Failed Dental Implant – Greenfield, MA

In rare instances, dental implants can become loose, uncomfortable, or at risk of falling out. These issues can develop for a variety of reasons, including a serious oral injury, tobacco use following surgery, or because the dentist placing it didn’t do it properly. At BGH Dental, we take all the necessary steps to ensure your dental implant placement is a total success. In the unlikely event that your dental implant fails, we can salvage it, so you don’t have to worry about completing implant placement all over again. Call our office to get the process started!

Why Do Dental Implants Fail?

One of the most common causes of implant failure is peri-implantitis, which is an infection of the implant site due to unremoved plaque and bacteria around the base of the implanted tooth. This infection breaks down supporting bone tissue and typically occurs when a patient does not properly clean their teeth or their implants.

Failure can also occur in patients who smoke immediately following their implant placement or for those who lack enough bone density for the implant to properly take hold in the jaw. While these are the most common causes, severe oral injuries (either while playing sports or from a bad fall) can also lead to implant failure.

What are the Symptoms of Failed Dental Implants?

There are many symptoms to keep an eye out for if you fear that your dental implant is failing. For example, if your implant is not staying in place or it feels loose in any way, call our office right away. Furthermore, if your gums appear inflamed or you find it very difficult to chew or bite down on food, it’s a sign that the integration process did not go as planned.

How the Dental Implant Salvage Process Works

The very first thing you should do if your implant appears to be failing is call our office. We have years of experience working with dental implant cases and will perform a detailed exam to correct any issues. During the exam, we capture detailed X-rays of your mouth, the implant, and the surrounding area to gather as much information as possible. For example, if we determine that the cause of your failure is peri-implantitis, the implant may be temporarily removed so we can eliminate buildup from the area causing the infection. To re-bond the implant with the jawbone, we may also place a growth factor.

Additionally, if the implant never attached to the supporting bone, a small piece of bone grafting material can be placed to encourage growth in the affected area. If a physical injury caused the damage, oral surgery may be needed to fix the damaged bone before the implant can be saved.