Dental Implant Failure and Salvage – Colorado Springs, CO
Never Face Implant Complications
On Your Own
Generally, dental implants carry a very high success rate when they are placed by a professional and you perform consistent at-home oral hygiene (as well as maintain dental checkups). There are rare instances where a dental implant can fail, which can happen for a variety of reasons. The good news is when you catch problems early, there’s still a chance that we can save your implant from needing removal. If you’re concerned about your dental implant, whether you received it at Rocky Mountain Periodontal Specialists or from another office, give us a call!
Why Do Dental Implants Fail?
The most common cause for a dental implant failing is a condition known as peri-implantitis. This is an infection that destroys the connective tissue that surrounds the implant. In most instances, this condition develops due to gum disease as a result of poor oral hygiene.
However, there are other conditions that can cause a dental implant to fail. This includes a physical injury to the implant itself, failed osseointegration (the process in which the implant fuses with the jawbone) and certain conditions that make it more difficult for the body to heal.
Symptoms of Failed Dental Implants
It’s important to note that dental implant failure does not exclusively occur soon after the implant is placed. In fact, dental implant failure can happen at any time, even if you’ve had the implant for 10 years or longer. For that reason, it’s vital to be aware of the most common symptoms of dental implant failure. These include:
- Difficulty chewing
- Severe pain or discomfort
- Gum inflammation or recession around the implant
- Increased facial swelling
- Loosening of the implant
When early dental implant failure occurs, it’s typically right after the implant was placed inside of the jaw. Your implant failure is considered late if it happens several years after your implant has healed and been functioning normally. If you notice any of the symptoms above or you’re not 100% sure if your implant is failing, please give our office a call so we can perform a more detailed exam.
How Dental Implant Salvage Works
The sooner an issue is caught, the more likely we may be able to save your implant from needing removal. You could also potentially save a lot of money on dental care costs by getting in touch.
During dental implant salvage, our team takes a close look at your implant and captures digital X-rays. From there, we can determine the specific cause of your failure and whether or not the implant can be saved. If it must be removed, we can at least treat the underlying issue so a future implant can be placed.
In the event that there is not enough available bone tissue to keep your current dental implant, we’ll perform a bone graft to expand its volume for future treatment. If an infection has developed, the implant will need to be removed so we can debride (or remove all plaque and tartar) from the area.
Depending on the case, we could replace a new implant right away if it’s safe and we believe treatment will be successful. However, we may not do this if you need to have a bone graft performed first.