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I lost an upper tooth and was hoping to replace it with a dental implant. My dentist said that because I am on Fosamax that I am not a good candidate for a dental implant. Currently, I am wearing a dental flipper. I’ve been trying to research options. Is an Encore Bridge do-able for someone in my position?
Stacey
Dear Stacey,
For those who don’t know what Fosamax is, it is a medication often used to help with osteoporosis. Using Fosamax does not mean that you cannot have a dental implant. However, when you are a Fosamax user, there is an increased risk of local bone problems when oral surgery is involved. Because dental implants do require oral surgery, your dentist is either uncomfortable with the increased risk or he is uncomfortable placing dental implants in general and is steering you toward a procedure he is more comfortable with. In order to develop an expertise in dental implants your dentist would need advanced post-doctoral training. That may be training that your dentist does not want to invest in.
While the increased risk of complications is small, they are serious. I would not discount them. It is possible to lessen the risk by pausing the Fosamax for the procedure. Your oral surgeon and dentist could coordinate that.
If, however, you do not want to go through that trouble and are uncomfortable with the risk, then a dental bridge is your next best option. While an Encore Bridge is fine. I would go with the type of dental bridge your dentist recommends because that will be the one he has the most experience with.
If you do decide to go with the dental implant, then I would suggest using a different dentist. In fact, I think you would be better served with an expert in dental implants. While dental implants are not a recognized specialty, you can feel very confidence if you get a dentist who is a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI). These are the top implant dentists in the world.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. John Theriot.