Dental Implant Failure & Salvage—Oklahoma City, OK
Protect Your Investment & Save Your Smile
One of the main reasons you decided to get dental implants was because they are supposed to be so much more secure than regular dentures, plus they have an impressive 20 to 30+ year lifespan. But lately, your implant has started to feel loose and painful when chewing. These are telltale signs of implant failure, but we can do something about it at Grand Dental Studio. Not only can we provide answers, but we can also save your implants while ensuring you don’t run into the same issues down the road.
You don’t need to wait for things to get worse—reach out today to schedule an appointment.
Why Choose Grand Dental Studio for Dental Implant Salvage?
- Implant Treatments Planned with Advanced 3D CBCT Scanner
- Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists
- Trusted by Oklahoma City for Over 30 Years
Why Do Dental Implants Fail?
When we say a dental implant is “failing,” that means it is unstable, painful, or both! This can happen for a multitude of reasons, but the most common are:
- The post didn’t fully bond with the bone during the healing process.
- Trauma or a blow to the face has damaged the area and dislodged the implant.
- An infection has developed in the gums and bone supporting the implant (peri-implantitis, which is similar to gum disease).
Symptoms of Failed Dental Implants
- Persistent Pain or Discomfort: While some pain is normal right after the placement surgery, ongoing or worsening pain may signal a problem.
- Swelling or Inflammation: Continuous or excessive swelling, especially with redness, could indicate an infection.
- Loose Implant: A wobbly or shifting implant often means it's not integrated properly with the bone.
- Gum Recession Around the Implant: Receding gums can expose implant threads and may be associated with bone loss.
- Difficulty Chewing or Biting: Difficulty using the implant while eating may indicate structural or functional failure.
- Pus or Exudate: Discharge around the implant site is a sign of infection and should be treated immediately.
- Fever or General Malaise: Systemic infection related to the implant could lead to overall feelings of illness or fever.
How Dental Implant Salvage Works
After performing a visual exam, our team will take X-rays and a CT scan of your mouth so we can get a better look at the bone near the implant. This can help us identify the primary factors contributing to failure.
Depending on our findings, we may simply disinfect the area to give the implant a better chance to meld with the bone, or the post may need to be removed entirely. Procedures like periodontal treatment and a bone graft might be necessary to get rid of an infection and ensure there is enough bone to hold the implant. We may also suggest a different size or type of post to give you more stability.
Our team will share our findings with you throughout the entire process so you understand our recommendations. We’ll also offer tips on how you can lower your risk of failure in the future, which may include practicing more consistent oral hygiene, avoiding tobacco, being careful when chewing really hard foods, and keeping up with routine checkups so small issues don’t have a chance to turn into big problems.