I have been on Fosamax for many years and I’m wondering if I am a dental implant candidate. I had to get one of my front teeth extracted and the surgeon didn’t sound like he wanted to place an implant. I currently have a dental flipper, which I’m not happy with. It leaves a gross taste in my mouth and it’s pretty annoying. Anyway, I was doing some of my own research and have learned about different types of bridges. The ones I am interested in are an Encore or Maryland bridge.
Also, the tooth next to the one that was extracted has a crown on it already. Do you think a bridge of some sort will work for me? When I mentioned it to the dentist he said it would require shaving down one of my healthy teeth. Now, I don’t know what to do.
-Janice in New Jersey
Janice,
Thank you for your question. It is always good to be upfront with your dentist about any medications you are currently taking. However, Fosamax shouldn’t disqualify you from being a candidate for a dental implant. There may be a small risk associated with the placement of the implant to the bone since you are taking that medication. However, the ramifications aren’t too serious. It would be worth a conversation between your doctor and your implant dentist. It is possible your dose may be modified or temporarily stopped during the oral surgery that would be required to place a dental implant.
If you are concerned, than a dental bridge would work for your situation. Without having seen you in person, it is difficult to make specific recommendations about whether an Encore or Maryland bridge is a better option for you. It is also important to understand the skills and possible limitations of your dentist. For example, just because an Encore bridge would work, you don’t want to be the first patient your dentist has performed this treatment on. So, be sure to ask a lot of questions about their experience and success rate with cases similar to yours. As a general rule of thumb, it is never a good idea to push a dentist out of their comfort zone.
If your dentist is a general dentist and doesn’t have extensive experience in implant dentistry and tooth replacement options, than a traditional dental bridge would be a safer bet.
Lastly, it never hurts to get a second opinion to see if another dentist’s treatment plan may be a better fit for you.
This post is sponsored by Petaluma dentist Dr. Rick Lane.