Dental implants failed - keep trying?

May 3, 2016 8:40 AM

My mom, who's pushing 80, had several dental implants procedure done (for a full upper denture support). Each time after the procedure, everything looked ok and at the follow up check up, the bone seemed to be healing properly and implant was a success. However after a year or two, some would start to become loose and when another x-ray was done, there was bone loss around them. She's thinking of doing another round of implants with another doctor - should she do it?

She had previously done the implants with 2 different doctors - one abroad and one at the local dentistry school. She had lost I believe 3 implants total with the same symptom - for whatever reason there was bone loss around the implant a year or two after an apparently successful procedure. She does have osteoporosis but we're not exactly sure why the bone loss around the implant happened.

They're talking to another doctor that is claiming they have 'better implants and better doctors with a 5 year guarantee' I personally think it is snake oil and that before the underlying issue of why the bone loss happened is addressed, the implants will keep failing. Am I correct in thinking that? What are her options at this point assuming implants are out of the picture? She does have a removable full upper denture that she does not love since the plate is uncomfortable.

posted by 7life to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

Best answer: I would find the best oral surgeon in her area and go there for an opinion. Multiple implant failures in a pt with osteoporosis is a giant red flag in my profession. A history of fosamax usage is also a contra-indication in some cases.
Of course IANYD but PM me if you want to dig into it further.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:35 AM on May 3, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm with you. And at 80...I don't know that it's worth it. My Dad's 80 and one more major dental thing...dude should just get dentures.

There comes an age and time when it's just not worth it.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:13 AM on May 3, 2016

Hi, I work with medical devices like dental implants. There's unfortunately no way to predict when a bone implantable device will fail, although there are risk factors that suggest a greater likelihood that bone will recede from the implant. Increasing age is one of them. Heck, I'm in my 30s and was told flat out that I wouldn't be a good candidate for a dental implant (I've had a bridge for decades, owing to a childhood injury, so the bone into which an implant would be mounted has been resorbing from lack of pressure the entire time; an implant there might stimulate new bone deposition, but it might not).

You're right in feeling like you're getting a snake oil pitch. Have you explored partial dentures rather than full plate?
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:51 PM on May 3, 2016

Dunno if this Mental Floss story might be a relevant factor?
posted by runincircles at 4:30 AM on May 4, 2016