The Truth Behind Dental Implant Failure
Dr. Andre Eliasian is a Dentist practicing in Glendale, CA. Dr. Eliasian specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases and conditions associated with the mouth and overall dental health. Dentists are trained to carry out such treatment as professional cleaning, restorative, prosthodontic, and endodontic procedures,... more
By Elite Dental Group - Dental Implant in Glendale, CA
Dental implants can be understood as an artificial root of teeth that is used in dentistry. This implant is surgically placed into the bone of a jaw, which particularly allows the dentist to replace the teeth in that area. If someone is considering a dental implant, they need to have adequate bone health as well as healthy gums. Not every dental implant is successful as this process does not always work in comparison to other dental procedures.
Here are some common causes of dental implant failure:
- Most of the implants are divided into three parts, namely abutment, a titanium implant body, and a crown. The abutment is an attachment and crown is there to align it with the remaining teeth. You can face issues if any of the three becomes broken or loosened.
- There is a process called osseointegration where a body generates living bone cells to produce around the surface of an implant and anchor it to the jawbone. If this process does not work the way it needs to, problems can arise after the implant is settled.
Dental Implant Failure
Dental implants can cause stress for patients when not treated with proper care, and they may result in a failure. In worldly affairs, people try to motivate others by saying that failure can make you stronger. Unfortunately, this line does not work in the context of a dental implant. So many people could benefit dental implants, but still, they have the potential to fail. About 5% is the rate in which this implant fails.
People who suffer from auto-immune diseases have a higher dental implant failure rate as compared to those don't. This is because the blood supply is poor. The clotting of blood in open wounds is necessary for the body to heal. If there is a lack of blood rushing to the surgical portion or area, the process of healing might be slowed or stopped.
Other symptoms of dental implant failure includes infections. An infection named peri-implantitis, which is a type of gum disease, affects dental implants. It can take place in the beginning or after surgery. When recovering with an implant, you must take special care of your their teeth and gums as it can affect the success of the treatment.
Another symptom that arises during dental implant failure is an allergic reaction. Titanium is used in most cases for dental implants and that sometimes contains small traces of nickel. That is why the chances of allergic inflammatory reaction may arise in some patients. The failure of this implant can provide damage to nerves or tissues as well. Even if an experienced dentist is treating the patient, a minimal amount of tissue damage is expected.
Risk Factors
There are different types of risk factors that lead to the failure of dental implants:
- Excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching, called bruxism, as well as gum disease can damage a healing implant.
- Some other diseases like osteoporosis create problems for the implant screw to anchor as they attack the density and strength of a bone.
- Some medications can put a patient at risk for dental implant failure. Sources have stated that a composition in antidepressants which affect the rate of bone metabolism can provide harm for those who take medications for such things as these medicines can cause osseointegration problems.
Signs of Dental Implant Failure
Some signs of dental implant failure have already been mentioned above. Here we are talking about long-term failures. Long-term or later failures are those where failure arise from initial time to about 10 years after the procedure. There is an under-engineered procedure in which a small amount of implants are there to assist the replacement teeth. It results in providing too much stress on the implants.
Smoking plays a strong role in dental implant failure. People who are habitual smokers face a higher risk of a failed implant. However, dentists recommend the smokers take a break from cigarettes before, during, and after the procedure.
Tissues also play an important role in the signs of dental implant failure. If the patient is lacking the proper amount of gum tissue, then the chances increase for the implants to loosen or even fail. That is why the amount of gum tissues signifies the quality of a seal, which is around the implants. If the individual is suffering from diseases like head, neck or mouth cancer and is facing radiation therapy, there is a higher risk of dental implant failure.
Without sufficient bone to support an implant, bacteria can enter and make an infection at the site. It is hard for the human body to get rid of this bacteria, and the surgeon may need to replace the implant. Other common causes of dental implant failure are mechanical damages like if an implant gets injured from any injury to the mouth or teeth. If the implant is not adjusted or replaced, it may fail after an injury to the mouth.
You should see your dentist if you notice a shifting or loosening implant, severe pain or discomfort, problems with chewing and biting, inflammation and swelling of gums, and gum recession around the dental implant.
