Sedation and Clear Choice Dental Implants

I am scheduled to have my dental implants done with Clear Choice Implant Center. When I mentioned that I used to be on Suboxone, they kind of acted seriously uncomfortable, which meant that I became uncomfortable telling them that I am currently on methadone. Is it necessary for me to tell them? I am afraid that if I do, then they won’t treat me. But, I know it is surgery so that could be a problem if they don’t know, right?

Andrew

Dear Andrew,

Woman asleep in dental chair from dental sedation

They will use dental sedation for this procedure so it will be absolutely vital that you tell them every medication which you are on, including your methadone. The dose and even the mix of your sedation medications will need to be adjusted according to what you are taking in order for you to be safe.

That being said, I’d like you to think carefully about Clear Choice for your procedure. They tend to be a one size fits all institution and do not do well with adjusting things to be patient specific. Their reaction to your Suboxone is a warning bell to me and an indication that they’re going to have trouble with your sedation dosing. Let me tell you about one Clear Choice horror story.

A colleague shared a story about a Clear Choice patient who spoke to them about his high tolerance for medications and the fact that he would need to be dosed higher than most patients. They did nothing to accommodate that. As a result he actually woke up during the surgical procedure. To make matters worse, rather than stop and re-dose him, they just held him down and continued the procedure, working on him even as he thrashed in pain. On top of that, he ended up with his teeth in the wrong place (probably because he was thrashing as they were placing them).

I am going to suggest that you see a private dentist to have your dental implants done. They are better at tailoring treatment to a patient’s individual needs. My guess is that Clear Choice recommended the all-on-four implant procedure. As I said, they’re a one size fits all corporate practice. Don’t be surprised if the other dentist suggests traditional implant supported dentures. These are better for you in the long run.

This blog is brought to you by the caring dentists in Lafayette, LA, Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.