Dental Implants

[ChristineK]

Hi, I hope someone out there can help me. I am wanting to have a dental implant but I have osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. I have only just been diagnosed with osteoporosis and am not on any medication as yet. What worries me is that maybe the bone in my gums may not be strong enough to support the implant. I would be grateful to hear from anyone else who has been in this postion.

[HeronNS]

This really is a question for your dentist or dental surgeon. If you have been taking osteoporosis medication they may well advice against it owing to the risk of jaw necrosis. Do you take Vitamin K2? It helps dental health.

choice-dental.com.au/vitami...

[ChristineK in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you for your reply, not taking osteoporosis medication yet, but will probably be having infusions after tests etc. As for K2, I can't have vitamin supplIments, as I am on heart medication and have to be careful about taking suppliments. Will have another chat with my dentist.

[HeronNS in reply to ChristineK]

Ok. Just be aware that K2 is not the same as K1. You can get it in diet if you eat products from grassfed (never grainfed) animals and poultry, and Japanese fermented soybeans (natto). It directs calcium into the bones so actually guards against developing osteoporosis and appears to have some hand in helping to reverse bone thinning. Your dentist will want all necessary invasive dental work completed before you start any osteoporosis medication.

[ChristineK in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you for your reply, so informative.

[felsentor in reply to ChristineK]

Do not take prolia if you are going to have dental implants. . I had 6 in my upper mouth and prolia made them all fail and I lost all my teeth. They say I was warned about that- really?

[Kaarina]

My late mother was taking AA and she had dental implants. You really have to chat with your dentist about it.

[ChristineK in reply to Kaarina]

Thank you very much for your helpful rep!y

[Deee64]

I was in the same position, not long ago but was taking AA at the time , only for 5 months. Contacted ROS for advise and they said it would be fine cos I hadn’t been on it for that long, so I don’t think it’s the osteoporosis that’s the problem with implants/dental issues think it’s the AA

I

[ChristineK in reply to Deee64]

Thank you for your reply, this sounds very encouraging, but who are ROS?

[HeronNS in reply to ChristineK]

Royal Osteoporosis Society.

[ChristineK in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you, I was totally ignorant about this

[Sunseaandsand]

Hello ChristineK,and thank you for your reply to my post.

I have always been told before starting on any treatment for osteoporosis to have a dental check up. It has been the Doctors at the hospital who have told me to do this.

However I am not sure if that advice would include having dental implants.

Perhaps there is an alternative you could have instead.

I would think your doctor who has diagnosed your osteoporosis would be able to advise you best.

If you are going to be put on treatment for your osteoporosis I think implants would best be avoided, because as I understand it, when inplants are put in they have to be left for the bone to grow around it.

Treatment would have to be delayed until after that time.

Take care and let us know what you decide to do.

[ChristineK in reply to Sunseaandsand]

Thank you so much for your helpful reply. I actually spoke to the nurse in endocrinology this evrning and she said that under no circumstances should I have implants with osteoporosis. She did have a word with a consultant at the Dental Institution with reference to my query, so it looks like implants are out of the question anyway. The tooth will have to be extracted, so I will be left with a gap. I do not fancy having a denture or a bridge which are my only other options.

[Kaarina]

You may find this link of some help: biomedpharmajournal.org/vol...

[Kaarina]

If you are in the UK you can call the ROS helpline free and chat with one of their qualified nurses should you wish to do so. Tel: [phone]

[ChristineK in reply to Kaarina]

Thank you Kaarina, I may do that tomorrow.

[Tues]

I’m newly diagnosed and have to c my dentist for a jaw X-ray b4 my doctor will give me a prescription for osteoporosis meds.

[ChristineK in reply to Tues]

I think that is probably because you will need to have any dental work done before starting meds? That would make sense.

[March12]

I endorse the advice to ask your dentist. I had an implant a year ago, aged 72 and with osteporosis. I have confidence in my dentist and he was happy to go ahead provided I was only on 70mg of AA. As he said, a lot of implants are for older patients and prescriptions for AA are quite common. I was guided by one of the research projects re dental implants on the ROS website theros.org.uk/osteoporosis-... and the criteria for participation which was published at that time - no longer than 4 years on AA. I came off AA for 6 months before and after(I had been on it for 3 years) and the dentist took a lot of time to make sure the implant had taken before he completed the tooth. He also was meticulous about infection prevention. The best advice I can offer is to make sure your dentist is experienced and successful with implants and talk to him. The bone in the jaw turns over more quickly than other bones which is why it can be risky in some cases. A good dental surgeon should be able to establish with a reasonable amount of certainty whether an implant is likely to be successful or not in a particular patient and spell out the risks involved. Hope this is helpful.

[ChristineK in reply to March12]

Thank you March 12

This is very sound advice, but I came off AA a few years ago, as it caused burning in the oesophagus. At that stage I only had osteopenia, but now it has developed into osteoporosis, so I will have to be put on treatment again, probably infusions. I am seeing my dentist on March 1st as the tooth will have to be extracted, but he will go through the options with me. He has been treating me for about 15 years now and he is very experienced. I am just panicking because I know I have to have any dental work done prior to having the infusions.

[felsentor in reply to ChristineK]

Please be warned about prolia- I only had 2 injections and delveloped necrosis of the jaw and lost all my implants and teeth. I wear a denture now.

[ChristineK in reply to felsentor]

I'm so sorry to hear this, I really feel for you. What an awful thing to happen.I am not on any osteoporosis medication as yet and can't start until after all dental work is done.

I have never heard of Prolia, is it used for osteoporosis?

[HeronNS in reply to ChristineK]

You must read up on Prolia if that is the drug which is offered to you. I believe it should only be reserved for very serious cases and people who are prepared to stay on it for the rest of their lives. If it is discontinued a patient runs a significant risk of developing rebound osteoporosis more serious than their original condition. fiercepharma.com/pharma/con...

[ChristineK in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you for tehd info, that soun ds really scary, I will look it up on Google, many thanks.

[ChristineK in reply to March12]

Sorry March 12, forgot to mention, I am also worried about Necrosis of the jaw, which can happen in certain circumstances when on Bisophonates and having implants done.

[March12]

The ROS website has a very helpful info sheet about osteonecrosis of the jaw theros.org.uk/information-a.... As they say, the risks are low but I know it doesn't stop one worrying - I did! It might even be helpful to talk to more than one doctor or dentist and draw on their experiences.

[ChristineK]

Thank you, that is really helpful, I think I may get a second opinion from another dentist. I appreciate all your advice.

[Catseyes235]

I’ve had four implants. Expensive but no regrets even though it feels like a tombstone has been implanted at first! Dentist will always take X-rays to see the quality/quantity of your bone. Implants are usually guaranteed for 10 years so they wouldn’t suggest it if not going to be viable! May have to wait until after COVID though. Good luck !

[ChristineK in reply to Catseyes235]

Thank you for your reply, did they take xrays of your gums or did you have a CT scan? Are you on any osteoporosis meds?

[Catseyes235]

Not on osteo meds ...just thyroxine. Do you know I’m not sure if had cat scan Sorry this lockdown and a mini stroke has made me forgetful. Seem to think I did but certainly had X rays.

[ChristineK in reply to Catseyes235]

So sorry to hear of your stroke, hope you are better now.Thanks for the info and take care

[June25]

I have just had a dental implant. The dentist had bone reconstruction material in case I needed it. It is called Geistlich Bio-Oss. As it happens I had enough bone but she would have used this stuff if not. The bone defect is filled with this stuff to form new bone. Then the wound is covered with Geistlich Bio-Gide membrane to protect the bone formation. The implant is inserted when the reconstruction is complete. She told me it takes about 4 months to wait until the implant can be done.

I agree with others that this is a question for your dental surgeon. It might be a new technique so you'd need to find one who knows how to use it.

Good luck,

June

[ChristineK in reply to June25]

Thank you for your reply. This sounds like a very innovative treatment and when I see my dentist next week, I will certainly mention it to him, as you say, not all dentists may not have the experience of it.

[modover]

Hello ChristineK, I have RA and osteoporosis which started as osteopenia and then progressed.I am 77 and 2 years ago I had upper jaw implants. I wasn't taking AA as these upset my stomachs but I did have infusions, 3 with about 3 years between each. The last being approx 2 years before the implants. Unfortunately I forgot to tell my dentist about the infusions until after the implants

(my memory is very sketchy). He did say I was lucky that there were no serious problems but he is an excellent dentist. However of the 5 implants one did develop an infection but he was still able to fit 5 teeth. From the start until the final teeth took about 18 months because of my slow healing rate. This was attributed to the meds I take for the RA.

My opinion is that if your dentist has a good track record for implants proceed with caution and be prepared for failure. But I have never regretted my treatment. Just another point, I didn't have any extractions to receive the implants, those teeth had been removed many years previously and I was having pain from the denture. I don't know if that would make any difference.

Sorry for the long winded reply to your enquiry.

[ChristineK in reply to modover]

Hi Modover, thank you so much for your advice. I am not on any treatment as yet, so need to have any dental work done beforehand. I am seeing my dentist next week, as the offending tooth has to come out, so I will be able to discuss options with him.. The only thing worrying me is that when I asked the endocrinologists opinion they called the Dental Institute, who said my dentist should refer me to Restorative Dentistry.

[modover]

Not sure if I helped you but just thought I would tell you of my experience. I have never regretted my decision or the money spent and the difference in my oral health and comfort is amazing. I wish you good luck whatever you decide.

[ChristineK in reply to modover]

Thank you for all your help, it hsd been really useful.

[ZakICarey in reply to modover]

I had dental implants installed a long time ago, so I can share a very long experience of using them. Above all, it is your personal comfort and self-confidence. After breastfeeding my second child, my teeth and hair started falling out en masse and I was in a panic, didn't know what to do. I found out about dental implants after my brother had them done for himself and told me about his experiences. It's comfortable and completely safe. Everyone's body is different, so you do have to be careful, but a real professional will do it right. More information here bridgedentalsmiles.co.uk/tr...

[kevinb12]

Hey there, I had the same exact problem before the covid-19 crisis. I had to get my tooth chipped off for about 3/4th portion and it was quite difficult for me to cope up with it. At the same time I was known to have osteoporosis. My dentist suggested to me that getting dental implants (bloorwestsmiles.com/dental-... soon after this can have the best possible results. It has been over 3.5 years now and there has been no issue whatsoever. Although I would recommend you to get the opinion from your dentist to avoid any complications to arise. Hope this was helpful. Please do let me know with updates so that I can be of more help.

[ChristineK in reply to kevinb12]

Hi,kevinb12

Thank you for your reply.

I have decided not to go ahead with the dental implant, as I feel it is too invasive. I have now decided to have a dental bridge fitted instead.