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Peri-implantitis is a form of gum disease that affects the area around the dental implant placement, resulting in its loosening. Its characteristics include inflamed gums and bleeding of the gum tissue around the dental implant, as well as a reduction of the gum line, causing the implant threads to become exposed. If left untreated, it can spread and cause significant bone loss around your mouth and jaw, as well as cause your lymph nodes to become infected, which can be very dangerous.
If you have noticed the area around your dental implants becoming sore, reddening, becoming more tender or if any of the above symptoms have arisen, you should speak with a dental professional immediately.
Similarly to gum disease in patients without dental implants, most of the time dental implants fail as the result of poor dental hygiene. Much like taking care of our original teeth and gums, good oral hygiene is essential in preventing conditions such as gum disease, plaque build-up, and gingivitis and can help avoid more severe implications, such as reduced gums and bone loss.
As the gums and bones begin to break down due to gum disease, the strength and effectiveness of dental implants begin to falter, resulting in them loosening. Other factors that may cause dental implant failure include:
However, in exceptionally rare cases, it can be the case that the dental implants are simply rejected by the body altogether, though this will become apparent very early on post-implantation. This is known as an “early implant failure” and is not as medically pressing as the above.
The treatment can work for a single missing or failing tooth, or any number of teeth up to a complete dentition (full mouth dental implant treatment) which can be restored with dental implants, providing a highly predictable restoration that should preserve and strengthen the jawbone as well as look and feel completely natural.
The full dental implant process usually involves a number of visits over the course of a few months. Although, the implant(s) and interim new teeth are usually fitted in one session.
A typical dental implant process would be:
An initial consultation followed by a detailed full case assessment, and a plan for your treatment from start to finish.
This often involves taking some intra-oral scans and a CBCT of the proposed implant site or sites. This helps the implant dentist to plan the treatment in the best way using the latest digital 3D software.
This involves small surgical procedures. Wherever possible we try to do immediate implants, i.e. If there is a failing tooth or teeth to replace, we can often remove the tooth or teeth and place the implant or implants at the same time immediately into the extraction site or sites.
For front teeth, we would place a provisional (interim) restoration of the tooth or teeth at the same time (with a provisional crown or bridge) so the patient can walk out with a new tooth or teeth in place straight away.
It’s also common to have to carry out some bone and/or gum regeneration/bone grafting at the same time as the implant placement.
The stitches are typically removed 7-14 days after surgery. It takes between six weeks and six months (typically three months) for the dental implant(s) and bone to be ready for the final implant crown or bridgework. Meanwhile, the patient has a provisional interim tooth or teeth in place fixed to the implant or to the adjacent teeth. Explore more on dental implant recovery and aftercare.
The crown or bridgework is usually fixed onto the implant or implants by means of a screw and abutment. The screw hole is then filled with a tooth-coloured composite filling.
The main benefit is that the affected tooth or teeth can be replaced without any interference to the teeth on either side.
A single-tooth implant is usually the best course of dental treatment to restore a failing or missing tooth. A bridge may require preparing or drilling the adjacent teeth, something we are keen to avoid, particularly if the teeth are sound and healthy.
Although, in younger patients, below the age of 25, we would usually advise a resin-bonded bridge.
To prevent a dental implant from failing, the best course of action you can follow is to maintain good dental hygiene. Despite the fact dental implants are not prone to degrade in the same way as real teeth, brushing your teeth regularly, flossing and using mouthwash all help eliminate leftover bits of food from your teeth and gums. If left unattended, these leftovers can stick and cause the buildup of plaque, eventually leading to gum disease or Peri-implantitis.
You should try to:
On top of this, you should try to avoid foods that are known to be unhealthy for the teeth and gums and that lead to the buildup of plaque – such as sugary foods or sugary drinks.
Unfortunately, if your body naturally rejects a dental implant, there isn’t anything you can do to solve this lifestyle-wise and you should consult your dentist about further available options.
If a dental implant has failed to take hold in the mouth or has become loosened as a result of peri-implantitis or similar affliction, there are steps to be taken to repair the damage.
Firstly, your dentist will remove your existing dental implant. If the failure is not related to your oral health, it could be the case that the implant surface could be cleaned and allowed to heal slightly, before trying again.
Alternatively, if the dental implant failure is due to peri-implantitis or similar, your dentist will need to examine the level of gum or bone loss you have suffered, if any. They will likely recommend a series of treatments to restore your mouth to full health, before attempting to apply the dental implant again. However, if you have suffered significant bone loss, a bone graft may be required to help the implant remain firmly in place in the mouth.
But remember, every patient is different, and no two circumstances are the same. If you would like to know more about the treatments available for failed dental implants, reach out to one of our professionals today.
As major experts in the field, at The Windsor Centre for Advanced Dentistry, our team has decades of combined experience treating an array of dental issues, including dental implant failures. In fact, implant dentistry, implant recovery, implant removal and failing implant treatment are some of our specialities, so you can rest easy knowing you’ll be in excellent hands.
Whether you choose us for a new implant procedure in the first instance, or your implants have begun to fail, and you’ve lost faith in your original dentist, we’re here to help. Speak to a member of the team today, and we’ll do our absolute best to ensure you leave our practice with the happy, healthy smile you deserve, whether that’s after a dental implant procedure or any one of our other amazing services.
Are you looking for dental implants? If so, you can benefit from the expert, thorough, award-winning treatment from world-renowned dentist Dr Tidu Mankoo and his team.
View our Meet the Team page to find out more about the credentials of Dr Mankoo and the rest of the specialists here at The Windsor Centre for Advanced Dentistry.
