Dental implants are the best way to replace lost or broken teeth to repair your ability to enjoy your meals again. While for the most part implants are safe and will last for many years if taken care of properly, there have been instances of implants failing.
What is implant failure? What are the causes and how can you prevent it from happening in the first place? Here is what you need to know to make sure your implants last.
What Is Dental Implant Failure?
Dental or denture implants fail if they become loose or otherwise malfunction in your mouth. This failure can be caused by numerous reasons, most of which can be prevented and are within your own means. Dental implant failure is very rare, but it can happen.
Why Do Dental Implants Fail?
The reasons dental implants fail are many. Two of the most common causes are infection and bone loss. The infection known as peri-implantitis is an infection of the area around the implant itself. This infection extends to inside your gums. You can get this infection due to poor dental hygiene—for example, not brushing enough or thoroughly, and not flossing enough. This is very important, especially right after your implant procedure.
It can also fail because the implant itself does not integrate into your existing bone structure. If you don't have a high enough bone density and your dentist didn't graft additional bone to your jaw, this can cause your implant to fail. This can also happen if you suffer some form of trauma, like, for example, a car accident after the procedure.
How Do You Prevent Dental Implant Failure?
Treatments to help your implant from failing will depend on what is causing it to fail. For example, if the failure is being caused by an infection, a hygienist may clean the implant and the gums around it to rid them of the infection. Once the infection is cleared up, the gums should tighten and the implant should not fail. A hygienist will then teach you how to prevent another infection by using good oral hygiene.
If trauma or damage has caused the implant to fail, you might need a bone graft done. An implant must be placed in areas where the bone is strong enough and not damaged. They can also only be placed where there is enough bone density for the implant to be placed into.
Contact a dental professional for more information about dental or denture implants.
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