Tooth loss can lead to many complications with your oral health, function, and aesthetics. But you can find comprehensive tooth replacement with dental implants. These fixtures provide prosthetic teeth as well as titanium post anchors that establish a strong foundation below the gumline.
You can maximize restorative advantages when you choose implant dentistry to replace one or more missing teeth. But not all patients can benefit from this specific treatment. You will need enough healthy gum tissue and jawbone to sustain the fusion process of the anchor with the jaw.
If this fusion cannot occur successfully, your implant might fail. However, you can work with your dentist to prevent this issue and enjoy highly beneficial dental restoration with implants. Read on to learn more about dental implant failure and how to avoid this emergency dental scenario.
Signs of Dental Implant Failure
Dental implant failure refers to the rare occasion in which the fusion process between the anchor of the implant and the surrounding jawbone does not happen properly. This situation often comes with noticeable symptoms.
Firstly, you may notice that the implant feels loose and wobbly in the mouth. But a failing dental implant may also cause the patient a great deal of pain. The area around the implant might also swell significantly.
If you experience severe pain that does not respond to management techniques provided by your dentist, do not hesitate to call your dentist’s office. The problem will not go away without intervention from your dentist.
Dental Solutions for a Failing Dental Implant
Your dentist will want to evaluate the implant and your oral health as soon as possible if they suspect it is failing. They will use x-ray imaging to view potential bone loss and other damage within the jaw.
If the dental implant fails, the dentist will need to remove the device from the jaw. The dentist can provide you with a new implant, but they will need to treat underlying issues that may have caused the device’s failure first. If you suffer bone loss, they may need to provide you with a bone graft to rebuild stability in the affected area.
Tips to Protect Your Dental Implant
A dentist will thoroughly evaluate your oral health prior to beginning implant dentistry to ensure you are a good candidate for the treatment. They will consider your existing dental structure and medical history and look for potential risk factors that could hurt your implant. This way, they can ensure you have a low risk of dental implant failure.
You can also take action to reduce the potential of a failing dental implant by following your dentist’s aftercare guidelines. This means taking care of both your implant and your smile during the healing process.
Avoid contracting gum disease, which will deteriorate necessary healthy gum tissue, by practicing good oral hygiene. Tell your dentist about oral habits like bruxism that might also heighten your risk of damaging your dental implant.