Dental Implants Archives

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.

Dental Implants Fell Out in Just a Few Days

September 30, 2023 by writeradmin

I planned on getting eight dental implants in total. Six on the top and two more on the bottom. The top was done first and I have already paid for these. The plan was after these healed to get the remainder done. I’m a bit worried, though. Three of the six on top have have already fallen out. Here are my questions:
1. Should I get the money back on the ones that fell out?
2. Should I be worried about the remaining three?
3. Should I move forward with the last two?

Carl

Dear Carl,

Wow! What a disaster. That is a 50% failure rate. Most dentists have a 5% failure rate. Even then, they don’t fall out the first week! First, you should not have to pay for the dental implants that have fallen out. A basic tenant of dental care is that the work stays in your mouth. This is an easy one. He owes you a refund.

Now for your second question. I would be very concerned about the remaining three. My very strong suggestion is that you see another dentist, one who has post-doctoral training in dental implants. Look for someone who has trained with the Dawson Academy or the Las Vegas institute of Advanced Dental Studies. Have them look at the three of your dental implants which are left and give you a prognosis on the likelihood of their survival. I will be honest, I would not hold out much hope. In fact, I would not hold out any hope.

Before you move forward with the other two, I would like you to find out why these three failed. There are a few possibililties for dental implant failure.

Inadequate bone support. This would only have been an issue for you if your dentist did not do the proper diagnostics. These should be done to not only check for bone support, but also to plan the proper placement.
Incorrect placement of the implants. As mentioned above, placing these are quite tricky. If he didn’t do the right diagnostics, then it is very possible the implants themselves were not placed properly.
Infection. This is one of the leading causes of implant failure. However, it is often accompanied by a fever and/or pain. You have not mentioned either of these, so I don’t think this is an issue.
Substandard implant fixtures. Some dentists try to save money by purchasing implant fixtures from overseas. While they can save several hundred dollars per fixture, the patient’s outcome is put at risk.
Premature loading of the implant crown. This is if the dentist did not wait long enough for the bone to integrate with your dental implants before placing the dental crowns or a denture on your implants.

Your dentist should have been on top of this and offered a refund the moment your implants failed. I think you are going to be better served elsewhere. My suggestion is you just ask for a full refund and start over somewhere else. Bear in mind that starting over will require you have some bone grafting done, in order to build back the bone you’ve lost in this whole process.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Alan Yount.

I Want My Husband to Switch His Dental Implants

July 31, 2023 by writeradmin

I have a sensitivity to chemicals and am having a reaction to my husband’s dental implants. I believe it is because he has the metal implants. I want him to get the zirconia ones. Whenever he gets close to me, all I can smell is rubber. Right now he has the post screws and temporary acrylic dentures. The porcelain dentures are in the process of being made. I think his body is reacting to the metal, which is causing the smell. This cannot be good for either of us. My husband is not keen on the idea of switching them out and when I spoke to his dentist about it, he blew off my concerns. Is there anything you can tell me that can convince them to switch these?

Deanna

Dear Deanna,

I am sure you are smelling something, however, I do not think it is from the dental implants. Here is why. The metal in traditional dental implants is titanium. This is a very inert metal that would not even have a smell out in the open. With the implants, they are buried into his bone, so it is even less likely that you would be able to smell anything.

If there is a bad smell the culprit is more likely to be that your husband is having trouble getting the acrylic dentures clean. If food or debris are getting caught in his dentures then it would create a rather unpleasant odor. He could try using something like a WaterPik to help clean out all the debris.

Why You Don’t Want to Unnecessarily Switch Out Dental Implants

When dental implants are removed, bone structure comes with it. This means that he will need to have new bone placed in order to retain any further implants. After the bone grafting has time to heal, then there will need to be ANOTHER surgery to place the zirconia implants. That adds up to three additional surgeries that are not necessary, all of which have a risk of failing. Right now, he has a successful implant case. It is not worth risking unless something is wrong.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Alan Yount.

Is It Too Late for Me to Get Dental Implants?

June 23, 2023 by writeradmin

I have finally gotten the means to deal with my teeth. I could barely afford to go to the dentist more than once every five years or so. Recently, it has been less than that. As a result, the dentist said I have advanced periodontal disease and am in danger of losing eight teeth. He’s treating me but warned me it might be too late, at least for those teeth. I’ve been looking into my options for tooth replacements. Is it possible that I can get dental implants or is it too late for me? My dentist is talking about removable dentures.

Derek

Dear Derek,

I am glad you are finally able to get the treatment you need. Your research is correct that dental implants are the best tooth replacement possible. Your periodontal disease will have to be under control before you are a good candidate, but that does not mean you won’t be able to get the dental implants eventually.

After your gum disease is under control, you will likely need one other procedure before getting the dental implants. As you can see from the image above, the implant will be embedded into the bone. There needs to be enough bone there to integrate with and support the dental implant. Without that, your dental implant will fail.

In the meantime, while you are getting your treatment, you can get a temporary tooth replacement. A removable denture will be fine in the short term. You won’t love it. However, at least you will know that the better replacement is coming as soon as your gums and jaw are healthy enough.

Hopefully, as you are able to get regular treatments, you will find your oral health rapidly improving. In fact, most patients find that even their general health improves once their oral health is under control.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Alan Yount.