If you’ve gotten dental implants, you likely feel good about your grin. That’s normal – who wouldn’t be happy that their full smile has been restored? Still, remember that your new tooth replacements could have problems down the line. You should be prepared in case your dental implant feels loose, or else your treatment results may fail. Your local Leesburg dentist will even help you learn what to do. So, here’s a primer on how to respond when your dental implants feel loose.
What Can Make Dental Implants Loosen?
For starters, try to discover why your dental implant is loose. Knowing the cause will ensure you get the proper solution for your problem.
Typically, loose dental implants are caused by one (or more) of the following:
- An Initial Overload – If a freshly placed implant receives too much pressure, it won’t fuse with your jawbone correctly. This poor fusion could then trigger implant looseness.
- Damaged Restoration – To work properly, a dental implant must be connected to a denture, dental bridge, or dental crown. If any of these restorations get damaged, an implant’s stop may feel loose.
- Peri-Implantitis – Not long after surgery, bacteria may infect the gums supporting your dental implant. You’d then develop an infection that would loosen your new tooth.
- Failed Osseointegration – Sometimes, a patient’s jaw can’t grow enough bone tissue to fuse with their dental implant. The result is that the implant post feels loose.
Why are Loose Dental Implants Bad?
A loose dental implant may seem harmless at first. However, this issue would threaten your treatment results and oral health.
Indeed, a loose implant can be a severe issue. It may indicate that you have an infection (see ‘peri-implantitis above), which could destroy your gum and jaw tissue. If its looseness is due to poor fusion, leaving it alone could also cause your jaw to erode. A loose dental implant is also less effective in most cases, resulting in eating and speaking issues.
How Should You Respond?
You should contact your dentist immediately if your dental implant feels loose. Thanks to their training, they’ll have several ways to treat it.
If only the implant’s crown or abutment is loose, a dentist can just replace that part. Unscrewing or detaching the old one is a pretty simple task. From there, the dentist can make (or send for) a proper replacement and properly attach it. You’d wear a temporary restoration while waiting for the final one.
When the dental implant is loose, the dentist must replace the entire prosthetic. That’s the only way to set a new and secure implant post. Based on your needs, you may also require a bone graft after the removal.
In the end, act quickly when your dental implant feels loose. Contact your dental provider for help soon!
About the Practice
Downtown Family Dental of Leesburg is based in Leesburg, VA. Led by Dr. Jennifer Pham, our practice combines top-tier dental care with friendly and welcoming vibes. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services tailored to you and your smile’s unique needs! Naturally, our range of treatments also includes dental implants that can restore your grin. For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (703)-666-3867.