Implant Extraction

[LittleLynnie]

My periodontist removed an implant last year because I had peri-implantitis. The implant was very easy to remove, because there had already been a lot of bone loss. I'm now facing another extraction, but this implant is much more firmly embedded in the bone. I'm terrified that this extraction could cause nerve damage (I'm a trigeminal neuralgia survivor), and/or be very painful after the procedure. Do any of our dentists here have any idea if there is a risk of nerve damage when extracting an implant? I should probably mention that this implant is on the bottom, about midway back in my mouth. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[comfortdentist]

Risk is directly related to proximity of the nerve. It varies with individual circumstances

 

[LittleLynnie]

Thank you. I want to make sure that I was clear. This isn't a tooth that is being removed, it is an implant. May I ask how unscrewing it would touch anything other than bone, and if so, how does it do so? If the implant is being unscrewed, shouldn't it only cause pain to the smaller nerves in the bone?

 

[Gordon]

The main nerve supply to the jaw runs in a canal immediately beneath the roots of the molars/premolars and exits from just below the corner of the mouth. This is the nerve that Comfortdentist is talking about.

Nobody here has any way of knowing where that is in your mouth in relation to the bottom of your implant.

 

[LittleLynnie]

I'm hoping then, that there is enough bone beneath the implant, so that if it shatters while the implant is being removed, nothing will go anywhere near the nerve. Thanks so much for your response.