can you help me? I’ve been wearing dentures for ten years and I really hate them. Is it too late for me to get dental implants?

Sandra

Dear Sandra,

Yes, I can help you. Technically, it is never too late to get dental implants. However, because of the length of time that you have been in dentures, it is very likely that the beginning of facial collapse has started.

When your teeth were first removed, your body recognized that and began to resorb the minerals in your body in order to use them elsewhere. The reason for this is our bodies are amazingly efficient at preserving the resources we have. The downside to this is that the loss of the minerals means your jawbone is slowly shrinking. After ten years, you may have noticed that your dentures are slipping more than normal. In a few more years you’ll start having trouble keeping them in. This is facial collapse. I hope your dentist warned you about this before giving you dentures.

The good news is that there is a solution to facial collapse. What you will need is to have a bone grafting procedure done. This will build back up the bone structure that you’ve lost. Once that has healed, then you can start the dental implant procedure. Because this puts implants in your jawbone, it signals to your body that you still have teeth. As a result, it leaves the bone intact and you never have to worry about facial collapse again. You’ll need to give the implants time to integrate with the bone. This process is known as osseointegration. Once that is done, you can have dentures anchored to them. This is known as implant supported dentures, sometimes called implant overdentures.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

Down to Just Two Upper Teeth

July 31, 2024 by writeradmin

I am about to have three more teeth pulled which will put me down to just my two front teeth on my upper arch. I have almost all of my bottom teeth and they are healthy. Currently, I’m wearing two partial dentures up top, but I find them remarkably uncomfortable. I’ve talked to a couple of dentists and am getting mixed opinions on whether or not to extract my teeth and get full dentures for the top or to save those last two upper teeth. Right now, I’m so miserable with the partials that I take them out to eat and am pretty much just chewing on the front teeth. Do you have a tie breaking opinion?

Cath

Dear Cath,

I want you to bear in mind that I have not examined you. Everything I tell you is based just on my understanding of what you’ve written. In most cases, having your natural teeth is the goal and I would say to save every tooth possible. That being said, yours is a unique circumstance.

If you are just eating on those front teeth, the stresses on them will wear them out fairly quickly, even if they are healthy. Plus, your natural teeth are going to be much harder on your lower teeth than a well made denture.

Because you are talking about your upper teeth, you are in a much better position. With your lower teeth you would have to worry about bone resorption. This is because lower dentures rest on the ridge of your jawbone. The longer you are in dentures, the more bone resorption shrinks that bone. After ten to fifteen years, you would no longer have enough of your jawbone left to even retain your dentures. Dentists call this facial collapse.

The way to prevent that is by placing dental implants into your jawbone and securing the dentures to the implants. These implant retained dentures, sometimes referred to as implant overdentures, will preserve your jawbone.

Your upper teeth are held in by suction, and the bone resorption is not really an issue. In this particular case, I would say you are better off extracting those last two upper teeth and getting a full upper denture. You’ll be much more comfortable. I highly recommend you make every effort possible to save your lower teeth, though.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

Dental Implant Disaster

June 29, 2024 by writeradmin

I had to get a tooth pulled. The dentist gave me shots for the procedure but I’m telling you it felt like the shot went through a nerve or something. I had trouble getting numb and he was not very compassionate about it. Ever since then, my mouth has had a burning feeling. My dentist said that was normal for a bit. We went ahead with the dental implant procedure. Each time I was in his chair I mentioned the burning mouth. Eventually, he said that I had thrush and gave me a prescription for it. That never helped at all. Then, a few months later it was time for the dental implant crown. I got the kind you screwed on and it hurt so bad that he had to stop and give me several pain shots. Now, about two months later, the crown just fell off. I wasn’t sure I trusted this dentist any longer so I went to a different dentist. That dentist told me the implant was infected and that is why the crown fell off. He wants to me to come back and have it completely removed and then get a dental bridge. What should I do?

Brienna

Dear Brienna,

I am so sorry that this happened to you. The dental implant industry is not very regulated. In fact, it is not even a recognized specialty. That means it is up to the dentist how much training they receive after dental school to do this very advanced procedure.

I’ll be honest that I do not think you are with the best dentist. He completely lacks compassion for one. That is never a characteristic you want in your dentist. Second, he didn’t recognize that your dental anxiety was making it difficult to get you numb. At that point giving you some dental sedation would have relaxed you enough to have a much easier appointment. Third, he misdiagnosed the burning that you are feeling. He should have realized that as well when the medication he prescribed for you did nothing.

Unfortunately, I do not have much confidence in the second dentist you went to see either. If the dental implant were infected, you would have noticed it being at least a little loose. You seemed totally taken by surprise with the dental crown falling off, so I have a hard time believing that the implant was loose.

I would like you to get an opinion by yet another dentist. This time look for someone with advanced dental implant training. For instance, if they did some post-doctoral training at some place like the Dawson Academy or LVI. Both of those institutions have great dental implant training.

Hopefully, your implant can be saved. However, even if it can’t, that does not mean that you have to get a dental bridge. You could have some bone grafting done to build back up the bone and then try again with another implant. If you don’t feel like going through all that, then a dental bridge will be a perfectly acceptable alternative.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

Can I Prevent “Old Mouth”?

February 23, 2024 by writeradmin

I am just in my late twenties and have had horrible problems with my teeth. I feel like every time I am at the dentist something else goes wrong. Then, I was diagnosed with a calcium deficiency. My dentist said I am fighting a losing battle with the lack of calcium and wants me just to extract the rest of my teeth and get dentures. I remember my grandmother in dentures and her mouth was all scrunched up. She looked ancient. My mother called it old mouth. I don’t want to look that same way, especially as I am still what I consider young. Is there anything that can prevent this?

Peggy

Dear Peggy,

What your mother called “old mouth” is what dentists call facial collapse. This happens to people who are in completely removable dentures because your body recognizes that you do not have any teeth roots in your jaw. To preserve as many resources for the rest of your body as possible, it resorbs the minerals from your jawbone to use elsewhere. This shrinks the bone itself and gives that scrunched up appearance. There is a way to prevent it. However, I have my doubts about what your dentist is saying.

If you developed a calcium deficiency in adulthood, then it would not have any impact on your teeth. Your teeth are fully formed and are not impacted by a calcium deficiency. There would have needed to be a problem during their development. When you are an adult, the impact will give you nerve problems, cramps, and even osteoporosis, but it will not damage your teeth.

You may be wondering why a dentist would tell you to extract your teeth unnecessarily. The truth is dentists will vary in their willingness to work hard in order to save teeth. Some will work tirelessly to save them. Others prefer just to extract problem teeth. You mentioned you’ve had challenges with your teeth. It’s possible this dentist just doesn’t want to deal with them. I recommend getting a second opinion by a dentist who prefers to retain as much natural tooth structure as possible.

If for some reason, it turns out you do end up losing your teeth, you do not have to be stuck with facial collapse. In order to prevent that, you will need to have dental implants placed and then have dentures anchored to them. The dental implants stand in as prosthetic teeth roots and signal to your body that you still need your jawbone intact.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.