I needed to replace a couple of teeth so my dentist thought it best I get an implant bridge. Where the bridge meets up with the opposite teeth are fine, but on the other side of my mouth, the teeth don’t meet up any longer. Maybe it is nothing but it feels very strange and uncomfortable especially when I am trying to eat. I am dealing with both a dentist and an oral surgeon. I don’t know which one of them to see about this. Or possibly this isn’t even a problem and I am just overreacting. I may need to just adjust to having a bridge.
Amelia
Dear Amelia,
I am glad you wrote. You are not overreacting. When your bite doesn’t come together properly, not only is it uncomfortable but it can also throw things off so severely that you end up with TMJ Disorder. This can be debilitating and lead to a lifetime of pain. You are within your rights to ask for a refund here because this is a serious functional issue.
Even though you were dealing with an oral surgeon and a dentist, it should have been the dentist who planned the placement of the dental implants. Your dentist would be the first person to see. If he’s worth his salt, he will recognize the problem right away. If he does not, then my recommendation is that you get a second opinion from an experienced implant dentist. Don’t tell them who did your work, just ask about the tooth occlusion.
Dental implants are one of the leading branches of dentistry with malpractice suits. For a dentist to do this well, they really need to invest in a significant amount of post-doctoral training. Before you get your second opinion, make sure you do some research on the dentist. Look at Dr. Becker’s credentials to get an idea of the type of dentist you are looking for.
If the dental implants need to be replaced, it will not be as simple as just getting new dental implants. The removal process will take bone structure with it. The bone is essential for a successful implant procedure. This means you will need some bone grafting done in order to replace the implants. Your dentist should cover this too because it would not have been necessary had the procedure been done correctly to begin with.
I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.