Dentists Removing Healthy Teeth for Profit from Implants, Experts Warn

Experts are raising alarms that some dentists are removing healthy teeth to profit from dental implants. This trend poses serious concerns about patient care and the ethics of dental practices.

The Experience of Becky Carroll

Becky Carroll, a New Jersey resident, had several dental issues, including missing and stained teeth. Feeling embarrassed, she often smiled with her lips pressed together. Her dentist suggested fixing her teeth with root canals and crowns, but Carroll hesitated to undergo extensive dental work. Then she saw a commercial for ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, which promised a “new smile in as little as one day” by surgically replacing teeth instead of repairing them. Carroll decided to pursue this option and saved up for the surgery.

In 2021, she paid $31,000 to replace all her upper natural teeth with artificial ones at a ClearChoice clinic. However, her experience turned out to be traumatic. She claimed that during the surgery, her anesthesia wore off, causing her to feel pain as her natural teeth were removed and titanium screws were placed in her jawbone. Afterward, Carroll’s new prosthetic teeth were misaligned, making it difficult for her to chew for over two years until she could afford corrective surgery at another clinic.

Concerns About Dental Practices

Dental implants have been used for over fifty years to replace missing or damaged teeth with artificial versions. While this type of dentistry was once performed by a select group of highly trained specialists, many dental providers now offer these surgeries. Amid this growing industry, some experts worry that many dentists are forgetting the primary goal of preserving natural teeth and are becoming too quick to remove them for costly implants. In interviews, ten experts reported giving second opinions to patients who were recommended for multiple implants when their natural teeth could have been saved.

Lawsuits across the country have also alleged that implant patients like Carroll faced painful complications requiring corrective surgery. Some lawsuits claim that dentists at certain implant clinics pressured patients into unnecessary extractions. Experts warn that whether for a single tooth or an entire mouth, implants expose patients to high costs and surgical complications. Patients may face future dental problems with fewer treatment options because their natural teeth are permanently lost. William Giannobile, the dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, stated that many perfectly healthy teeth are being removed unnecessarily due to financial benefits for the practitioners.

Misconceptions About Implants

There is a common belief among patients that implants are more durable than natural teeth. This misconception is partly fueled by advertising on television and social media. While implants do not get cavities like natural teeth, they still require maintenance and can lead to infections in the gums and bones surrounding them. George Mandelaris, a periodontist from Chicago, explained that just because someone can afford implants does not mean they are a suitable candidate for them. When an implant becomes infected or loses bone support, it can fail much faster than natural teeth.

The Process of Getting Implants

Implant surgery typically involves extracting a tooth and replacing it with a metal post screwed into the jawbone, which is then topped with a prosthetic tooth known as a crown. For those needing multiple replacements, options like “full-arch” or “All-on-4” implants are available.KFF Health News and CBS News sought interviews with major dental chains offering implant surgeries—such as ClearChoice and Aspen Dental—but received no responses. The Association of Dental Support Organizations also declined to comment on these issues.ClearChoice claims that full-arch implants are standard solutions for patients with severe tooth loss. They argue that these procedures help restore patients’ ability to eat and speak comfortably.

The Rise of Private Equity in Dentistry

The rise of private equity investment in dental practices has contributed to this trend. Large firms now own many dental clinics focused on maximizing profits rather than prioritizing patient care. These firms have invested billions into acquiring dental chains that offer implants. Edwin Zinman, an attorney specializing in dental malpractice cases, believes many concerns about private equity’s influence in dentistry have already come true. He argues that many unnecessary procedures are performed without dentists having the proper training or experience.

The Availability of Dental Implants

The number of dental providers offering implants has increased significantly in recent years. Over 70,000 providers now perform implant surgeries across the U.S., with two-thirds being general dentists who may lack specialized training in this area. This year, Oregon became the first state to require dentists to complete hands-on training before placing implants due to concerns over botched surgeries and failures. As this issue continues to unfold, experts remain concerned about the potential overuse of dental implants at the expense of preserving healthy teeth.