I went to a dentist to get a dental implant. We did the surgery and when I woke up, he told me there wasn’t really enough bone for the implant to be sustained, but he placed it anyway. Now he’s talking about removing it and giving me a dental bridge. If that is the case, shouldn’t I get a refund on the dental implant? I mean I was expecting to have a tooth. I really don’t want a bridge. Is there still a chance I can get an implant or will I have to settle for the bridge?
Ben
Dear Ben,
There is no way your dentist could or should get away with this. There is so much wrong with this situation. Legally, he doesn’t have a leg to stand on. You paid him to get a dental implant to replace a missing tooth. He placed a dental implant knowing it would fail. It is a grievious violation of dental ethics. Yes, you are definitely entitled to a refund.
Additionally, there is the fact that if he had done the proper diagnostics to begin with, you would have known ahead of time there was not enough bone to retain the implant and saved you an unnecessary and unsuccessful surgery. This dentist has committed malpractice.
Yes, you can get a dental implant again. You just need the right dentist to do it. In your place, I would not only demand a refund, but ask him to pay for this to be done correctly by the dentist of your choice. You will need bone grating done first in order for it to be successful. If he gives you a hard time about any of that, let him know that you will be reporting him to the dental board and talking to a malpractice attorney. That should sober him up a bit.
Finding a Qualified Implant Dentist
There are two particular things I want you to look for in the dentist that you have replace your dental implant. First, you want a dentist who is qualified to do both the surgery and the implant. Quite a few failed dental implant procedures happened because of miscommunication between the oral surgeon and the dentist. This won’t happen if they are one and the same.
The second thing you need to look for is a dentist who is a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. These are the top implant dentists in the country. Your case has had enough complications, so you’ll want the best.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.