Hi Spork,
Sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I am on the east coast and have been hit hard with the tropical storm Sandy. Just got power back last night after 6 days!! But things are looking brighter for now .. so that is good
I do not recall what tooth you were replacing or if that tooth had been previously root canaled. Could you just update me on that?
If it is in an area that you can live without a tooth, that would be your best bet. When the bone is compromised and/or there is a sinus perforation ... the placement of a dental implant is very risky. Repetitive tries will also be risky and can be compromising to the health of your jawbone and sinuses.
I am surprised that the restorative dentist, the one who put the crown on, did not notice any movement during the placement of the crown. What is the update from your implant dentist today?
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by spork
Bryanna,
Good to see you're still around and offering helpful advice. Earlier in this thread you gave me lots of info about an implant I was getting for a tooth that had already had a couple of root canals and a couple of apicoectomies.
I'd like to give you the update if I may...
You may recall that the sinus was perforated when the extraction was done. Unfortunately it was perforated again when he place the implant. But the follow-ups over the next months showed good progress and the torque test on the implant suggested it was good to go for an abutment and crown.
The day I got the crown I noticed that tooth was sensitive to bight on. I assumed this might be normal since I hadn't been able to chew on that side of my mouth for the better part of a year. But after a few days with no improvement I called the doctor that did the implant. He told me the sensitivity was not to be expected. He suggested I come in and let him look at it.
When I saw him, he noted that the tooth/implant was wobbly (and still sensitive - particularly to side pressure). He asked me to come back in two weeks. That takes us to Monday (two days ago). He had hoped it was simply the crown rocking on the abutment. He drilled into the crown and removed the screw so that he could remove the crown. Unfortunately, he confirmed it was the implant that was wobbly - not the crown. He proceeded to remove the implant (leaving me with a sinus perforation for a third time). He then placed a collagen disk in the hole to seal the sinus perforation and promote bone growth. He suspected that the sinus perforation at the time of the original implant placement could be the cause of the bone not grafting to the implant as the soft tissue from the sinus might have grown down into the hole.
So now he has inserted the colllagen disk, ground away some more bone, added some fake bone to promote bone growth, and sutured the gums. I have an appointment to see him again on Monday.
The thing I want to do least of all is repeat this whole process over the next 9 months or so to end up with another failed implant. Is it time for me to give up on teeth all together and live on soft foods for my few remaining years? 
Thanks again. |