Hi Mike,

I'm sorry to hear this has happened to you. As you have been told, the longevity or permanency of the nerve damage is unpredictable in both cases ... keeping the implant or removing it.

The conflict with to remove the implant or not has several concerning issues. You will get pros and cons from every dentist you see.

One of the concerns with leaving it in has to do with the bio-film that always builds up around the circumference of the dental implant. This is a natural immune stimulated response that occurs around any foreign part put into the body. The bio-film is not necessarily infectious at the onset, but it could become infectious. The concern is that if it were to become infectious that the infection would have any easy pass into the nerve and beyond.

One of the concerns with removing the implant is that it would cause further trauma to the jaw bone and further trauma to the already inflamed nerves that have been affected by the initial nerve trauma. So it you were to have it removed it would behoove you to do that asap before new bone starts to grow and migrate against the implant making removal more traumatic later on.

Another concern that your dentists may or may not be thinking of or discussing with you is the history of the tooth that was extracted. If that tooth was a root canaled or had been infected, then you there is a possibility that unfavorable changes have already occurred in that area of your bone prior to the extraction. This history of infection could increase the possibility of the bio film becoming infected as it is can be very difficult to remove all of the infected tissue caused by a root canaled or an infected tooth when the tooth is extracted.

Another issue is with regard to the adjacent teeth of where the implant was placed. Are either of those teeth root canaled? If so, then the bacteria leaching from those teeth is traveling into the same blood vessels that surround the nerve bed and the dental implant making that area not an ideal place for an implant to begin with. Add to that the traumatized nerve and inflammation and you can see how it would be like adding insult to injury to have an implant in that area. If the adjacent teeth are not root canaled but are healthy, then the concern about those teeth affecting the implant is much less or likely as long as they stay healthy.

Did the oral surgeon tell you of the nerve trauma and immediately offer you the option of not putting in the dental implant? Or did he put the implant in and then tell you of the nerve trauma?

Was the second opinion gotten from another oral surgeon or a general dentist? It should have been an oral surgeon. I would contact him and ask him to elaborate on his reasons for suggesting to remove the implant. He cannot expect you to just take his word without explanation. If he is seems reluctant to give you straight forward answers so you understand his reasoning, then I would consult with a 3rd oral surgeon and specifically want to be given his reasons for his decision.

Pertaining to nerve health, ideally eat a nutritious whole foods diet and supplement with vitamins that specifically target nerve health. You can do a google search on those vitamins. You will see information about B complex, vitamin C and D3, Alpha Lipoic Acid, etc. I am not endorsing any specific name brand products but an educational read on this top is at Neuropathy, the pain of nerve damage and what can be done
about it.

Bryanna