Dental Implant Failure & Salvage – Alexandria, IN
Thorough Care for Painful or Loose Dental Implants
When placed by a seasoned professional like Dr. Martinez with state-of-the-art equipment like the cone beam scanner, dental implants boast a success rate of over 95%, even 10 years after placement. In fact, most patients can expect to enjoy their dental implants for a lifetime! However, if you don’t take care of your smile properly, your dental implant could fail. At Martinez Dentistry , we offer dental implant salvage in Alexandria to help preserve your newly rebuilt smile. Read on to learn more about our thorough care for painful or loose dental implants.
Why Do Dental Implants Fail?
The most common cause of dental implant failure is a condition called peri-implantitis. This is an infection in the gum tissue around a dental implant, which is often caused by poor oral hygiene. The bacteria will begin to attack and destroy the connective tissues that help hold the dental implant in place, causing it to loosen or fall out. Other situations that can cause dental implant failure include physical injuries and certain medical conditions.
Fortunately, keeping your dental implant safe, healthy, and firmly in place for decades to come is a relatively simple task. Peri-implantitis can be kept at bay with good oral hygiene habits. Make sure to brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day, floss every day, and rinse with an ADA-approved mouthwash regularly. When you visit us for your biannual checkups, we’ll take a close look at your implant to ensure it’s in good condition.
Symptoms of a Failed Dental Implant
A dental implant can fail right after its placement or many years down the road, so it’s important to be familiar with what symptoms to look out for:
- A loose feeling in the implant
- Difficulty chewing or biting
- Bright red, puffy, or tender gums
- Pain or sensitivity around the dental implant
- Gum recession near the dental implant
How Dental Implant Salvage Works
If you begin to notice any of the above signs of a failing dental implant, we encourage you to call us immediately. The sooner we begin treatment, the more likely we will be to save your dental implant. We’ll see you right away for an evaluation to determine what exactly is causing your dental implant to fail. From there, we’ll be able to recommend the best treatments to restore your smile. This could include services like a bone graft, gum disease therapy, or antibiotics. However, in very severe cases, dental implant salvage may not be possible. If your jaw or gums are in a particularly bad state, we may need to remove your dental implant in order to effectively treat the underlying issue.