Dental implants can last a lifetime with proper implantation and good oral hygiene. However, if patients don’t prioritize their oral health, dental implants can fail. When they begin to fail, you might start to notice it wiggling in your mouth or discomfort when chewing. If you do start to notice symptoms, it’s important to seek care immediately to prevent larger oral health problems. In rare cases, implants can even fall out.

Because dental implants are such a large investment, failed dental implants can be devastating for patients. The good news is highly skilled periodontal practices like Ormond Beach Periodontics offer failed dental implant services to help you correct the problem.

Signs Of Dental Implant Failure
When an implant begins to fail, it may start to feel loose or gently wiggle. However, as the issue progresses, the signs and symptoms can become more severe. You may have pain or discomfort when chewing or talking, and gum recession around the implant may become visible. Your gums may even appear swollen.

If your implant was recently placed and you notice signs of an allergic reaction, it’s important to seek care right away. This could be an indication that your body is rejecting the implant, which can also lead to failure.

What Causes Dental Implants To Fail?

While dental implants can fail for several reasons, it’s important to point out that it’s not common. About 90% of implant surgeries last for decades, and patients who take care of their teeth and gums are far less likely to experience any problems. However, when failure does occur, it’s usually because of one of the reasons below:

• Gum Disease – This is actually the most common cause of implant failure. Your gums keep your implants in place. As they accumulate plaque, they become inflamed and eventually begin to weaken and deteriorate. Over time, they can lose their ability to hold the implant in place.
• Bad Habits – Smoking, teeth grinding, and nail-biting are all bad habits that can hurt your teeth and can cause implants to fail.
• Slow Osseointegration – After implants are placed, we rely on a biological process called osseointegration to securely connect the implant to the jaw. This process occurs when the body makes bone cells around the implant. If osseointegration doesn’t happen or takes a long time, it can impact the stability of the implant.
• Medical Conditions – Certain medical conditions that affect bone strength such as osteoporosis as well as some medications and cancer treatments can lead to implant failure. Many cases of failed dental implants show significant bone loss around the metal portion of the implant.
• Poor Implantation – All periodontists in the United States must adhere to the same education and licensing requirements, but sometimes professionals make mistakes. If your periodontist was inexperienced or poorly trained, the implant may not have been set properly to begin with.

Implant failures can occur within a couple of weeks of the initial procedure or several years later. The timing of the failure can have a major impact on the approach to treatment.

How Can My Failed Dental Implant Be Fixed?

Treating a failed dental implant usually involves removal and replacement — but it’s not always so easy. Identifying why the implant failed in the first place is necessary to create an effective treatment plan. If the failure occurred due to gum disease or jaw bone atrophy, the underlying issues may need to be resolved before the implant can be replaced,  and this can take several months. For example, a bone graft or longer-term gum disease treatment may be necessary. Once any oral health challenges have been addressed, your periodontist can move forward with replacing the implant.

Trust Ormond Beach Periodontics For Failed Dental Implant Treatment

Treating failed dental implants can be challenging, so it’s important to trust a highly experienced periodontist to help you resolve the problem. The last thing you want is a second failed implant. In some cases, correcting the problem may require lifestyle changes, treatments, and time. However, healthy teeth and gums are worth the effort!

Dr. Stuart Beauchamp at Ormond Beach Periodontics helps patients resolve failed implants. By conducting a thorough examination, he will work to determine the cause of the issue, remove the failing implant, and create a custom treatment plan to help you resolve the problem. Dr. Beauchamp can also replace the failed implant once the underlying issue has been taken care of. When it comes to complicated treatments, it’s important to get the very best care. Schedule your appointment at Ormond Beach Periodontics today.