implant bridge Archives | Poplar Crossing Dental

I need some advice. I had a 7-unit bridge placed which was secured with dental implants. I was expecting him to let me see the bridge before he put it in. I’ve had crowns before with my old dentist in another state and he would always use a temporary try-in paste to make sure I liked the crown first. It never occurred to me that a dentist would not do that. Then, when I get home I realized that the “teeth” on the bridge are longer than my other teeth and look weird. I went back to see the dentist and he said it looked fine to him and that the bridge was secure. He also said if I insisted he mess with this that it would risk my dental implants? Is there anything I can do about this?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

Redoing the dental bridge will not cause a problem with your dental implants. I’m sorry this happened to you. While a temporary try-in is a good idea and dentists who care about appearance related dentistry will do one, it is not required.

In most cases, when the only problem with the dental work is that it is unattractive, then the patient really does not have any recourse. I know that sounds insane, but that is where things stand. However, you mentioned something that made me think you may have a loophole.

You mentioned that the teeth are too long. I would see a dentist who has experience in TMJ. Ask them to check your bite with the bridge and dental implants. If the bite is off as a result of the dental implant placement, then you have a case to have him redo them. If that is left untreated, then it could lead to TMJ Disorder.

If there is not a problem with your bite, then it is up to the dentist whether or not he is willing to redo them without charging you. However, I would point out that you did seek some advice and learned the implants, if they were placed correctly, would not be in danger from the bridge being redone. Calling him out, may change his tune. But, depending on his personality type, it may also put him on the defensive.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

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.

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