I think I know of who you are speaking of. I would agree that he was probably right.

Dr. Marvin

Thank you for your reply. I would be interested in an oral surgeon or periodontist who would use anti-infective measures such as ozone. Early on a dentist in Reno thought I had cavitations and wanted to remove the implant as well as #15. I wasn’t ready to to do what he suggested, and when I called him later he said he was retiring and did not want to take my case. Maybe he was right or maybe it is the implant or graft material or a combination of all three.

I would consider traveling out of the area for help if necessary.

I’m glad you found this post on titanium dental implants helpful. The good news is you are not alone. I’ve had plenty of patients with issues with titanium dental implants and bone grafting. For a gum specialist to say he’s “100% sure” that your symptoms are unrelated to the implant is ludicrous. There’s no way any person can say that.

As you know the bone graft could also be the culprit.

I concur with your decision to get the implant and graft material removed; however, without seeing it first hand, I can’t really say for sure.

As far as knowing an oral surgeon or periodontist who will do this procedure, I don’t know of one in your area. I do have a connection with someone there in Reno that may know someone who can help. I”ll email you the contact if I find someone I feel comfortable with.

sincerely,
Dr. Marvin

ps. please continue to spread the word about the consequences of titanium dental implants, sinus lifts, and bone grafting

Thank you so much for your complete and honest opinion about the titanium dental implants. I have a “successful” titanium implant/sinus lift/ bone graft that was completed in 2009 to replace #14 in which the sinus was perforated. This happened though I went to the periodontist who is known for doing great implant work in Reno, NV.. Since then I have had a myriad of physical symptoms I didn’t relate to the implant until symptoms of sinusitis developed 6 months later.

Right now the only way I feel good is when taking a combination of antimicrobial medications and using anti-infective sinus/nasal irrigations as well as amphotericin B nasal wash. Blood work reveals anti-nuclear antibodies as well as anti-thyroid antibodies. Prior to the implant I had a history of allergies/sensitivities as well as sinusitis which required regular irrigations and nasal steroids. Now I have a nasal ulcer (of course in the nostril above the implant) and have had to stop using the nasal steroids.
My life has been hell for the past two years. I posted a question about symptoms related to a titanium implant on Medhelp.org and have recieved numerous posts from people who have had their health adversely affected by titanium dental implants, so I know I am not the only person who has had trouble.

I am in the position of needing to get this fully osseointegrated implant
removed. A ct scan reveals signs of mucosal thickening consistent with a condition of inflammatory origin (mucositis) in the left maxillary sinus. Looking back, I was not a good candidate for this procedure considering the allergies and a family history of autoimmune disease. I am not comfortable with returning to the periodontist who installed the implant as he claimed that any trouble in my mouth and symptoms of infection were due to #15, and that tooth has since been extracted. He is “100% sure” that my symptoms are unrelated to the implant. If you have the name of an oral surgeon who can successfully remove an osseointegrated implant, as well as the bone grafting material, I would appreciate it. My general dentist in Reno and Dr. Lipelt in Sebastopol, CA will support my decision.

Thank you,

Sonja
Reno, NV

Your comment here, though, is specific to titanium implants. The science behind it (and the complete answer to your question) is far too detailed to completely cover in a blog comment, so I’ll post a “quick” answer here and write a longer, more complete article covering both the pros and cons of titanium implants later this week.

So here’s the “short” answer: Yes, titanium is a relatively “safe” metal. However, when you compare it to breast implants, etc. you’re comparing apples to oranges. When you embed a titanium post into your jaw, you’re sticking a metal rod into the bone and outside the body… In the oral cavity. The barriers between inside and outside the body have forever been compromised, allowing a host of problems. (Not to mention that piercings often lead to infections, contact lenses can cause sever reactions in some people, breast implants have a history of problems, etc. When you introduce a foreign object into the body, you’re playing a game of chance. Nothing in medicine is 100%… I choose to error on the side of safety when the “game” could be life-threatening).

Have “enough procedures been done in the last two decades that would tell us that titanium is safe to use in the body”, as you state? In fact, locally the procedure works 90% of the time. Those aren’t good ratios to claim that the procedure is “safe.” Sometimes the failure is due to the material, and sometimes it’s to to poor craftsmanship (I recently examined a patient whose implants were infected and had been placed at the wrong angle in the jaw, not only leading to bone loss and infection, but also to a host of dental problems in the surrounding teeth). I also have plenty of first-hand experience, so while my information may be my “holistic opinion,” that ignores the fact that I’m a licensed, trained dental practitioner as well as a former educator in a dental school. In fact, I’ve had over 200 hours of implant training over the past 10 years and have placed my share of implants, bone grafts and restorations, so I have direct, first-hand experience to draw from.

Here’s one particular story:
A patient of mine went through the vicious sequence of filling, crown, root canal, re-treatment, and now dental implant. Radiographically it is perfect (as stated by 5 other dentists, including myself). But she has had pain in her ear and jaw since day-one of the placement. And no, it was not close to the nerve. Yet she insisted it be removed. Instantly, after the procedure, all the pain went away. Coincidence?

Do we professionals claim to know everything about our bodies? For the most, part, we don’t. Every day new discoveries are made (remember, those “safe” breast implants a few decades ago? Those original silicone implants were “completely safe” according to empirical studies… until thousands of women became sick). Science is not exact, especially in medicine. It never will be. I guess that’s why they call them practices.

So yes, anecdotally there are cases of implant failures. There are also cases of implant success. Things will never be 100% when it comes to medicine and our bodies. So are dental implants universally the choice of treatment for everyone? Of course not. Case selection is key. But in my practice, where health and safety is key, I won’t take those chances, especially when there are other, more proven and less invasive options available.

I appreciate the comment. Comments such as yours help answer the questions that many people out there have, but are often afraid to ask. Hopefully this is step-1 toward a complete answer (I’ll work on a complete article analyzing the arguments for and against implants this week… look for it on the homepage before the end of the month).

Thanks!
Dr. Marvin

I think that enough procedures have been done in the last two decades that would tell us that titanium is safe to use in the body – so I need to ask why it would not be “biochemically compatible”. If our bodies immune system attacks anything that is not “real”, as you state, then breast implants, contact lenses, piercings, etc would all trigger massive immune responses that would potentially kill people.

I enjoy reading your site, holistic opinions always makes for an interesting debate for those of us who base our opinion on empirical studies and classical science.

Thanks for the question.

Like most things dental, you need to know what the whole body implications of putting something that’s “fake” into our bodies. Not only “on” the teeth but “in the bone.”

Be cautious because our bodies have an innate defense system (immune system) that battles against anything that is not real.

Just because professions say that bone can integrate around titanium mechanically, does that mean that the body accept it biochemically.

We don’t know for sure.

So in our practice, we error on the side of safety.

Would I out titanium in my mouth? No.

With the advent of metal free implants, it is promising.

Re: orthodontics – I have very strong feelings against certain corrections of tooth and jaw problems. However, every case if unique and it would be difficult for me to recommend one way or another.