Can this implant be saved?
Please see the x-ray below.
16 days ago I had an implant placed (several months after extraction and bone grafting) on the right upper side of my mouth and an extraction/bone grafting on the right by an OMS. The extraction healed as expected, but I began having very significant pain over the implant site. Five days later, I was in serious pain and called the dentist (I was out of town on business); he prescribed zithromax (I am allergic to Penicillin/Sulpha) as I wasn’t going to be back in town for two more days. I saw him a week after the implant, and he said the implant was fine, I just had a canker sore,unrelated to the procedure or the implant. He took no x-rays. Having no experience with canker sores (and there was definitely some sort of significant swelling on the gum well above the implant sites), I took him to his word, and waited for improvement. I had a follow up appointment 14 days post implant, still in very significant pain. He tapped on the implant, said it sounded “solid” and it didn’t hurt when he tapped. He indicated still a canker sore and it would go away.
The following day (yesterday), in serious pain, I called the office to ask for an email of the x-rays; I was thinking of a second opinion but didn’t say so. The OMS called me back; I indicated that I had pretty serious pain and that if I tapped the implant it hurt. I went back to the office. He tapped it again, said it sounded “hollow”, different then yesterday and it was very painful when he tapped (though I don’t believe my head actually hit the ceiling, it was close). He said it was now clearly infected, put me on another z-pak. He did not take an x-ray. I took the loading does of zithromax yesterday. This morning my gum around the implant is quite swollen (I can’t feel the end of the implant with my tongue.
Obviously there is an issue here. My questions:
Is the implant at risk; if so how much? Is a second course of zithromax appropriate, since the first one didn’t seem to do it Is this dentist on the right track, following this appropriately? Should follow up x rays shoud have been taken? Should I get a second opinion (beyond this virual one)?
Any input is greatly appreciated. As you can tell from my xray below, I have had ALOT of dental work, and this is the first signficant complication/post-work pain I have had, and I am definitely not enjoying it! Best, AJ