I need some advice. I had a dental implant placed. Within a week the whole thing just snapped off. The dentist said I’d have to have bone grafting done to have a new implant placed. I did. Then, when that was done, it was time to do the implant again. This time it lasted a few months, but again, it snapped off. He offered to re-do it one more time, but I’m having doubts. I think I’d rather figure out why it is breaking before moving forward.
Andrea
Dear Andrea,
The problem isn’t your dental implants. The problem is your dentist. When quality dental implants are properly placed they are as strong as natural, healthy teeth. It is extraordinarily rare for a dental implant to break like that, let alone more than once.
When you purchase an implant in the United States, they would cost several hundred dollars. However, there are some overseas outlets which sell them for a few dollars. Unfortunately, those are not good quality and are the ones most likely to break.
When the first one broke, your dentist should have figured out something was up. The fact that it happened twice, really makes me doubt his competency as a dentist.
Another possible issue is he is not properly placing the implants. Our biting forces are quite strong and don’t go just up and down. They also grind. When a quality implant is placed incorrectly, it will struggle along for a bit and eventually come loose or develop an infection. Only a low quality implant would break.
Getting Your Dental Implant
I do not think you need to return to this dentist for a third try. Instead, I want you to ask for a refund. Then, I want you to look for an dentist with a good reputation in dental implants.
Ask about the number of dental implants they have placed along with their success rate. They should have a high number of placements along with a 98% success rate. Don’t settle for anything less. There are great implant dentists out there.
Taking Advantage of the Time
I’m a big believer in making lemonade out of lemons. You could (if you wanted) use this time to do some teeth whitening. The benefit to this is long term. The porcelain crown placed on top of your dental implant will be made the color of the surrounding teeth. That color is permanent.
If you’ve ever considered brightening your smile, doing your teeth whitening now will save you money in the long run. This way you won’t have to re-do the crown later if you decide to whiten. It can be made the correct color from the beginning.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.