Dental Implant Failure & Salvage – Lebanon, NH
Renewing Your Restored Smile
Dental implants are successful in more than 95% of cases. Despite their great success rate, however, it is important to remember that on rare occasions, they can fail. If you ever believe something is not quite right with your replacement teeth, call us right away. After one of our experienced experts evaluates the situation, we will recommend a salvage procedure and strive to get your oral health back on track as soon as possible.
Why Do Dental Implants Fail?
When a failed dental implant in Lebanon occurs, it is usually due to an infection known as peri-implantitis, which occurs when bacteria attack the bone and gums around an implant. Eventually, the damage can progress to the point where the mouth is no longer able to support the implant. Poor oral hygiene is often a major contributing factor to peri-implantitis.
Other reasons why an implant may failure include physical trauma, underlying health conditions (like certain types of cancer), and failed osseointegration (the implant never bonds properly with the surrounding bone).
Symptoms of Failed Dental Implants
Dental implant failure can occur at any time, whether it is days, weeks, months, or even decades after the initial placement surgery. You should always be on the lookout for the following symptoms:
- Unusual or severe pain. Some discomfort is normal during the healing period after dental implant surgery. However, severe or lingering pain indicates the need to seek professional care.
- Signs of infection. Red gums, swollen gums, receding gums, and pus are all signs of infection that should be taken seriously.
- Difficulty eating. After you adapt to using your new teeth, it should be easy to eat virtually anything. Problems in this area point to the need for a dental appointment.
- A loose-feeling implant. In some cases, an implant feels loose because the bridge, denture, or crown on top of it needs to be repaired. In other cases, the implant itself requires attention.
How Dental Implant Salvage Works
Call us as soon as you start to suspect that something is amiss with your dental implants in Lebanon. Waiting will only allow any problems to get worse. When you come in for your appointment, we will look at your mouth, possibly take some X-Rays or other scans, and then recommend your next steps. In some cases, we can prevent implant failure via antibiotics or another conservative form of treatment. In other instances, we must remove an implant altogether. Later, after a healing period and perhaps a bone graft, we may be able to place a new implant.