Why Does My Dentist Say I Cant Get an Implant for My Extracted Molar?

Dental implants are a wonderful service for many people, but everyone may not be a candidate due to  poor quality bone.  It sounds as though you lost a significant amount of bone due to infection prior to having your tooth extracted.  The best option to see exactly the quantity of bone that you have in that area would be to have a 3D CBCT (CT scan) image taken of that area.  This can be done in a dental office that has a CT machine and will tell you the exact dimensions of your bone.  The doctor would easily be able to tell you if you are able to have an implant immediately or if a bone grafting procedure would need to be performed first.  

Dental Implants are almost always a viable option for replacement of a single or multiple teeth.  A molr tooth is no exception, even if there has been infection or root resorption.  It may take a secondary procedure to bone graft the area, but in an ideal situation for a molar tooth the area of the extracted tooth should be bone grafted IMMEDIATELY when the tooth is removed.  This allows for proper healing of the site and gives the ideal amount of bone and soft tissue for a dental implant that will last you the rest of your life. The implant is then placed after adequate healing occurs which can be fro 2-4 months usually.  As a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofaical surgeon I perform these procedures on a daily basis and have close to a 100% success rate performing the procedure this way.  I suggest you see a board certified oral surgeon to evaqluate your specific situation

Everyone situation is unique, however, in almost all cases procedures can be preformed to provide sufficient bone for dental implant placement.  It would be in your best interest to schedule an appointment with an oral surgeon to find out what your options really are....

Dental implants can work in many situations. If there has been a lot of bone damage due to an extensive infection, then that can lower the chance that an implant will be highly successful.

Many times an implant can be placed, even in bone that has had problems. There are often regional gurus who are amazing at getting implants to work in difficult places (sometimes an oral surgeon, or a periodontist).

It sounds to me like you ought to ask more questions about your situation. 

One other concern can be that depending upon the condition of the teeth neighboring the extraction area, a bridge can be far less costly, and repair more problems than just the missing tooth. A dentist who knows you and your conditions well can offer you good advice. 

Here's one warning: don't let ANYONE put an implant in until the dentist that will be making the crown says it's OK. In the end, the dentist building the teeth needs to direct the other specialists to create optimal results.

 

Hi, I carefully read your posting. I sounds to me that your dentist is not comfortable with offering to you the most advanced treatment options. From our experience almost ALL molars can be replaced with implants. I recommend to you to ask your dentist to refer you to an implant specialist or a dental center that has several dental specialists, like prostodontists or periodontists. in our dental implant center we have restorative dentists with experience in restoring complex implant cases, periodontists ( gum surgery specialists) , medical doctors and anesthesiology specialist for medically compromised patients. We restore all varieties of dental implant cases-from replacing just one tooth to replacing all missing teeth.

So, do NOT get disappointed, look for experienced implant dental center around you

Implant is an option in almost every individual. Even if bone is deficient from an infection, it can be grafted. I suggest you see an oral surgeon to examine and discuss your options. See the link below for an article regarding why dentists may suggest a bridge instead of an implant which is clearly more appropriate.

It is true that dental implants require adequate bone to be able to stabilize the implant.  Bone is usually lost during traumatic extraction of a tooth, severe infection and or prolonged time musing teeth.  We are truly lucky today as advancement in dental materials techniques and research have led to very predictable ways to augment bone volume and rebuild lst bone in all dimensions.  There is nearly never a situation that can't be remedied.  It's a matter of how much surgery are you willing to undergo to rebuild the bone, how much of a financial commitment are you willing to accept and  how much experience your dental surgeon has.

Implants require a certain amount of healthy jaw bone in order to "integrate". When the dentist extracted the infected molar, and cleaned out the extraction site, he was then able to evaluate the site for the implant placement. If the X-rays and his clinical observation both confirm that there is NOT enough adequate bone to support an implant, even with bone grafting procedures, then you have no choice but a fixed bridge. It might be worth getting a second opinion from an oral surgeon or a periodontist that is well trained and experienced in implant placement.

An implant could be an option for just about anyone. You may not have enough bone in that area due to the infection, but a bone graft could be an option for you. A bone graft could be completed, then an implant could be placed after the bone heals. You would have to have an xray that shows 3D images so the bone level in all aspects could be evaluated-a referral to an oral surgeon or a periodontist may be necessary. If an implant is placed, keep in mind that good oral hygiene must be maintained because implants could suffer from infections just like regular teeth. 

In the situations with periapical infection (around the roots) in majority of the teeth there is a significant bone loss due to the infection. The longer such tooth stays in the jaw- more bone it will destroy. And the quicker the patient will get rid of such infected tooth- more healthy bone can be maintained. The standard protocol after the extraction when we`re planning to place an implant later in the same site includes immediate bone graft in the extraction socket to preserve as more bone as possible. In your situation it seems that it was not performed. Most likely you will need additional bone graft to create adequate amount of bone before the implant can be placed. But it should be absolutely predictable and visible. The bridge won`t be a long-term option. Consult with the periodontist about possibility of getting an implant in this site! Good luck!