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Dental Implants Fell Out in Just a Few Days

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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,

Titanium and Zirconia Dental Implants

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.

Can I Get a Refund for a Failed Dental Implant?

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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,

Titanium and Zirconia Dental Implants

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

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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,

dental implant diagram

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.

Dental Implant Disaster

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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,

dental implant diagram 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.