I was going to my family dentist for a dental implant. Before the surgery, he said everything looked good. Then, when the surgery was over there was a totally different story. He told me that when he went in that it was apparent there was not enough bone structure there to retain the implants for very long. He placed them anyway and is telling me he thinks we need to remove them. I’m so frustrated. Have you ever heard of a dentist doing something like this? I’ve spent so much money.
Dean
Dear Dean,
This is insane. He cannot get away with this. It is serious negligence, even malpractice. This was completely preventable if he’d have done the right diagnostics to begin with. He should have done diagnostics, which included x-rays and preferably also a CT scan in order to determine if you have enough bone to be a good candidate for dental implants. He obviously skipped this step or completely botched reading them. Had he done this properly, he would have recognized the problem and been able to take steps to ensure you would have a successful outcome.
One of the basic principles of any dental procedure is that the dentist believes the procedure will work. When he places an implant knowing it would fail, he violates a basic standard of care. In fact, he does more harm than good. I do not want you to merely ask for a refund, which you are definitely entitled to. Instead, I want you to ask him to pay for this to be done correctly by the dentist of your choice.
Unfortunately, it will not be as simple as just taking out the old ones and putting in the new ones. When the implants are removed it will take some of the bone with it. You will need a bone grafting procedure to build up the bone. Then, after a period of healing you will be able to get the dental implnats you need.
When you pick the dentist to fix this, make sure they have post-doctoral training in dental implants. This is important.
I am sorry this happened to you. Know that you have the right to get this done correctly. If he gives you a hard time about it, let him know that if you took him to court, you would get everything you are asking for plus damages. It is in his favor to pay for this to be repaired.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.