Dental Implant Failure & Salvage – Manchester, NH

Helping Your Restored Smile Last

A woman talking with her dentist

Compared to other prosthetic teeth, dental implants are consistently successful. In fact, they have a long-term success rate of over 95%! Unfortunately, the fact remains that implants can fail early sometimes. You’ll thus need to watch for signs of such failure. Still, it’s possible to treat a failed dental implant in Manchester. Simply see us for salvage treatment! That way, we can save your smile and ensure it recovers. If you’d like to learn more, keep reading or call our office for details.

Why Do Dental Implants Fail?

A 3D illustration of a failed dental implant

Truthfully, dental implants can fail for a range of reasons. That said, some causes of this failure are more common than others.

Much of the time, implant failure is due to peri-implantitis – a site-specific gum infection. This condition inflames connective tissues around an implant and weakens the surrounding bone. As a result, the prosthetic tooth can loosen as it loses crucial support structures.

Of course, other issues can also cause implant failure. These include:

Severe physical injuries or accidents
Failed osseointegration (i.e., the implant and jawbone don’t bond properly)
Medical conditions that weaken the immune system (i.e., cancer, diabetes, etc.)

Symptoms of Failed Dental Implants

A man suffering from dental implant failure

Implant failure isn’t limited to a specific timeframe; it can basically happen at any time. For instance, your implant could fail in the healing period post-placement. Alternatively, it may occur years or even decades after treatment. Given these facts, you’ll need to stay cautious.

Luckily, the signs of implant failure are easy to recognize. The most common of these symptoms are:

Unusual or Severe Pain – While soreness is normal after implant placement, it’s usually mild and fades after a few days. Should it persist or worsen, though, you should visit us immediately.
Implant Looseness – A functional dental implant is as secure as other teeth. If it starts to feel loose, something has gone wrong with your treatment.
Difficulty Chewing – An implant should let you eat nearly any food without problems. In contrast, struggling to chew with it is a red flag.
Swollen or Inflamed gums – When gums are irritated and inflamed, they’re likely infected and need immediate care.

How Dental Implant Salvage Works

A young woman visiting her dentist for dental implant salvage

If you suspect your implants have a problem, don’t hesitate to contact us. The earlier your issue is caught, the easier and less expensive it is to treat.

Our office can salvage your implant and restore your oral health if necessary. How that process works, though, will depend on your situation. Our dentists must identify the cause of your implant’s failure before proceeding. Once they have, they’ll suggest possible treatment plans.

For example, say that your implant fails from peri-implantitis. In that case, our team may not need to remove it. They can perform other procedures instead – gum cleaning, root scaling and planing, or gingival flap surgery. However, note that you may need a bone graft to build up the implant’s supporting tissue.

If an implant fails from facial trauma or failed osseointegration, it should be removed. That’s the best way to make sure the treatment site heals. From there, we can discuss whether you should get a new dental implant.