Dental implant, sinus lift & bone graft

I have had two. I have had numerous problems related indirectly to one of them but it was due to the reason for the implant and not the implant itself.

I had a root canal following a filling which probably should never have been done and which made me sick and I got high fevers and chills from the filling. That had to heal and I had to have lots of antibiotics. That root protruded into my sinuses. I had to have a root canal. It was done with a file that was too short. It had to be redone at a teaching university, and then, as it did not work, I had to have an apicoectomy performed. This all followed 2 fillings, 2 crowns, 2 root canals. That area was in a terrible state, the tooth had to be removed and it being a front tooth, I opted for the surgery you are considering.

I now have a terribly painful condition called trigeminal neuralgia as a result. I had taken the maximum dose of antiepileptic drugs for the pain to no avail and no pain medication even touches the pain.

I had surgery for that which, not guaranteed 100% but had high prospects, has not worked. The drugs are beginning to cause increased liver enzymes. So, I am now about to undergo radiation for that. The pain is in my brain but is transmitted to my face as a pain like lightning or electricity shockis which come through my forehead, onto my eyeball, across my face, to my ear and back down to that lateral tooth area. So, I am going to have radiation to the brain area.

The second was in the contralateral side to a tooth in a crown that I did not know had gone bad. It never gave me any pain and was never caught on x-ray until I had the first implant done when the oral surgeon, taking an x-ray of the full mouth, found it. Oh, boy was I fit to be tied. I was about to undergo the extraction, surgery, grafting and implant and even before starting, I had to look forward to another side.

That tooth was so decayed that all that remained was a root. None of the 3 dentists, 2 endodontists or oral surgeons to this point had caught it. Now I have no problem at all with this side. It has gone like a charm.

It took 9 months from start to finish with my first one and 8 months with the second one. Mine were done in segments, with extraction, surgery, bone grafting. Then after a few weeks, implant. In the meantime, I had to have a partial (flipper) made for the absent dental area.

Once the implant was placed, it was 16+ weeks before I had an x-ray to check it. It was not totally "taken" and we waited. From that time to getting the reveal to getting the "crown" on the implant was about 9 months.

The second one might have taken a shorter period of time but I had some other issues including pneumonia during that period, not as a result of my tooth but community-acquired.

If you are not having any issues with strange root canal/sinus issues, then not to worry. My sister-in-law had the basic surgery, which I believe you are describing, and she has done well for 9 years.

P.S. I had a great surgeon. I never even had to take a pain pill from the extraction or the implants and never had any swelling. I have a mouth full of implants but I think you were asking about the sinus lift, extractions, bone grafting, etc. So that was the ones to which I replied. I just want to make sure you know the trigeminal neuralgia was caused from the bad dental work in the beginning of that tooth and not the implant but it has caused more pressure there, but once the radiation is done, the brain will quit sending messages to make it hurt. I am sorry this is so long but I wanted you to know in case you had root canal and nerve pain associated already with your area.

Four implants done on the top last Feb, two done on bottom last September, all have been reveled. I am having impressions and things done and in about 6 more weeks I will have beautiful teeth.

I have had issue with the top or bottom, I did swell horrible when the top were done

I had a dental implant last year on a molar. I found the recovery to be very quick and painless. The worst part is the cost, ouch. Also the hollowed out diver under the gum line is a little strange when I feel it, but nobody else but me would ever notice.

Thank you all for your replies. It's very interesting to hear what others went through.

I have little to no pain. I'm still swollen. The sinus lift was loud and extremely jarring. I have antibiotics for 2 weeks & pain pills as needed.

The periodontist said 6 months healing before the crown. I hope it's sooner. I see my regular dentist in 2 week & the periodontist in a month.

I've gone through several implants over the years, as well as some bone grafts. All were typically without problems. However, the last bone graft I had didn't take, so I now wear a "flipper".

For those of us who have gone through these intense, time-consuming procedures, do you ever get tempted by those commercials that claim they can do it all in one visit? How can they possibly even do an implant on the same day that the tooth is pulled? I just don't get how they can promise so much. I must be missing something.

I am nearing the end of the process for two implants. Started last April with bone grafts, implants (the posts) in Oct., the inbutments (sp?) 3 weeks ago. This week I go for one last check with the implant Doctor and the next day I see my regular dentist to have the impressions done for the crowns. It has been a real journey - no real issues other than when we did the implants, apparently touched a nerve and it took over a month to regain feeling in one area. That delayed the process about a month. I had great doctors - my regular dentist and the specialist .

MaryB, that sounds very intense, all of it. I wish you the best in your recovery.

I'm curious at the sinus lift procedure. How do they do that?

On 2/1/2015 HonnyBrown said:

MaryB, that sounds very intense, all of it. I wish you the best in your recovery.

I'm curious at the sinus lift procedure. How do they do that?

They use some kind of metal contraption. The periodontist told me they call it "tapping" but he warned me the patients say they say it's "pounding" The patients are right. I felt like he was pounding my head with a hammer with all his might.

I believe he cut the bone, raised the sinus, put in a "membrane", then the bone graft and stitched it up.