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Bad Dental Implants

Dental implants have an early survival rate of 91%. Despite the fact that bad dental implants exist due to various factors, they show their signs and symptoms before failing completely. If you suspect that you have a failing dental implant, then go through this article and visit your nearest expert dentist.

Effects of Bad Dental Implants

What are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is an artificial prosthetic replacement of natural teeth. They consist of a titanium screw which is screwed within the jaw bone. Titanium is the choice of metal because it is a biocompatible, corrosion-resistant, and strong material that can withstand masticatory forces during chewing and eating.

In addition to that, we have an abutment which connects the overlying crown with the underlying titanium screw. The crown can be made from:

  • ceramic (porcelain) – aesthetic, strong, and relatively cheaper than zirconia crowns
  • zirconia – aesthetic, conservative (preserves tooth structure) and expensive
  • metal – cheap and strong

Porcelain fused to metal – aesthetic (relatively less aesthetic than zirconia), cheap, and suitable for posterior teeth.

Side Effects of Bad Dental Implants

Generally, dental implants have few side effects, but if they are not appropriately placed or if the material is not good, then they might cause problems. Let’s have a look at the side effects of bad dental implants:

Problems with Osseointegration

Osseointegration is essential for the success of dental implants. If the bone fails to integrate, the implant might get loose. This can even have adverse effects on the bone as it would need time to recover and be prepared for a new implant or reimplantation of the same one. Your dentist will give you alternative options to deal with bad dental implants. 

Gum Problems

Failing dental implants might present with gum diseases like peri-implantitis or peri-mucositis. Therefore, if you notice gum recessions, inflammation, or infection around the implant site, do visit your dentist right away.

Moreover, if you feel pain within the bone under your implant, then it might as well be a sign of peri-implantitis.

Sinus Problems

Sinuses are air-filled spaces around the nose. At times, inflammation and swelling can occur in these spaces, which is known as sinusitis. Sinusitis might present with symptoms like a stuffy nose around and under the eyes and nose, headaches, bad breath, fever, and pus oozing out of the nose or through an opening within or outside the mouth, followed by infection. 

If you notice sinusitis, you must visit the dentist, who might treat it with antibiotics or other options.

Drawbacks of Dental Implants

Bad dental implants have various drawbacks, which can present in the form of the following signs:

Pain

It is normal to experience pain for 7 to 10 days after placement of dental implants. However, if the pain continues even after 2 weeks, then you must seek dental advice. It might be a sign of failing or bad dental implants.

Nerve Damage

If you feel that your implant site is numb and you are unable to feel any sensations, then it is worrisome. It might be possible that during implant placement, your nerve might have been damaged. If that is the case, you must visit the dentist right away so that he can rule out the cause of numbness and tingling sensations.

Mobile Implant

A mobile implant might feel loose upon touching it or feeling it with a tongue. It might or might not be painful. However, if your implant feels loose, there is a chance that it has not been incorporated properly into the bone, which is the ultimate sign of implant failure.

Visiting the Dentist

If you suspect that you have one or more bad dental implants, then visiting your dentist in Paramus Park, NJ, becomes mandatory. Your dentist will evaluate your dental implant clinically and get radiographs. These radiographs include periapical X-rays, OPGs, CBCTs, and bitewing X-rays. This will help the dentist diagnose the problem.

Treating Bad Dental Implants

There are different means to treat failing and bad dental implants. If you are lucky, then your dentist might be able to recover your implant health with painkillers and antibiotics to treat the infection. The infection will resolve, and you can resume using your dental implant as normal.

However, if the dental implant can not be recovered, then replacement is an option. In this situation, the implant is removed, assessment is done again, and surgery can be planned again. However, if the patient does not agree or, the bone condition is not ideal, or perhaps there are financial issues, then other options, such as dentures, can be considered. 

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Can dental implants cause cancer?

No, dental implants generally do not cause cancer because foreign materials such as titanium, porcelain, or zirconia are biocompatible and human-friendly. However, prolonged inflammation in any part of the body is a risk factor for cancer, such as squamous cell carcinoma. 

Therefore, if you observe that the inflammation around your dental implant is not resolving, then it might be peri-implantitis. Resolving it is important to maintain the patient’s health.

What is the biggest reason for an implant to fail?

The biggest reason an implant fails is prolonged infection. Proper oral hygiene maintenance can avoid this problem. Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled brush, floss after meals or at least once a day, specifically around the dental implant, and occasionally gargle and rinse with lukewarm salt water. 

These measures will prevent food and bacterial accumulation around the implant, which can trigger infection and inflammation.

In addition, hustling the process of implantation and not getting sufficient screenings (tests for hepatitis, AIDS, diabetes, etc.) and medical and dental examinations (radiographs, etc.) conducted beforehand can lead to bad dental implants. For instance, if you give a dental implant rather than a denture to a severely immunocompromised patient, then it can potentially fail.

Conclusion

Bad dental implants can be a result of poor expertise of the dentist, poor quality of implant, lack of patient cooperation, bad oral hygiene, poor nutrition, smoking, or other habits like alcohol drinking. However, you can always visit an expert dentist and seek their advice.

At Paramus Park Oral Surgery, we offer the best dental implants in Paramus Park, NJ, at affordable rates! Book your appointment today with us.