I had a failed dental implant procedure and the dentist recently removed the implant. He said there was no trouble removing it because the implant had not integrated with the bone at all. During the procedure, the sinus cavity was perforated by a few millimeters, which my oral surgeon says happens all the time. At that time of the removal, he said there was no need to do any preventative antibiotics. He did suggest I take Flonase as well as be gentle with the area. Though he stitched the gums, he said there was no need to close up the sinus cavity because it will heal on its own. He wants me to wait a year and then we will try again for the dental implant. A few days later, I started having congestion and this weird crackling sound even though I was taking the Flonase as instructed. I went back to have him look at it and he said for me to be patient. I told him I felt I needed an antibiotic. At first, he said no but I pretty much insisted. He finally gave me some antibiotics and I started feeling better and everything cleared up. My question is would it have been better to get the antibiotics during the removal procedure to prevent this?
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
While the way he handled the antibiotics is fine, I want to let you know that there is something much more concerning about this whole situation, which is the sinus perforation itself along with the lack of integration with the bone. While there are times that a sinus cavity will be perforated, a few millimeters is way too much. That is a huge distance by dental standards. Additionally, most of the time this is completely avoidable with adequate diagnostics.
Before letting him work on you again I would want to know two things. First, what diagnostics will he do in order to prevent this from happening again? Secondly, why didn’t the dental implant integrate with the bone? That will be important to know. It is standard procedure for him to do x-rays to ensure there is adequate bone there to begin with. This should have included a CT scan to ensure that something like a sinus perforation doesn’t happen. Placing dental implants is a three-dimensional procedure and requires three-dimensional diagnostics.
My suggestion is you make sure he can answer these questions before moving forward. It would also be helpful for you to get a second opinion on your case to give yourself the best chance of a successful outcome.
This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.
