POSTED UNDER All-on-4 Dental Implants REVIEWS
Just Had All-on-4 Implants Done - Fairfax, VA
ORIGINAL POST
I am in my early 40's and I just had my all-on-4...
alexsdorMay 31, 2014
$42,000
I am in my early 40's and I just had my all-on-4 implants procedure done on Wednesday (3 days ago). There were complications during the procedure due to the fact that I'm allergic to sulfites and cannot have local anesthetics containing epinephrine, which are more long lasting and promote vasoconstriction during surgery. Long story short, when I woke up, they gave me the bad news that they could only do the top and had to stop due to risky blood loss. So, what should've been one procedure is now two since I'll have to undergo the whole thing again next week for the bottom!
So, what have I learned so far? Well, I respect all the reviews I've read stating that it was all a breeze and didn't hurt at all but I need to keep it real and tell you that, in my personal experience, this has not been easy breezy! I am on antibiotics as instructed and also on two types of pain management meds, one being a narcotic. The post-op pain has been pretty tough to endure and that's only having had the top done (with only 5 extractions). The day of surgery was manageable, post-op day 1 was pretty bad, and post-op day 2 was really really really bad. I was coughing and spitting up huge blood clots. My entire face swelled up like a balloon, from below my eyes to just under my jaw bone there was huge swelling and it was so black and blue it looked like I was punched in the face in a street fight. My nose swelled up so much I looked like a piggy and it truly felt like the anatomy of the inner nose/sinuses were totally different which is probably from the pressure. My nose hurt from the inside out. My lips also swelled up so much I couldn't close my lips together up until today (post-op day 3). The pressure on the sinuses and the headache from the pressure were also pretty bad.
Today is Saturday (post-op day 3) and the swelling is finally beginning to go down but there is still pain. I have tried to go without pills and it's too much pain to handle. Now, I am not a whimp and can usually toughen things out but this is not a walk in the park. There are so many stitches on the roof of my mouth, way up where the gums meet the new teeth, all the way in the back, and the worst part has been the frenulum (the piece of skin you have that holds your top lip to your gums)... they cut that too to make room for the new teeth and it hurts and burns something crazy. My lips were also pretty torn apart from the surgery.
Funny enough, the teeth themselves feel pretty normal aside from the surgical pain. Of course, since they couldn't do the bottom, I now have top teeth that don't fit the bottom, so that has caused jaw pain and tension that you would not otherwise have.
All in all, I am still on the fence regarding the whole experience and the fact that I am still all black and blue and have to endure this all over again next week probably doesn't help. I am hoping this will all become ok and that it will be just a rough patch that will be worth it in the end.
So, what have I learned so far? Well, I respect all the reviews I've read stating that it was all a breeze and didn't hurt at all but I need to keep it real and tell you that, in my personal experience, this has not been easy breezy! I am on antibiotics as instructed and also on two types of pain management meds, one being a narcotic. The post-op pain has been pretty tough to endure and that's only having had the top done (with only 5 extractions). The day of surgery was manageable, post-op day 1 was pretty bad, and post-op day 2 was really really really bad. I was coughing and spitting up huge blood clots. My entire face swelled up like a balloon, from below my eyes to just under my jaw bone there was huge swelling and it was so black and blue it looked like I was punched in the face in a street fight. My nose swelled up so much I looked like a piggy and it truly felt like the anatomy of the inner nose/sinuses were totally different which is probably from the pressure. My nose hurt from the inside out. My lips also swelled up so much I couldn't close my lips together up until today (post-op day 3). The pressure on the sinuses and the headache from the pressure were also pretty bad.
Today is Saturday (post-op day 3) and the swelling is finally beginning to go down but there is still pain. I have tried to go without pills and it's too much pain to handle. Now, I am not a whimp and can usually toughen things out but this is not a walk in the park. There are so many stitches on the roof of my mouth, way up where the gums meet the new teeth, all the way in the back, and the worst part has been the frenulum (the piece of skin you have that holds your top lip to your gums)... they cut that too to make room for the new teeth and it hurts and burns something crazy. My lips were also pretty torn apart from the surgery.
Funny enough, the teeth themselves feel pretty normal aside from the surgical pain. Of course, since they couldn't do the bottom, I now have top teeth that don't fit the bottom, so that has caused jaw pain and tension that you would not otherwise have.
All in all, I am still on the fence regarding the whole experience and the fact that I am still all black and blue and have to endure this all over again next week probably doesn't help. I am hoping this will all become ok and that it will be just a rough patch that will be worth it in the end.
Replies (30)
June 1, 2014
I'm sorry to hear about the complications you had with the procedure I myself having the exact same procedure on June 18 approximately three weeks from today I asked him straight up to be honest with me how long is it going to hurt how long will it take for most of the pain subsides they told me "there is a little pain if any just a little soreness and swelling "Because the titanium is going straight into the bone and that there is no nerves in the jaw bone itself"'and that a lot of patients are back to work the next day I personally find that hard to believe seeing that I've had two spinal fusions and both times it was torture for the first 2448 hrs. It's somewhat the same kind of procedure titanium being screwed into the bone itself just two different parts of the body. I pray that what they're telling me is right and I'm wrong. I will know soon enough so until then good luck to you hope you heal quickly and I will return hopefully with a positive update! Robert From San Mateo California
June 17, 2014
@drummerrob, don't forget that there's a huge amount of nerves in the spinal column, which is pretty unique. I hope that means you have less pain for this as well! Have you started a review already?
July 24, 2014
I pray all goes well for you. I was told also the pain would barely be there. I think it was a bit tougher on me bc I am already in pain management for chronic pain,I have had 20 surgeries so far. so I was scared it was gonna be harder to control my pain, but it really wasn't bad, yes I did have to take meds but if I didn't have them to take I probably could've gotten thru it just with less sleep.
February 25, 2015
It sounds bad and I know your anxiety level is pretty high go to another dental surgeon for sure it will be better. I had implants and it took awhile with the fittings and all the time but mine are ok but you have to really take care. There is a mouth wash prescription that does turn your teeth brown but it works well to heal your mouth good luck
November 14, 2015
Ouch, sorry ...but they look pretty good even though it's halfway ...best of luck ...
UPDATED FROM alexsdor
19 days post
Update on all-on-4 implants
alexsdorJune 17, 2014
So, as previously explained, the first surgery didn't go well because of excessive blood loss. Less than a week later, I went in for the bottom. This second surgery went much better and I felt like the entire team was ready and on top of things. The recovery was better for the bottom than for the top... less swelling, less bruising, just as much pain though. I took the Motrin 800mg and Percocet more often than prescribed to be able to handle the pain.
So, what is happening now? Well, it's been 19 days since the top was done and 13 days since the bottom surgery. I was pretty uncomfortable most of the time, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep because the bite was off, felt like the teeth were too big on the bottom and too small on the top, etc. I just went in for my first post-op appointment today and they adjusted things and I am pretty comfortable now. So today is actually the first day that I'm feeling like this was actually the right decision. It's not perfect yet but these are temporary teeth and they tell me that all my esthetic and functional concerns will be resolved with the permanents. So right now, I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing and I'm beginning to feel like I may just have a whole new life ahead of me :)
So, what is happening now? Well, it's been 19 days since the top was done and 13 days since the bottom surgery. I was pretty uncomfortable most of the time, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep because the bite was off, felt like the teeth were too big on the bottom and too small on the top, etc. I just went in for my first post-op appointment today and they adjusted things and I am pretty comfortable now. So today is actually the first day that I'm feeling like this was actually the right decision. It's not perfect yet but these are temporary teeth and they tell me that all my esthetic and functional concerns will be resolved with the permanents. So right now, I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing and I'm beginning to feel like I may just have a whole new life ahead of me :)
Replies (9)
June 30, 2015
How much did it cost?
July 17, 2015
Perhaps letting the surgeon know in advance your allergies to certain meds would have helped the procedure go smoother. This way they can proceed with less complications for you, the patient. Doctors ask these questions for patient safety as well as recovery comfort
September 3, 2015
Goodness why try to blame him! I'm sure allergies were disclosed! You must work on the other side
September 4, 2015
No I don't. It's just common sense. I feel no doctor knows your body better than you do. How can you expect a Dr to know your entire life allergies and contradictions if YOU yourself don't know them?? Me, as my own advocate KNOW what I can tolerate, KNOW what allergies I have, so I can inform any Dr or surgeon who works on me. It's common sense. No ones blaming anyone but all people need to take a more proactive approach in your own body and health. Don't do anything just bc a medical professional says it's ok. You can read can't you? Do your own research before you leap. Again, common sense
October 20, 2015
I am actually a Registered Nurse and obviously took serious measures to ensure the entire surgical team was aware that I'd gone into anaphylaxis three times in previous year at the dentist.
August 8, 2016
Thank you so very much telling your story. I am on day five with the All on 4 top and bottom . The pain has been so hard. I quit the narcotic
After day two could not Handel them. So I have been doing over the counter and it has taken the edge off. No one on the sites tell the truth. Thank you so much. You gave me hope
After day two could not Handel them. So I have been doing over the counter and it has taken the edge off. No one on the sites tell the truth. Thank you so much. You gave me hope
March 28, 2018
I’m really happy for you & wish you the best of luck. I really feel bad for the painful
Experience that you had to go
Through- but pretty soon
you’ll be finished up - you’ll be
Able to smile
Experience that you had to go
Through- but pretty soon
you’ll be finished up - you’ll be
Able to smile
Replies (2)
July 24, 2014
I had the procedure done back in Feb 2014. My pain wasn't super bad, but still took meds. I had to get all my teeth pulled bc of a blood disorder that affected blood flow to my teeth causing infections which would cause me endocarditis bc of avms in my lungs, almost died a few times, so it was time. The only place I had a ton of swelling was the lips. I am gonna be honest, it's been awesome to be able to eat food without wondering if my teeth will break but at the same time these temporary implants turned out horrible. My friends and family told me I looked jacked up..which I agreed. It changed the whole shape of my face and I can't talk without a lisp now. I finally get my permanent ones next month and we are praying they make me look normal again. At least my Dr did admit to saying the shape and size was all wrong and when he took my temps out to make the permanent mold this wk, he actually found out one of my screws was placed in the wrong spot so it was extremely painful for him to try to fix that. He didn't know what went wrong. The temp teeth were not even the same shape as my original teeth and the gum part was so thick and crooked. These last 5 months have been hard. I won't let people take pictures of me, I try not to leave the house much bc embarrassed by the way I look and talk. The Dr promised me my permanent implants will be perfect and I will be 100 percent satisfied! I better be for the amount of money this cost us. So I can keep u all updated on how things turn out next month. But I want to say everybody was super nice, apologetic for the mistake and I do feel more confident that they will not let me leave the clinic till I am in LOVE with my new smile! So in the end I think this will all be worth it.....I hope!!!
September 1, 2014
Personally, I think lisps are so endearing. I wish you the absolute best and I have a feeling that your perms will be worth everything you have gone through!
But even when things go right, some will have more pain than others. My mom is built like an ox, strong and seemingly impervious to pain. She fell down some rickety wooden stairs once, landed flat on her back, and was down for one day. I think I would have ended up in hospital. Anyway, when she got her implants, she had a lot of pain and swelling--much worse than most of the people here on RealSelf go through. So I think that's just variable and some are luckier than others. The sample size here isn't that big, so you tend to get a lot of extremes :).
Because of your review, I looked up how sulfites and epinephrine are related and it seems like it's a preservative used in the epinephrine preparation, is that right? I looked it up on the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology website and it was under a metabisulfite allergy. It seemed like they were saying sometimes there were metabisulfite-free preparations available, but that also some patients who've reacted with anaphylaxis before tolerate the epinephrine fine even with the metabisulfite. It's especially interesting as epinephrine is used to treat anaphylaxes in emergency situations. I'd be extremely interested to hear more about your situation.
Do you know how they managed the pain during the procedure this time?
Thank you so much for updating us!