The first step in taking care of an issue is knowing when to call for help. If you’ve had a dental implant, call your oral surgeon or healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:
- Speaking, chewing, or mouth opening difficulties
- Facial swelling after the first two days
- Persistent or worsening toothache and/or mouth pain
- Bad breath
- Swelling and pain in the gums
- Loose teeth or gaps in your smile
- Discharge (pus) from the affected area
Replacement
If the dentist has determined your implant is likely to fail, replacement can be considered. Depending on the case, the existing prosthetic can be either pulled out like a tooth or extracted with surgery.
You’ll need to undergo a significant period of healing before a new abutment can be put in; it takes six months or more for your bone and tissues to recover. Additionally, underlying health factors that lead to the failure need to be addressed.
Bone Grafting
If the bone surrounding a failed implant doesn’t heal well or isn’t strong enough, your oral surgeon may consider bone grafting. The goal of this procedure is to reinforce the jaw with transplanted bone material. This can be either harvested from another part of the body, grown from tissue in a lab, or made of synthetic materials.
Following successful recovery from this procedure, a new dental implant can be positioned.
Alternative Methods
There are other options for replacing missing teeth, worth considering if replacing your dental implant seems like a risky option. These options include:
- Dental bridges: One or more prosthetic teeth are permanently affixed to surrounding ones. Additionally, dental bridges can be affixed to implants.
- Partial dentures: Partial dentures, also known as removable false teeth, are another common means of correcting a smile. These are taken out at night and when eating.
- Full dentures: When most or all of a set of teeth are missing, full dentures can be worn as a replacement. As with partial dentures, special care needs to be taken with these.