Dental Implant Salvage – Lincoln, NE
Giving Your Implants a Second Chance
At Williamsburg Dental, when we perform a dental procedure, we do our best to give our patients positive results that last for as long as possible. For example, dental implants are successful more than 95 percent of the time because our team thoroughly prepares each patient beforehand. However, sometimes, even the most generally effective treatments—dental implants—can end in failure. Read on to learn more about what our team can do for dental implant salvage in Lincoln, NE.
Why Do Dental Implants Fail?
Implant failure occurs when the bone and tissue don’t keep the implant stable, but there are actually two timeframes of dental implant failure—short term and long term. In the months that follow implant placement, the jaw bone is supposed to grow, envelop the post, and create reliable stability. If this process, called osseointegration, doesn’t happen, then short-term failure has occurred. Several conditions can interfere with this process, including an existing infection (gum disease) and low bone density from osteoarthritis. During your consultation, we try to identify and overcome these obstacles with the appropriate preliminary treatment before beginning the implant process.
Sometimes, the implant can fail years after the initial placement. In many of these cases, failure results from poor oral hygiene or a lack of proper maintenance. Although the implants themselves are not susceptible to decay, the gum and bone tissue that supports them can become inflamed and infected in a condition call peri-implantitis. To avoid this, implants need to be treated like natural teeth through daily oral care and regular dental visits with our team.
What Are the Symptoms of Failed Dental Implants?
If you’re not paying attention, it can be easy to miss the early symptoms of a failing dental implant until it’s too late. Common signs that your implant is failing (or soon will be failing) include:
- Receding gums, exposing the implant post.
- Loose or shifting replacement teeth.
- Inability to bite down on food.
- Constant bad breath.
- Red, swollen gums that bleed when you floss or brush.
- Osteoarthritis or low bone density
Obviously, if the implants come out entirely, they have failed.
How Does Dental Implant Salvage Work?
Some dental implants can be saved, but the treatment method can vary depending on the situation. We will do everything we can to avoid needing to take out the implant, but it is sometimes necessary for the best outcome in the long run. For example, if short-term failure has occurred because of an existing infection, we will likely remove the implant and treat the infection, waiting until it is completely eradicated before attempting implant placement again. Alternatively, if the patient suffers from peri-implantitis, we may or may not need to remove the implant.