A failed dental implant is an unusual situation, but it does occur. If that happens, there’s no need to panic as there are treatment options available. Sometimes the cause of failure is preventable too. Dental implants are usually a predictable and successful procedure, but it requires a great deal of training and experience to place correctly.
Osseointegration is a biological process that allows a dental implant to function correctly by letting your body produce bone cells around the implant surface, surrounding it, and anchoring to your jaw bone. If osseointegration doesn’t happen the way it should, it can cause problems and after the dental implant is inserted and lead to a failed dental implant.
Mobility is often the first sign of a failing implant. This happens because the bone is not growing properly around the implant. Initially there might be only very little mobility recognizable by a dentist, but over time an implant that has failed to integrate will feel wobbly and may move when the person chews or talks. A totally failed implant will be consistently movable.
Other signs of an dental implant that has lost osseointegration may include pain, swelling or infection, but that’s not always the case. An X-ray of a failed implant will usually show the bone loss around the implant. So if we notice any mobility in the implant, we’ll do an X-ray to examine the bone growth.
The success of an implant procedure depends on many factors, but certain habits and medical conditions can increase your risk of a wobbling implant. Gum disease and bruxism (Teeth Grinding) can damage a healing implant, while diseases like osteoporosis that attack bone strength and density can make it difficult for the implant screw to anchor. Ongoing cancer treatment may also be cause to pause an implant, since radiation therapy can sometimes inhibit the bones’ ability to heal.
Some medications can also put you at risk for implant failure. According to the University at Buffalo, a compound in antidepressants that affects your rate of bone metabolism can cause osseointegration problems for people who take these medications.
Smoking may increase your risk of dental implant failure depending on where in your mouth the implant is placed.
Peri-Implantitis is a disease characterized by the inflammation of gum tissue and bone around dental implant resulting in the loss of the supporting bone around it. Often times you may not be aware that this is occurring and it is important to seek treatment for the condition if it is detected.
Symptoms of peri-implantitis can vary in type and severity. Some symptoms include redness inflammation and bleeding of the surrounding gum tissue, deepening of the periodontal pockets around the implant, exposure and visibility of the underlying implant threads, loosening of the implant itself, and poss discharging around the implant. In cases of more severe infection the lymph nodes on your neck may become swollen as well.
The most common cause of peri-implantitis is tartar buildup at the implant site which harbors toxin emitting bacteria that cause irritation of the surrounding gum tissue and ultimately results in tissue and bone loss. There are other possible causes that may apply depending on your situation.
If left untreated, the infection and bone loss can progress to a point that the implant does not respond to treatment and could lead to loss of the implant altogether. If addressed early enough, there are treatment options available to halt the progression of the disease and attempt to repair its damage. It is important to work closely with a doctor experienced in treating this condition to determine the best options with the highest likelihood of success.
A failed dental implant is easily removed with local anesthesia. If an implant needs to be replaced, they will take it out and gently clean the area. If the bone is intact around the area of the removed implant, no bone graft will be necessary.
If there is bone loss, we may place a bone graft to improve the site for replacing the implant. Healing from a bone graft can take several months before a new implant can be placed. During healing, we’ll discuss ways to reduce the risk factors that caused the implant to fail, such as quitting smoking or waiting for a course of cancer treatment to be finished.
