[rachbos44]

So brief history. I had 2 root canals that failed. the posts were to big and broke #4 & 5. So I had them pulled and implants placed. The implants both failed. so I went in on friday 9-18 to have a cadaver graft done. I am in so so much pain still. it feel like I got hit by a truck in my cheek and my gums are so swollen around #3 it aches all the time. is this normal what should i expect. Thanks so much

[Bryanna]

Hi rachbos,

Just so you are aware, root canals do not fail. They are a flawed procedure to begin with and because there is no access to the many hundreds of microscopic canals in a tooth, the tooth will always remain infected. So although you may have been told the rc's failed, the truth is the teeth have been infected since the rc's were done. Posts are often placed in rc teeth for the purpose of giving them some retention or strength. The reality is that the rc teeth are already inflamed, infected and fragile. So when you put a post inside of a non vital sick tooth, the tooth is going to decay around the post and eventually the post will "fail" or break the tooth.

I assume that you had immediate implants put in after the extractions? This is not a favorable dental option as there is always some degree of unhealthy tissue and bone residing in the area of the rc teeth even after the teeth are extracted. So immediate implants replacing rc teeth will generally fail for those reasons. It is best to wait several weeks or so after the extractions to make sure the areas are healing healthy before placing the implants.

Did the dentist remove the implants and place the cadaver bone graft or did he place the graft around the failing implants? Also, what type of dentist has been doing the oral surgery?

Bryanna

Originally Posted by rachbos44

So brief history. I had 2 root canals that failed. the posts were to big and broke #4 & 5. So I had them pulled and implants placed. The implants both failed. so I went in on friday 9-18 to have a cadaver graft done. I am in so so much pain still. it feel like I got hit by a truck in my cheek and my gums are so swollen around #3 it aches all the time. is this normal what should i expect. Thanks so much

[rachbos44]

The implants both came out. I am going to a regular dentist. However, I did the implants out of town and they failed when I came home so I different dentist who said the same as you that it is not wise to place immediately after you take out the teeth cleaned all the infection out and placed the graft. So I am 7 days out and VERY sore. If I elevate my heart rate at all they throb. Like changing laundry. my gums are super swollen and i just don't know if this is normal or whether I should be calling him to take a look. I am on amoxicillin for one more day

[rachbos44]

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi rachbos,

Just so you are aware, root canals do not fail. They are a flawed procedure to begin with and because there is no access to the many hundreds of microscopic canals in a tooth, the tooth will always remain infected. So although you may have been told the rc's failed, the truth is the teeth have been infected since the rc's were done. Posts are often placed in rc teeth for the purpose of giving them some retention or strength. The reality is that the rc teeth are already inflamed, infected and fragile. So when you put a post inside of a non vital sick tooth, the tooth is going to decay around the post and eventually the post will "fail" or break the tooth.

I assume that you had immediate implants put in after the extractions? This is not a favorable dental option as there is always some degree of unhealthy tissue and bone residing in the area of the rc teeth even after the teeth are extracted. So immediate implants replacing rc teeth will generally fail for those reasons. It is best to wait several weeks or so after the extractions to make sure the areas are healing healthy before placing the implants.

Did the dentist remove the implants and place the cadaver bone graft or did he place the graft around the failing implants? Also, what type of dentist has been doing the oral surgery?

Bryanna

Thanks for your response. Both implants came right out. I had the implants done by a dentist out of town from where I live. When I came home they failed. I saw a dentist here who said the same thing as you that it in not a good idea to do the implant right after extraction. He took the implants out cleaned all the infection out and then placed the graft. I am 7 days out. I am taking amoxicillion. I have one day left. I am just in a lot of pain still. it aches all the time. If I elevate my heart rate at all even something small like loading laundry it just throbs. my gums are super swollen. Just don't know if this is normal or not.

[Bryanna]

rachbos,

Okay so to clarify.... the implants were immediately placed after the infected teeth were extracted and both implants failed. The failure indicates that the extraction sites were unhealthy due the longevity of the infection from the root canaled teeth. It is also possible that the bony sockets were not debrided thoroughly of diseased tissue and bone after the teeth were removed. It was also possible that the surgical conditions may not have been ideally sterile. I just want to be clear on those issues so you and others reading this understand the risk of placing dental implants immediately after infected teeth are extracted.

The second dentist debrided the extraction sites and placed bone grafts. Sometimes it is not ideal to place bone grafts in new surgical sites that have had a long standing infection. Sometimes it is best to perform 2 separate surgeries. One to debride the sockets and then about 2 weeks or so later, go in again and place the grafts. This is a judgement call that the dentist has to make at the time.

FYI...... It is also not ideal to have a general dentist, unless he is specifically and extensively trained in oral surgery beyond his general training, to perform the extraction of infected root canaled teeth, surgical debridement or implant placement. Oral surgeons and some periodontists are better equipped, more knowledgeable and experienced in performing those surgeries.

It is common to be very sore and possibly swollen after the surgeries that you have had done. However, by day 7 you should be feeling a bit better. Did the dentist mention anything to you about the sinus being involved with the infection or with the extractions? Does the area throb when you put your head down and forward? That would indicate inflammation into the sinus.

Do you smoke? If so, stop at least until the sites close over with gum tissue. Smoking can prevent complete healing due to the toxicity of the chemicals in the tobacco and smoke.

It is best to avoid exercise for at least 2-3 weeks post op of this type of surgery as you do not want to be raising your heart rate until some healing has taken place. The throbbing that you get when you elevate your heart rate means you should stop what you are doing that is making that happen. Be mindful of keeping your heart rate at a calm steady pace until healing has taken place.

If you are not scheduled for a post operative check appointment, then I would recommend that you call and schedule one for friday. It is always better to have it evaluated to rule out problems before they progress.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please check in and let us know how you are doing.

Bryanna

Originally Posted by rachbos44

The implants both came out. I am going to a regular dentist. However, I did the implants out of town and they failed when I came home so I different dentist who said the same as you that it is not wise to place immediately after you take out the teeth cleaned all the infection out and placed the graft. So I am 7 days out and VERY sore. If I elevate my heart rate at all they throb. Like changing laundry. my gums are super swollen and i just don't know if this is normal or whether I should be calling him to take a look. I am on amoxicillin for one more day