Man Spends $25K on Dental Implant, What Happens Next Shocks Internet
January 9, 2025
3,796
A man has turned to the internet for advice after enduring a costly dental ordeal.
The Redditor, whose account has since been deleted, shared that they had spent $25,000 on two failed dental implant procedures. The post resonated widely, racking up 47,000 upvotes.
“The dental implant I accidentally pulled out of my jaw. Penny for scale,” they wrote, accompanying the post with a photo of the dislodged implant next to a penny.
Dental implants are a popular solution for replacing missing teeth. According to Bupa Dental Care, implants involve placing a titanium screw into the jawbone, which acts as an anchor for artificial teeth. While implants have a high success rate, they require proper bone support and healing to function effectively.
Redditors were quick to offer advice and express sympathy for the original poster (OP).
“The fact that it came out is not good. I hope you have good dental insurance,” one user commented.
The OP responded, revealing that their insurance wasn’t covering the replacement, but their dentist was stepping in to help.
“My dentist is replacing it for free, all I have to cover is the anesthesia,” they wrote. “This is the second one to come out. I’m having a big discussion with him at my next appointment because I did not pay $25k for this to fail twice.”
A file photo of dentistry work. The internet shared suggestions as to what could have gone wrong with the implant. A file photo of dentistry work. The internet shared suggestions as to what could have gone wrong with the implant. Philippe Lissac/The Image Bank Unreleased
Some users speculated about the possible cause of the failure.
“It’s obvious that the bone of your jaw is not bonding properly to the implant screw for this to happen twice,” one Redditor suggested.
Dr. Chelsea Perry, owner and practicing dentist at Elite Dental Studio, offered insights into the situation with Newsweek.
“There are a multitude of reasons why an implant can fail, only some of which the dentist has any control over,” Dr. Perry added.
Usually dental implants have a success rate of 90-95 percent, but she believes the redditor had a mandibular overdenture, which has a higher success rate of 97 percent.
Mandibular overdentures are a type of denture that fits over retained roots or implants to provide better support, stability and retention than conventional dentures.
Dr. Perry outlined the potential risk factors for implant failure:
Biological factors: Conditions such as smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, osteoporosis, immune deficiencies, or cancer can impair the bone’s ability to heal.
Hygiene: Poor oral hygiene can lead to plaque buildup, causing inflammation, gum and bone loss, and eventual infection of the implant site.
Medications: Drugs like bisphosphonates and blood thinners can hinder bone healing.
Physics: The implant must remain completely stable during the healing process. Issues such as premature attachment to a denture, inadequate bone support, or improper angulation can all increase the risk of failure.
Newsweek reached out to the Reddior for comment via Reddit before the account was deleted. We could not verify the details of the case.
Um die besten Erfahrungen zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn Sie diesen Technologien zustimmen, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Die Nichteinwilligung oder der Widerruf der Einwilligung kann bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigen.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
