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Implant lost in max sinus :(
Hello Docs!
First posting here! I wish I had an image to attach but not in the office this week.
I had a patient return for an uncovery of implant #3 at 3.5 months. His initial torque at placement was 35NCm and I placed a cover screw. Pt didnt complain of any symptoms and appeared to have been healing acceptably at 1 week postop. At uncovery, unfortunately, as I was placing the scan body I painfully learned that the implant didnt integrate and was pushing into the maxillary sinus. I immediately told him about what happened and am in the process to book him for a implant retrieval via lateral sinus with another dentist.
This is my first complication and stressing! Anybody have any pearls of advise on what to expect and how to mitigate this?
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1 Reply
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Welcome to the “club” no one wants to join, but every seasoned surgeon eventually does! Honestly, the fact that you were upfront with the patient immediately is the best move you could’ve made—that transparency saves careers. What likely happened is a “perfect storm” where the soft Type IV bone in that #3 spot didn’t transition from mechanical to biological stability. The real MVP tool is a pair of <b data-path-to-node=”0″ data-index-in-node=”513″>alligator forceps; that implant is going to be slippery as a fish in the sinus membrane, and those tiny serrated “teeth” are the only thing that’ll grab it before it slides in. Hope this helps.
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