Failed dental implants

[CraigPhillips]

Approximately three years ago I had dental implants installed. I first had bone graphs with no problem, then eight months later the dental surgeon drilled to place the post on the left side. While he was drilling, the shooting pain started and was immediately a ten (despite 10 to 15 shots of Novocain). It felt like my head was in a vice, almost unbearable. There was no pain at all, during or since, for the two posts on the right. While working on my right side, his assistant called his attention back to the left side, and he returned to my left side shoving the post so hard he almost shoved me out of my chair. When finished, he stitched both sides and didn’t request a return visit.



Since that day the excruciating pain has only slightly diminished on the left side. Occasionally it will ease for a few minutes, or if I apply slight pressure with my finger on my left nostril the pain subsides, sometimes immediately. OTC painkillers dull pain temporarily; prescription painkillers make me feel unwell.



The pain is dramatically affecting my life. Typically a high-energy person, I now feel chronically tired. At night I press on my nose to go to sleep, but when I rise from a lying position, it comes right back and is constant throughout the day.



Can the dental implant surgery be reversed? Left-side post removed and the jaw allowed to heal? Is there any procedure that can relieve this pain?

 

[Dr M]

Good day

It is very strange that the dentist didn't arrange a follow-up visit. Was this someone who was experienced with the placement of implants?
Implant surgery should only be done with proper planning and training, since a lot can go wrong.
There are important anatomical structures such as maxillary sinuses, as well as nerves, that could get damaged with implant placement. It could be that he accidentally damaged a nerve during the surgery.
I would arrange a follow-up visit with him or an oral surgeon, so that this pain can be evaluated. The oral surgeon will then decide if it is necessary to remove the implant screw.
This can be done, and the jaw can be allowed to heal, but if there was any nerve damage, this could be transient or permanent and if you wish to place another implant at a later stage, additional bone grafting might be required.

 

[CraigPhillips]

I did return to the dental surgeon who performed my surgery and he informed me that he had performed something like 1,700 dental implant surgeries prior to mine, and there had not been a single complaint.

 

[Dr M]

I would then seek a second opinion from another oral surgeon. 1700 implant placements without any complaints, seems unlikely. You will always run in to complications sooner or later, no matter how experienced you are.