[cemeterybird]

Hi - I was wondering if any of you have had experience of implants dropping out!!

About a year ago, after losing a front canine tooth and hating to have to wear a denture I decided to pay a fortune to have an implant. It took a long time with first of all the titanium having to bond with my jaw bone. This was a success and there followed a number of appointments to create and implant my new tooth.

I was overjoyed at the result but unfortunately, since then, the tooth has fallen out three times!! It isn't just the porcelain coming away due to bad gluing (or whatever they do to cement it in place) - it is the tooth with a kind of conical metal piece attached.

It is something to do with it coming unscrewed - but how can this happen when the tooth hasn't been swivelling around??? My dentist has assured me that the whole thing is insured for 5 years (and that is from the date of each new tooth - not from the original tooth) so it is not that I am having to pay extra but it is making me lose faith in the whole thing. My dentist is baffled. The first two times the screw was able to be taken out of my jaw but this time the screw has snapped in half and he cannot retrieve the part still in my jaw. It happened of course, over Christmas when few people are working and he is going to contact the makers of the tooth to get their advice on retrieving the broken part. If he has no luck, the whole procedure may have to start all over again!!

Oh and in case you're wondering, I haven't been eating toffee or putting severe pressure on the tooth, in fact, if anything, having been very wary of how it may come loose again, I tend to do all my chewing etc on the other side of my mouth.

I would be interested to know if anyone else has had this experience.
Regards
Janet

[curley2811]

I too have had that experience in that I had two implants with false tooth each side - a bridge. But when mine came out the titanium rods were in my gums and the bridge had appropriate holes in it. So it sounds different from yours as you describe the false tooth coming out with the rod/screw attached. Anyway, I know how you feel regarding loosing confidence. I had never ever considered that this might happen. Like you because I had worn an ordinary bridge for years , I am always very very careful about how I eat - always using a knife to cut things up - even though when the process was finished I was told I could bite into an apple! no way would I do that. Anyway, at first my 'bridge' was cemented with a soft cement as my dentist said this was what was advised and should do the trick. After a few days only, I was out with friends for a picnic (soft rolls for me) but I still asked for a knife which they hadn't brought so I thought, all this money I spent, it's ridiculous I can't bite into a soft sandwich. Well, out if came into the roll and I nearly died of fright. I pretended I had choked slightly and walked away and got the bits of sandwich out and sucked the teeth in again and luckily we were near a chemist and I bought polygrip. Of course, I just said to my friends, my crown had come loose - didn't want to go into all my expensive business of implants. Anyway, my dentist has now cemented this back with the strong cement but has now left me with the worry that if there are problems then It's going to be a job to get this out. Iam not looking for problems but I am still not confident this wont happen again. Also, will my usual NHS dental hygeniest be able to attend to this. I meticulously floss this area as instructed but see on some sites that specialiest hygenist should be used. Yes, I can certainly emphasize with you. You're lucky it's only one!!

[cemeterybird]

Well - since I wrote this message back in January - would you believe I have had a fourth tooth fitted and after just six weeks - it's out again!!! Grrrrr - I'm so angry!! I paid a fortune for this tooth so that I would have no worries about it in the future and I have spent more time in the dentist chair in the past 18 months, than in the last 5 years!!!
It only came out at the weekend and I have to see my dentist tomorrow.
I am going to ask what my options are now because this cannot go on - it's ridiculous!! He said that the tooth was insured but I have never seen anything in writing - can I ask for my money back because it obviously isn't working???
Curley, sorry to hear about your plight but though I wouldn't wish this on anyone, makes me feel better that I am not alone with this problem.