Dentist Placed an Implant Knowing It Would Fail

Posted by writeradmin

Question submitted by Charity:

I am frustrated and wondering what my options are. I went in for a dental implant procedure. My dentist said everything looked good ahead of time. However, when I woke up from my surgery, he told me that there was not enough bone to retain the dental implant. However, he placed it anyway and suggested that I go ahead and schedule a removal procedure because it is going to fail. I don’t understand why he placed it knowing that he would ask me to take it out. Does this mean that I cannot have a dental implant? If so, is the next best option a dental bridge?

Charity

Dear Charity,

I am sorry this happened to you. Additionally, I have no idea how your dentist thinks he can get away with this. If he placed your dental implant knowing that it would fail, that is dental malpractice. It is implied that when a dentist does a procedure, that he expects it to work. Imagine if you went to purchase a new oven and the store owner charged you for an oven that he knew would not work and then after you got it home, he called to tell you that he was going to charge you to bring the defective oven back.

If your dentist would have done adequate diagnostics, he would have realized that you did not have adequate bone structure. Then, you could have had a simple bone grafting procedure done. This would have built up the bone and enabled you to get the dental implant. By not doing the right diagnostics and placing something he knew would fail, he violated the standard of care. First, He should remove the dental implant free of charge and also give you a refund for anything you’ve already paid.

If he gives you trouble, let him know you’d be happy to speak to the dental board. If you still want to get a dental implant, that is possible. However, you will have to have the bone grafting done first. Look for someone with some dental implant expertise in tooth restorations.

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