Failing Dental Work & Second Opinions

You are not the first person to sit in this chair

A meaningful share of the cases in this practice are corrections of work done elsewhere. Patients often arrive apologetic, worried they will be seen as complainers, or embarrassed at having spent a great deal of money on something that did not work.

None of that is warranted. Dentistry is difficult, complex cases fail for many reasons, and the failure is frequently not anybody's fault. What matters now is an accurate diagnosis of what went wrong and a clear account of what can be done about it.

We will give you a straight answer, including when that answer is that the existing work is fine and the problem lies elsewhere. Sometimes the most useful second opinion is the one that tells you not to spend more money.

The problems we see most often

An implant that has become loose, painful, or infected. Peri-implantitis — inflammation of the bone around an implant — is the most common late complication, and caught early it is frequently treatable without removing the implant.

An implant crown that looks wrong. Poor shade matching, a visible grey line at the gum, teeth that appear too long, or a gap that traps food. These are restorative problems rather than surgical ones, and they can usually be corrected without touching the implant itself.

An implant placed in the wrong position. This happens when placement is done without proper 3D planning. The implant integrates perfectly well but sits at an angle that makes a good-looking tooth impossible. Options depend on severity, and there are usually more of them than patients expect.

A bridge or crown that keeps coming loose or fracturing. Repeated failure of the same restoration almost always means the underlying bite is wrong. Remaking the same restoration a fourth time will produce the same result.

A denture that has never fit. Sore spots that never settle, a lower denture that will not stay put, difficulty eating or speaking. Sometimes the denture itself can be improved; in other cases two implants transform the situation entirely.

Treatment recommended elsewhere that you are unsure about. A number of patients come simply to have a proposed plan reviewed before committing to it, particularly where the plan involves removing teeth that might be saveable.

What a second opinion consultation involves

Bring whatever you have — X-rays, treatment plans, receipts, the name of the practice that did the work. If you do not have any of it, that is fine, and you are entitled to request your records from any previous dentist.

We examine the existing work, take our own imaging including a 3D scan where the situation warrants it, and assess not just the failing restoration but the bite and gum health around it. Most failures have a cause somewhere other than where the symptom appears.

You will then get a plain explanation of what we find, what is causing it, what your options are, and what each option costs — including the option of doing nothing, when that is reasonable. There is no obligation to have treatment here.

A note on failing implants specifically

If an implant is loose, painful, bleeding, or the gum around it is swollen, please do not wait. Bone loss around an implant accelerates once it begins, and the difference between treating it early and treating it late is often the difference between saving the implant and removing it.

Not every problem is urgent, but this one generally is. Call the office and describe the symptoms, and we will advise you on how quickly you need to be seen.