I had a couple of my back molars replaced with dental implants about 10 years ago. I had struggled with gum disease over the years and I was told that the back teeth were the ones that were impacted the worse from it.
We worked hard to combat the periodontal disease. My dentist had me come in for cleanings every three months. But, that didn’t work. After about a year and half, my back teeth ended up getting loose. And eventually, they fell out.
That’s when my dentist told me how important it was to have the molars replaced so my other teeth didn’t start shifting around and causing more problems. He explained that dental implants were best because they would help my bone stay strong. I considered a partial denture and some more affordable dental implant options for awhile, but it sounded like dental implants were the way to go. I thought it would be a permanent solution. They helped for awhile. But unfortunately, they ended up getting loose and eventually fell out.
Is there anything else that can be done? I don’t want to have to keep getting dental implants done every 8-10 years when they fall out.
-Janice in Illinois
Janice,
First off, I’m sorry to hear you are in this situation and have lost your dental implants due to gum disease. It is always difficult to give specific recommendations without having seen you in person and not knowing your complete dental history. However, based on what you’ve shared regarding your periodontal disease, there are some concerns.
It doesn’t sound like the treatment for your gum disease went very well if you ended up losing two teeth as a result. All you mentioned was having increased cleanings. There should have been additional treatments to try and save the teeth before the dentist recommended that you move forward with dental implants. That said, it isn’t clear whether or not you were offered additional treatments that may have saved those molars. There are several treatment plans that could have been implemented to better stabilize your teeth.
However, at this point, it won’t help your situation. But for those reading this blog post, if you are dealing with gum disease, it is important to visit a specialist called a periodontist.
Again, it is difficult to glean exactly what happened many years ago. It shouldn’t be implied that your dentist neglected you in gum disease treatments. However, if there was no other treatments recommended for your gums, then that is a problem.
Generally speaking, gum disease is a contraindication for getting dental implants done. They shouldn’t have been placed until the periodontal disease was managed and under control. So sadly, it’s not too surprising that the dental implants fell out.
At this point, it’s time to move forward. It is in your best interest to find a periodontist or a dentist that is experienced in treating severe gum disease. The first step is getting the gum disease under control and then there may be other treatment recommendations to protect the healthy teeth you have in place.
Thank you for reaching out. Hopefully, you will be able to find the best dentist in you area that specializes in gum disease to help get you back on track. Thank you for sharing your story.
This post is sponsored by Petaluma dentist Rick Lane, DDS.