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THR Finished one week

Thanks for your thoughts on the seminar and for tuning in.

Given the choice, I’d choose to wait on the tooth also. Looks like you’re nearing the time to have it fixed since it’s your three month anniversary today.

Happy Three Month Anniversary to you!

I hope October has been a good one. Looks like the holidays are staring us down. I hope your celebrations are special this year, enjoyed without pain. Let’s hope the new year we‘ll soon be ringing in is better than the one most of us want to turn the page on. Wishing you all the best as you continue healing.
Have a wonderful weekend!
@Michael1000
 
Thank you, Layla. I am still going to always be careful with Dentistry issues, but I did understand from a link from this website that there is probably less of a risk than previously understood? ??
@Layla
 
Hi Michael,
Yes, that is my understanding also. I chipped a tooth during the lockdowns here and had to wait about six weeks to have it fixed (crown) my dentist felt it unnecessary I take an antibiotic so I trusted in that. There are varying opinions on this and it’s between you and your dentist. I believe this may be the article you’re referencing-
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads...ctic-antibiotics-for-dental-procedures.20052/

I hope you have a nice day and week! :) Good luck with the dentist.
@Michael1000
 
Hello All............ I am starting a new issue so I hope I am doing this correctly. I am wondering if anyone has ever had similar issues.

I am going on my sixth month after surgery. Time flies !! But I have had some dental issues. I now have a cracked tooth. Probably been going on for 4 - 6 weeks now but was just discovered. The Endodontist say there is some bacteria there but it was localized. He put me on antibiotics for a week. I now have two choices. I can have it removed, probably this week and wait three months for complete healing and then start the implant process or my Dentist thinks I should wait another week (Oral Surgeon is on vacation) and have the oral surgeon remove it and in this case he starts the implant process right away.

I know I have shared this with all of you before but I am a happy but anxious type person. I am trying to keep it all in check. I have a friend who had an infected tooth. He took antibiotics and had the tooth removed and even then it did not go to his hip so I know it doesn't mean absolute problems ...but I am trying to figure out if it would be safer to have the tooth removed right away. There probably is no real absolute answer.

I will definitely take the antibiotics when the dental work is being done but if there is another week before that happens, I don't know if I should take antibiotics through the week. I do not have pain but there is an odd sensation and I am not sure if it is the bacteria build up. The Endodontist said that if an infection starts, it will show up as a pimple in the gum and become painful. I wrote a note to my surgeon and it was responded to by the nurse. She assures me the surgeon read it and was not alarmed and said I could decide on my own which approach to take. ...I suppose this is my anxiety but I kept wondering if he really read it or was this all her answer.

I think this type of issue would be great for one if the seminars. Dr. S, is great at answering questions I want to be cautious without driving myself crazy with worry. !!! Thank you for any input. ...and sorry that this is such a long post.
Michael
@Layla
 
Hello Michael,
You are posting as you should and will now have a record of your recovery all in one place for easier reference at a later date.

While I also chipped my tooth, It only required a crown. The work you’re looking at is a bit more extensive. I would take comfort in the fact that the surgeon is not alarmed and accept the reassurance offered through his nurse. I can’t imagine she‘d relay that message without the surgeon’s honest impression given your situation.

Since this issue is causing you some anxiety and the tooth needs to be fixed, I’d consider acting sooner, rather than later. There is no sense in putting yourself through the stress of waiting to have the work completed. Kill two birds with one stone. Get the tooth fixed and lose the anxiety. I believe infection is rare and I’d try not to dwell on the idea of suffering any repercussions.

Great idea for a topic with Ask the Expert!

I hope others that have experienced dental issues after THR, now resolved, stop by to offer some support and reassurance.

Wishing you all the best, please keep us posted.
@Michael1000
 
You are between a rock and a hard place.
Since your surgeon is not concerned and left it up to you. My inclination would be to wait a week for the oral surgeon and start the implant process vs having to wait 3 months.

You are the only one who can decide, you know the state of your general health, and your health history, to make the best decision for you.
Either way you will end up with a shiny new implant in 6 months or so.
 
Sounds like your Surgeon and Dentist are thinking along the same lines and as both have your medical history, I'd be inclined to follow their recommendations. You have antibiotics so I would go ahead and take them to get a head start on killing any possible infection.

I had a tooth abscess years ago, long before my THR, but the Dentist had me take antibiotics for a week prior to pulling it. He said it would not only help kill off infection but also help curb the spread of any remaining infection. Because when they pull a tooth there is blood and an open area in your mouth until it heals.

Hope we've given you some food for thought and helped to ease your mind. :console2:
 
Have you made a decision about what to do? I have to agree that having the assurance from your surgeon's office and your dentist that it is possible to wait a week makes that seem like a good alternative. You would have your new implant sooner that way.

Did they keep you on antibiotics while you're waiting to get the tooth taken care of? That would seem like a prudent precaution. If not, you could ask your dentist or even your GP to provide another course for you.
 
Good Morning
Sorry for the delay in responding.
My bigger concern than what approach to use, is about having the tooth removed right now. I am only five months past surgery. I did understand that it should be six months but then I read that it was actually 3-6 months, which I would understand to mean, wait longer than 3 months if you can but after 3 months you are in a comfortably safe zone.

The surgeon's office is not really providing any feedback. I think they feel that if you have to have it done, then you have to move forward. I know the risk is real but maybe it is exaggerated in my mind. I think things happen but they are rare. Then there is the report found on this website that contradicts what most of us have understood and states that it is not bacteria coming from our mouths that typically infect artificial joints. My surgeon did tell me of a woman that they believe got an infection from getting a cut from a pedicure.

The sense I get from the nurse, is that she believes the biggest issue comes from being in the dentist chair. That is when, as she says, "everything gets stirred up". Thus the antibiotics, especially when having a tooth pulled or root canal. I will definitely be taking those.

I have a friend that had an abscessed tooth. So an infection was actually going on but it did not go to his hip. The dentist and the pharmacist happen to mention to me that a bigger problem with these issues is if you have had heart problems. ....All of that said, I think it would be a great idea to have a seminar on it all.
 
Hello All

I attended the seminar on Saturday. The Doctor said to send our questions that he was not able to answer to this forum and that one of the moderators would forward the questions to him.

I have two questions:

The first: Is it normal for the scar to itch and occasionally burn six months after surgery?

The Second: Why do some people allegedly get infections from their teeth? Is it because they let a problem tooth go untreated until it gets infected and that leads to the problems?

Thank you
Michael

@Layla
 
I hope you enjoyed the seminar, Michael. I’ll forward your questions, here is a little info from our resources.

bonesmart.org

Evidence insufficient to recommend prophylactic antibiotics for dental procedures

Evidence Insufficient to Recommend Routine Antibiotics for Joint Replacement Patients Who Undergo Dental Procedures LINK December 18, 2012 New, collaborative evidence-based guideline proposes The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and the American Dental Association (ADA) found...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org

As for your incision. I believe I had itching on occasion also for many months. I recall a variety of odd sensations, burning, tingling, itching, pins and needles, mainly all fleeting.

Consider applying one of the creams or lotions mentioned below -
Bio-Oil, Vitamin E Oil, E45 Cream, Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion with Vitamin E, and Coconut Oil. I used / liked Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lotion.

I’d only be concerned if there was pain increasing in intensity and frequency, fever, warmth, redness, drainage. Keep in mind there was a lot of trauma that occurred underneath the surface and it can take a full year for a complete recovery.

Wishing you a nice week! :)
@Michael1000
 
If it is of any comfort @Michael1000 , I needed a root canal a few years following my hip replacements. The oral surgeon was particularly careful in cleaning the root out and administered some direct antibiotic substance into the canal before closing it up. I know you are facing a different procedure, but I would not wait the three months if it can be handled all as part of one process. Good luck.
 
@Michael1000 ....Sorry for the delay in getting this information back to you. My fault....Dr. Sinha responded quickly, but the email got "lost" in my inbox.


I have two questions:

The first: Is it normal for the scar to itch and occasionally burn six months after surgery?

Dr. Sinha: Yes, it's normal.

The Second: Why do some people allegedly get infections from their teeth? Is it because they let a problem tooth go untreated until it gets infected and that leads to the problems?

Dr. Sinha: Anytime bacteria get into the bloodstream, for reasons we don’t fully understand, the bacteria can home in to the artificial joint. So we like to give preventative antibiotics for procedures that have a high risk of putting bacteria into the bloodstream, like dental procedures or other surgeries.
 
Thank you; No problem about the delay; I forgot to respond myself. Thank you everyone for your help and encouragement throughout this whole process.
I might be doing the other side at some point. Although I am going to try the hyaluronic acid shots first. They are doing them for the hips now as well as the knee with success. Evidently there is less risk than with the steroid and you can get it more often. My operation was so successful that I am less anxious about doing the next one but I would like to put if off if I can.
Thanks again and hope everyone is doing well. !!!
 
Happy for the good news on your recovery... as far as the other hip ...putting off surgery too long can be tricky. Injections usually are not successful with osteo. I had a few and only the numbing effect meds in the injection help for a day or two.... Always remember keep track of bone and careful not to wait to long as necrosis injury can be a issue if waiting too long for thr for other hip. The surgeon will remind you that he needs good solid bone structure for the thr at best to give you a good quality of life And long lasting shinny hips That last for many years. My first hip was done in 1999 and still ticking ..over 23 years that‘s a long time.
 
Thank you for your input. I do appreciate your thoughts. The Surgeon is definitely watching it all. However, the injections they give now are a totally different game. They actually have been quite successful with osteoarthritis. The Doctor that does the seminars here on Bonesmart also recommends them. There is no guarantee, of course, but I am going to have a positive attitude and hope for the best. :)
 
If the injections work for you, that's well and good but, unfortunately, they still don't work for everyone.

Once your arthritic joint reaches a certain point, nothing but replacement is going to give any relief.
 
Yes, Dr. Sinha stated the success rate during the seminar. It was high enough for me to think it is worth a try so I called my Doctor. This is the HA shot not the steroid. I did get some relief from that shot but those are limited but the HA shot you can get regularly.
 
Seems a little like patching a leaking boat that needs a dry dock to me @Michael1000, but we all have to pick our own path. When I found out soon after my knee replacement that my hip was bad I just wanted it done and dusted. Since I've been able to live life without thinking about what kind of joint pain would result.
 
No, it is definitely not patching a leaking boat. It is a credible medical option. I learned about it through a Bone Smart seminar.
 
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