Q. i have had 4 front teeth on a plate for 27 yrs and now have a failing crown and have been to 2 dentists for an assesment. 1st one said im not suitable for implants as i need 4 surgeries and he cant gaurantee its success (he didnt even take an xray) the 2nd one has said i dont need grafting as he uses bicon short implants. i need 6 teeth and he says i need 6 implants – is this right? and do bicon short implants usually do away with grafting? and finally the 2nd dentist did take several xrays/photos but says i dont need a ct scan, but ive read sevaral times that i should have one – is this true?,
A. I am not keen on Bicon implants my self as I have seen a lot of problems with them. However, the principle of more short implants is a sound one. What I don’t really understand is why you would need short implants at the front of your mouth or even more than two implants at the front to replace your plate and a max of two more implants. My advice would be to get a proper 2nd opinion by someone who knows what they are doing.
Dr Nick Fahey
Woodborough House Dental Practice
21 Reading Road, Pangbourne, Reading RG8 7LR
Web: www.woodboroughhouse.com Tel: Tel: 0118 984 3108
Harley Street Dental Studio
42 Harley Street, London W1G 9PR
Web: www.harleystreetdentalstudio.comTel: 020 7636 5981
All implants work to varying degrees of success. While Dr. Fahey may not be “keen” on Bicon, it is the only system that has remained unchaged on the market in over 26 years. He has said he has seen many problems which means he has probably just heard about a problem or two from a colleague. I have just seen a patient with Nobel or some other compnay’s implants in my office and the screw threads are stripped and I will end up removing the implant because it is un restorable. I do not however indict the whole Nobel system as their implants do work. Be careful about any dentist disparaging any implant system since they may have a vested interest in promoting another system. Short Implants of Bicon are truly a dream to work with since they often elminate many surgical procedures and you can have functioning teeth in a shorter time frame. While I agree with Dr. Fahey that short implants may not be necessary in the front of the mouth, the question must be asked ” Why not use them in every part of the mouth if there is no differnce in survival rates between long and short implants.