Posted by writeradmin
I had a dental implant bridge placed. Since then, the right side of my bite seems fine. The teeth touch the way they’re supposed to. But, on the left side, the teeth don’t touch at all. Is this normal? It doesn’t feel right, but my dentist says the implants are perfect.
Angie
Dear Angie,
No, this is not normal. It needs to be fixed or you will end up with a serious problem, such as TMJ Disorder. The fact that your dentist thinks it is fine tells me he doesn’t understand anything about how a bite is supposed to work. You would think that would be a basic concept for a dentist.
Dental implants are one of the most advanced procedures in dentistry. Unfortunately, it is not a recognized specialty. That means any dentist can do the procedure regardless of the amount of training they’ve received. To do this well requires significant post-doctoral training. It does not sound like your dentist has that. Even if he was willing to admit he did this wrong, I don’t think he is qualified.
What I would like you to do is see a highly qualified implant dentist. Look for someone who is a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. These are the best implant dentists in the world. Have them evaluate your bite with these dental implants. He can help you get a refund from your dentist. Dentists care about what their peers think and will not want to look bad in front of them.
Getting this fixed will require an additional procedure. When the improperly placed dental implants are removed, they will take some bone structure with them. You will need that bone replaced in order for the implants to be secured. That requires bone grafting to be done to replace that missing structure. I feel your dentist should cover that procedure as well as it will be required to repair the damage he did.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.