What To Do If Your Dental Implant Becomes Loose
Dental implant failure doesn’t occur that often since they have a success rate of over 95%. However, implants can become loose and if you’re considering a dental implant in Richmond, or you already have an implant, then it’s important that you know what to do should you experience any sort of problem with your implants.
5 Important steps to take
Make an appointment with your dentist. This is important as early treatment is the best way to avoid more serious problems with your implants or dental health. Your dentist can carry out an examination and, if necessary, take some X-rays to determine if the movement that you’ve felt is from the implant itself or an abutment or crown that has loosened.
- Leave it alone – If you can’t get an immediate appointment then don’t be tempted to investigate the problem yourself by pulling or wiggling the crown. You could make matters worse by damaging the gum tissue that is supporting the implant. Even if the implant isn’t loose you can be putting excessive pressure on it by wiggling the crown around, which can cause the implant to become loose. You could even start an infection which could cause the implant to loosen.
- Be careful how you chew – If you have to wait a day or two before you can get your implant examined then take care to chew on the other side of your mouth if it’s at all possible. If the location makes this difficult, then stick to a soft diet for now.
- If your implant is indeed loose, then your dentist will refer you back to the surgeon who placed it for further investigation and treatment.
- Follow up treatment asap – Once the problem has been established then it’s important to follow up with the necessary treatment as quickly as possible, no matter how busy your schedule. Leaving it will only make matters worse, and if it is just a question of a loose abutment or crown, then treatment should be quite simple and consist of little more than cementing the crown in place more firmly, or replacing a screw in the abutment. If it’s a problem with the implant itself, then in most cases it will need to be removed quickly before it damages any of your bone or soft tissues. Once healing has taken place, usually an implant can be repositioned, often with a bone graft for additional stability.
If you’re considering dental implants in Richmond then we aim for our patients to be as fully informed as possible to help them make an informed dental decision. Why not attend a free consultation with Sheen Dental to get your questions answered and to meet the dental team. You can call us on 020 8876 5277 or book online at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk. We look forward to meeting you.