Dental implants are a popular choice for replacing missing teeth, but they can fail if certain conditions are not met. Initial implant failures are often caused by the failure of the initial osseointegration between the implant surface and the surrounding bone due to changes in the treatment plan. The most common cause of dental implant failure is an infection in the jaw surrounding the dental implants, known as periimplantitis. Factors related to implant design can also trigger early implant infection and cause implant failure, such as the use of non-biocompatible implant material or surface coating, contaminated implants, and an incorrect design of macroimplants or microimplants.
Other factors that can increase the risk of an implant wobbling include gum disease, bruxism (teeth grinding), diseases such as osteoporosis, and ongoing cancer treatment. Periimplantitis can cause inflammation of the soft and hard tissues surrounding an implant and cause the loss of supporting bone. Biological complications of implants caused by a degree of bone loss may sometimes require removal of the implant. Other signs that a dental implant has lost osseointegration may include pain, swelling, or infection, but this is not always the case. It is essential that, while waiting for the bone and implant to fuse, the teeth are not under excessive pressure. Good oral hygiene habits and the skills of expert dentists are key to avoiding dental implant failure.
An evaluation of your bone health is something your implant dentist will do before the procedure. In addition to brushing and flossing your teeth daily, you'll want your implant dentist to evaluate your oral cavity at least twice a year, even if you have full-arch implants and no teeth left. Especially with low-cost suppliers and foreign laboratories, it's important to act quickly if you see signs of bleeding gums, swelling, pain or mobility of the implant. Before receiving their dental implants, patients should be aware of the potential for failure and how to reduce their risk factors. During healing we'll discuss ways to reduce the risk factors that caused the implant to fail such as quitting smoking or waiting for a course of cancer treatment to end.
By being informed, prepared and understanding the common causes of dental implant failure you can protect the health of your mouth, teeth, implants and gums for decades to come.
