ASHISH PATEL BDS MSD DDS

 

reviews button Appointment Button
Or Call 313-885-9454

Dental Implants Falling Out

Posted on by .

Can you help me? I’ve already paid for six dental implants for my lower arch. Three of them have already fallen out and one other feels a bit loose. I’ve only had them for two weeks. Here are my questions. First, can I get a refund on the ones that fell out? Second, are the others going to fall out too? Third, does this mean I cannot get dental implants? These were supposed to be for implant dentures, but we haven’t gotten far enough into the procedure for that.

John

Dear John,

implant supported dentures

 

Let’s take these one at a time. First, yes, you can definitely get a refund. For most dentists, there is around a 3% failure rate. Your dentist has a 50% failure rate. That is way too high. You should not have a problem getting your money back, especially given how fast they failed. As for your second question, that is a yes too. I am concerned about the remainder of your dental implants failing as well.

The first thing I would like you to do is see a dentist with a significant amount of post-doctoral training in dental implants. This is not really a procedure taught thoroughly in dental school. To complicate matters, it is one of the most advanced procedures there is and when it goes wrong, the complications can be pretty serious. You want someone with equally advanced qualifications. For instance, Dr. Hadgis is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and a fellow with the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies. This is the kind of dentist you want for your dental implant procedure. Once you find someone with these type of qualifications, you can have him look at your implants and see if he can tell you what went wrong.

Causes of Dental Implant Failure

  • Premature loading: This is when the dentist places either the dental crowns or the denture to your implants before there was enough time to integrate with the bone. I don’t actually think this was your issue because you said there hasn’t even been time to get to the denture yet. They began failing before that.
  • Infection: This is often the result of poorly fitting dental implant fixtures.
  • Diagnostic shortcuts: Your dentist should have done significant post-procedural diagnostics. This is to ensure you are a good candidate for dental implants and that you have enough bone structure to support the implant fixtures.
  • Cheap fixtures: Dental implant fixtures purchased in the United States are required to pass strict standards. Some dentists, however, will try to increase their profits by purchasing cheap implants from overseas. Unfortunately, many of these fail.
  • Incorrect placement of the implant: In some cases, the dentist just places them in the wrong spot.

Once you know why yours failed, the new dentist can help you get them done right.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

 

Dental Implants after Twenty Years

Posted on by .

I’ve had dentures for about 20 years. I’m in a financially different place now than I was when I first got the dentures. Is it possible for me to get dental implants instead after all of these years or did I wait too long?

Eleanor

Dear Eleanor,

implant supported dentures

Technically, you can get dental implants at any point as long as you are in good general health. I’m guessing you sense a “but” coming. If so, you’re right. BUT.. because of the length of time you’ve been in dentures, it is very likely you are already dealing with the onset of facial collapse.

Dentures and Facial Collapse

When your teeth were removed, your body recognized that and immediately began resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere throughout your body, where it perceives they are more needed. The unfortunate effect of this is your jawbone slowly begins to shrink.

Usually, in about ten years or so, it begins to get difficult to keep your dentures in place. Gradually, you’ve lost so much jawbone your dentures won’t stay in at all. This is known as facial collapse.

Jawbone Structure and Dental Implants

Dental implants mimic your natural teeth. The implants themselves are prosthetic tooth roots. The false teeth that go on top of the implants replace the crowns (the visible part of your teeth). Just like your teeth need enough bone to keep the roots in place, so do your dental implants. If you’re suffering the effects of facial collapse, you won’t have enough bone to retain them.

Fortunately, there is a solution. You can have a bone grafting procedure done which will replace the missing bone. Once that is completed, you should be good to go with your dental implant procedure.

Generally, when you are talking about replacing all your teeth, you won’t get a single implant for each missing tooth. That would be too cost-prohibitive. Instead, you would get between four to six dental implants on an arch. Then, after a period of healing, your dentist will anchor brand new dentures to them.

Getting a Gorgeous Smile

This is a chance for you to get a stunning smile makeover at the same time. To do that, you’ll want to find a dentist with dental implant training who is also a skilled and artistic cosmetic dentist. Then, not only will you have a secure smile, but one you are proud to share.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Are Dental Implants Prettier than Dentures?

Posted on by .

I recently had dentures made. It was hard enough having to lose my teeth and get dentures. Now that I have them they look so fake I have don’t feel like I can show my face anywhere. At least not smile if I do. If I took out a loan and got dental implants, would they be more attractive?

Marilyn

Dear Marilyn,

woman covering her mouth

I’m very sorry you feel so ashamed of your smile that you don’t want to go in public. That is an unacceptable position to be in. The problem with your smile looking fake isn’t because you have dentures. Even dentures can look both beautiful and natural. What determines whether it does or not depends on the artistic skill of your dentist. It sounds like he is above his head when it comes to cosmetic work. Even if you had him do dental implants, it would not change how fake they looked. It’s his cosmetic skill that is the problem.

If you want a pretty smile, you will likely need to see a different dentist. You can either get removable dentures or implant-supported dentures. I am going to recommend you get implant overdentures because it has several advantages.

Advantages of Implant-Supported Dentures

  • They are completely secure. Unlike, removable dentures, you will not have to worry about these slipping and sliding around. The implants anchor them to your jawbone
  • You will have a much higher chewing capacity. Even the best fitting removable dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. With them anchored, you will return to a more normal ability to chew and can eat anything you want.
  • It will protect you from facial collapse. When your teeth were removed, your body began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to more efficiently use them where it perceives they’ll be more useful. This leads to the gradual shrinking of your jawbone. Eventually, in about ten or so years, you won’t have enough bone left to retain your dentures. This is known as facial collapse.

Finding a Dentist Who Can Create a Beautiful Smile

Creating beautiful smiles, as you’d get with a smile makeover, isn’t taught in dental school. Instead, a dentist has to invest post-doctoral training in learning how to create those. It is hard for patients to know which dentists have done that because there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry.

If I were in your place, I’d look for a dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They can give you a stunning smile no matter which procedure you decide to go with.

This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.