Clear Choice or Costa Rica for Dental Implants
I’ve been researching options or dental implants. I looked at Clear Choice Implants but they prefer to do all-on-4 dental implants. I’ve heard that these have some downsides. Looking over their reviews, I also see a lot of people complain that there was no follow up with them as well. I’d really like to get traditional implant supported dentures, but they told me I’d need bone grafting for that so the all-on-4 is my best option. Another option that I looked into is going to Costa Rica to have the work done. Apparently, there I can have the bone grafting and traditional implant overdentures done and it would still end up cheaper than Clear Choice. Would that be my better option?
Viola
Dear Viola,
I’m glad you wrote. I would not go for either of these options for your dental implants, and here’s why. Let’s start with Clear Choice. You mentioned the problem with no follow up. That is true. You also mentioned that there were downsides with them. That is also true. A significant issue is that if something goes wrong with one implant, then the entire system will have to be replaced.
But going to Costa Rica will be much worse. Even in the United States, with all of our quality controls, when things go wrong with the implant procedure, there can be serious consequences. But take away those quality controls and you are looking at a potential disaster. The standard of care and even the quality and sterilization of equipment is different outside of the U.S. Plus, you will have no real follow up or any recourse if things do go wrong. The last thing you want is to be yet one more person in a long line of dental implant horror stories.
There is a third option. Go with a private dentist with post doctoral training in dental implants. Have the bone grafting done and then have the implant supported dentures you were hoping for. You will know the dentist is trained. Private dentists are much more invested in the success of their cases than corporate clinics like Clear Choice, so you should have excellent follow up.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Is It Too Late for Me to Have a Pretty Smile with Dental Implants?
I am a denture patient and have been wearing them for over 20 years. My smile has been unattractive this whole time. Is it too late for me to get a pretty smile with dental implants? I’ve seen pictures of them and they look much better than my smile.
Alana
Dear Alana,
I’m glad you wrote. Technically, it is never too late to get dental implants. Given that you have been in dentures for over twenty years, you will need one additional procedure to make it work, though. When your teeth were removed, your body recognized that and immediately began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone that you no longer needed to hold in your teeth. It does this in order to be efficient with your body’s resources.
However, the side effect for this is it slowly shrinks your jawbone. Your lower denture rests on that jawbone. You’ve likely started noticing that your denture is slipping more. Soon, you won’t be able to keep it in at all. This is known as facial collapse. Hopefully, your dentist warned you about this when you first discussed getting dentures.
The prevention of facial collapse is to place dental implants in your jaw and anchor your dentures to those. Some people call these implant overdentures. The implants signal to your body that you still have teeth to retain so it leaves your jawbone intact. You’ll also find that it increases your quality of life significantly. Even the best fitting dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. With dental implants, you’ll be able to eat anything you want again.
In order for you to get those dental implants, you’ll first need a bone grafting procedure. This will replace all the bone structure you lost while wearing dentures. This bone is essential in order to retain your dental implants. Then, once that is healed you can move forward with the implants.
One thing to be aware of is that the beauty of your smile will have nothing to do with whether or not you have dentures versus implants. Instead, it depends on the artistic skill of your dentist. You can have a skilled cosmetic dentist create gorgeous dentures. Ask to see their smile gallery of cases they’ve done to get an idea of the type of results they get. Also make sure they have post-doctoral training in dental implants. This is an advanced procedure and you don’t want to end up in a worse situation than you started.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Bone Grafting Did Not Work
My dentist has done hundreds of dental implants with great success, but for some reason mine was a bust. He did all these pre-diagnostics, which cost a fortune, then told me I needed some bone grafting done. He’d been training on that, so I went ahead and did that, too, with him. More money. After the required healing period, he went in to do the implant surgery but did not place the dental implant because he said there still wasn’t enough bone. He’s now offering to give me a dental bridge. Here are my questions. First, was he just milking me for surgeries? Second, should I get the dental bridge or go somewhere else to get the implant? Does the bone thing matter?
David
Dear David,
I’m going to start with your last question. Yes, the bone thing does matter. The only way for the dental implant to remain securely in your mouth is for there to be enough bone available to integrate with the implant. This bone is important even for your natural teeth. One of the reasons that people with untreated gum disease end up losing their teeth is because the disease eats the bone that supports their teeth.
As for whether he was just milking you for money, I sincerely doubt it. It sounds more to me like you have a fantastic dentist for two reasons. First, he’s trying to keep up with the developments in his field and learn them in order to serve his patients in the best way possible. You’d mentioned he’d been training on that. All people, no matter what the field, when they are learning a new skill will have failures. That’s what learning is like for everyone. But, he’s learning. That will only end up better for you in the long run.
Second, he has integrity. If he were trying to just take your money, he would have just placed the implant knowing the bone grafting did not work. Eventually, your implant would have failed, but it would likely take a year or more and have been impossible to prove that he was at fault.
As to whether you should get the dental bridge, that is a fine alternative to a dental implant. This is especially true if one of the adjacent teeth already needs a dental crown. Then, you’d be knocking off two procedures at once. You can certainly still get the dental implant if that is the replacement you really want. However, you’ll need to go to a different surgeon to have at least the bone grafting part done.
I know you’re frustrated, and I understand, but it does sound like your dentist was trying his best with a procedure that was new to him and was up front with you when things went awry.
This blog s brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Click here to learn about zirconia crowns.
Titanium of Zirconia Dental Implants?
Can you tell me if I should get zirconia implants instead of titanium? The thing that has me worried is I read an article that said that the titanium will cause neurological effects. I already have two of them and this has me quite worried. I understand that there is a possibility that I can switch them out. Would you recommend that?
Eugenia
Dear Eugenia,
I would love to know what article you read. There are no studies that I know of that talk about neurological problems, or any biological problems, from titanium. I do tend to pay attention to these issues. If it makes you feel better to know this, titanium is one of the most biocompatible metals there is. It’s been used for decades as a prosthetic both in teeth, hips, as well as many other places in the body. There have been no reports of anything negative in all this time.
However, one thing I want you to think about before you make any decisions regarding switching your dental implants is the difficulty in doing that. First, the original dental implants will have to be removed. That is one surgery. When your implants are removed, it will take bone with it. In order to have dental implants, you need adequate bone support. To get that you will need bone grafting done. That is a second surgery. Once that has healed, you will then need to have the zirconia implants placed. That is a third surgery.
In other words, you will need three surgeries in which something can go wrong at any point. Currently you have healthy dental implants. If you give them up, you can no longer be sure of that. My suggestion is that you leave the current healthy implants where they are. If you ever need another dental implant and you want to try the zirconia, then I recommend you see an implant dentist who also provides metal free dental care.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
Dental Implants Keep Falling Out
You know that nightmare you have were some of your teeth just fall out? Well, I feel like I’m living that. I had four dental implant placed on my lower ridge. These were supposed to eventually have dentures anchored to them. I’m also getting two individual implants on my upper arch. Here is my problem. I’ve only had the implants about a week, and two of them have already fallen out. I have a few questions. First, should I be expected to pay for dental implants that fall out? Second, do I need to be worried about the other two? Third, should I bother getting the two upper ones? Fourth, is it possible to get working dental implants or do I need to find another alternative? Finally, if I do need to find the alternative, what do you recommend?
Wallace
Dear Wallace,
I am sorry this has happened to you. I will tell you that most trained implant dentists have a 5% failure rate. Even then, most of them won’t fail for at least a year. Your dentist has a 50% failure rate in a week. There is something really wrong here. Priority number one will be figuring out why your dental implants failed.
Some Reasons for Dental Implant Failure
- Development of an infection. This is generally accompanied by pain and/or a fever. This can happen if the dentures are not fit properly., often because of poorly fitting fixtures.
- Diagnostic shortcuts. It is important for your dentist to determine if you have enough bone to support the dental implants. If you don’t, there is a bone grafting procedure which can be done.
- The use of substandard implant fixtures. Some dentists will do this to increase their profits without raising their prices.
- Incorrect placement of the implants.
- Placing the dental crown before the bone has had enough time to fuse with the implant fixtures. Dentists call this premature loading.
As for your questions, here are my thoughts:
First, no, you should not have to pay for the failed dental implants, especially ones that failed this quickly. Should you be worried about the other two? Absolutely. Before you do anything else, I want you to see a dentist who has extensive post-doctoral training in dental implants. Don’t tell them who your dentist is, just what happened and ask if they can tell you what caused the failure. Without that information there is no point in moving forward.
Once that is pinpointed, he or she should be able to tell you how to proceed. If you are in good general health, there should be no problem getting dental implants or even the implant supported dentures you are working on. It will require some bone grafting first, but it is very likely you needed that anyway and, failure to obtain that information on the part of your dentist, was why they failed to begin with.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.
I Can Smell My Husband’s Dental Implants?
Can you help me? My husband is in the middle of the all-on-4 dental implant process. The implants are in and he has some acrylic dentures. There are porcelain ones coming. However, the smell of his mouth right now, makes me gag like you would not believe. I can even sleep in the same bed with him anymore. I am positive I can smell his metal implants. I’d like him to switch them out for the non-metal kind. I’ve heard that there are now zirconia dental implants. I think those would be better and not smell as badly. His dentist said he wouldn’t do it. Can we switch dentists to have this done? Can you tell me anything to help convince my husband this is a good idea?
Sunny W.
Sunny,
I’m sorry for the stuggle you are having with the smell, but I do not believe the dental implants are the cause of it. Traditional metal implants are made from titanium. These are very inert. Even exposed to the air you would be hardpressed to smell them. Embedded deep in your husband’s bone, it is even more unlikely that you’d be able to smell them.
There are countless reasons why your husband’s mouth could be exuding that smell. The most likely culprit is the acrylic denture. It’s possible food is getting caught in and around it. Assuming he regularly brushes and flosses, I would start by having your husband use a Waterpik to help with his flossing. It is a bit trickier when you are dealing with dental work in addition to your natural teeth.
Why You Would Not Want to Re-do Dental Implants
If you have a successful dental implant case, as it seems your husband does, you do not want to re-do it. This is because it is not simply a matter of taking out one group of dental implants and replacing them with another. First, when you remove the implants, there will be bone structure that comes with it. Unfortunately, that bone sturcutre is necessary in order to retain the dental implants.
This means an additional surgery of bone grafting will have to be performed so the necessary support structure can be built back up. After that has time to heal, then it will be time for his next implant placement.
In total, that is three additional surgeries your husband would have to undergo in order to switch out these implants. I would recommend looking for other, less invasive causes and solutions first.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Goebel.
Should I Update My Dental Implants?
I have had my current dental implants since the late 1990s. There are two of them on my lower arch. I keep reading about the updates in the dental implants technology and materials and have lately been wondering if I should update mine for the newer materials, such as zirconia rather than titanium. What do you think?
Pricilla
Dear Pricilla,
It is wonderful that you keep up with the developments in the dental field. That combined with how long your dental implants are lasting tells me you take very good care of your smile. Do the developments that have taken place in recent years warrant you updating your current dental implants, though?
Replacing a dental implant is not as simple as taking out the old ones and switching them with the new ones. When the older implants are removed, some bone structure will go with them. This means you will need to have some bone grafting done in order to place the new dental implants. Then, once that has had time to heal, it will be another surgery to get the new implants followed by another period of healing while osseointegration takes place. Only then, will the implant crown be able to be placed. That is a LOT to go through when you have solid, functional dental implants.
Zirconia is tempting for many people because we love the idea of metal-free dental implants. I’m not saying don’t switch out. That, of course, is up to you. However, I would say that there is no evidence that the zirconia is either superior or inferior to the implants you currently have so it may not be worth the unnecessary surgery.
What to Look for With Dental Implant Failure
When you would want to take action is when the implants seem to be nearing the end of their life. Here are some things you can keep an eye out for when it comes to failing implants:
- Discomfort and difficulty biting and chewing. This may signify a developing infection.
- Pain and discomfort around the implant.
- The implant shifting or feeling “loose”.
- Gingival recession around the implant.
- Swollen, inflamed gum tissue around the area.
If any of these symptoms occur I would consult with your implant dentist and evaluate whether it is time for a replacement.
This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.