Dental Implant Failure & Salvage – Reston, VA
Protecting Your Smile After Dental Implants Fail
The vast majority of patients are able to enjoy their dental implants for many years after the initial surgery. However, under certain circumstances, it’s possible for dental implants to fail. Here at Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery, we’re ready to help should any problems arise with your new smile. Give us a call today if you think you might require dental implant salvage.
Why Choose Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery for Dental Implant Salvage?
- Board-Certified Oral Surgeons
- Sedation Dentistry for Nervous Patients
- State-of-the-Art Technology
Why Do Dental Implants Fail?
The success rate of dental implants is as high as 95%. Nevertheless, there are a number of risk factors that can cause them to fail:
- Peri-Implantitis: A type of gum disease known as peri-implantitis can gradually damage the gum and bone tissue that support your implant posts.
- Unsuccessful Osseointegration: Dental implants usually bond with the jawbone via osseointegration. However, sometimes this process does not take place as intended.
- Physical Trauma: While dental implants are very durable, they can still break if you get hit in the mouth or jaw.
Symptoms of Failed Dental Implants
If your dental implant fails (which can happen shortly after the initial surgery or years afterward), you may notice the following symptoms:
- Pain around the implant posts (not including the soreness that occurs shortly after having dental implants placed).
- An implant post that feels loose or has fallen out of the mouth.
- Bleeding, swelling, and other signs of an infection.
- Having a hard time chewing your food even after your implant posts have been restored with a crown, bridge, or denture.
How Dental Implant Salvage Works
We’ll take a close look at your mouth and capture the necessary X-rays. Our goal will be to find out what caused your dental implants to fail in the first place. Then we can help you figure out what steps should be taken next based on the situation.
An infection can often be treated while leaving the implant posts in your mouth. However, if the implants or the area around them have been badly damaged, then you may need to have the implant posts taken out of your mouth. When your mouth is healthy again, you can talk to our team to determine whether you can have new dental implants placed.