Smile Salvage: Removing a Failed Dental Implant

If one of your dental implants fails, you should have it taken out of your mouth. Leaving the post as it is would cause more problems for your smile, putting your health at risk. With that said, just what does removing a failed dental implant involve? It so happens that your local Colleyville dentist is here to address this crucial question. To learn the answer, read this primer on failed dental implant removal and how best to recover from it.

Why Do Dental Implants Fail at All?

Though they rarely do, dental implants can sometimes stop working. Such failure is usually the result of one (or more) of the following:

• Bone Loss – If you get a dental implant long after tooth loss, your jaw may lack the bone tissue to support it. From there, the post would struggle to fuse properly and probably fall out.
• Peri-Implantitis –Some patients can develop an oral infection around their implant. This condition (i.e., peri-implantitis) harms the tissues near your post and causes it to fail.
• Trauma –Accidents and injuries can easily lead to dental implant failure. Given a strong enough blow to the mouth, your implant post may be dislodged and have its integrity compromised.

How Do Dentists Remove Them?

To prevent further issues, a dentist usually removes a failed dental implant from your mouth. How they do this work often depends on your (and their) situation.

A lot of the specifics relate to technology. In general, many dentists use a trough bur to cut bone along an implant’s edge; doing so helps with removal. Others instead rely on an “adapter” that generates a high torque yield. Through this latter method, a dentist can remove your implant without cutting any bone tissue.

Regardless of their exact approach, you can trust the dentist’s efforts to be painless. They’ll have you under anesthesia or sedation before they operate.

What Should You Do After Removal?

Just as you would after dental implant surgery, you must recover once your implant is removed. This aftercare period ensures your mouth heals well from treatment.

The recovery itself should involve standard dental practices. For instance, only drink cold beverages until any anesthesia wears off; you could burn your mouth otherwise. You also shouldn’t touch the former implant site with your fingers or tongue, as its blood clot is still forming.

Removing a failed dental implant isn’t ideal, but it ensures you can get a replacement post. Remember that as you consult your dental provider about treatment!

About the Practice

The DFW Dental Implant Center is based in Colleyville, TX. Led by Drs. Branberg and Cancemi, our practice focuses on truly restorative dental care. That means we offer dental implants, crowns, dentures, and emergency smile services. However you need to fix or repair your grin, you can trust our team to do the job well. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (817)-440-7133.