A Loose Dental Implant: What Causes It, And What To Do

Dentist Blog

A loose tooth is exciting for children. That baby tooth is about to come out, meaning the tooth fairy will pay them a visit, often leaving a small gift. A loose tooth can be unsettling for adults, however, and when that loose tooth is actually a dental implant, it can be downright distressing. What are some of the reasons why a dental implant can become loose, and what can be done about it?

Leave It Alone

First of all, you should leave that loose dental implant alone. It can be tempting to wiggle it, even if only to assess just how loose it is. This will make the problem worse. Leave it alone, and take care to only chew on the unaffected side of your mouth until you have the dental implant inspected by your dentist.

It Will Not Fix Itself

Although the dental implant procedure might have been successful, the loose implant is a sign that something has gone wrong since the implant was finalized. This might happen months, or even years, after you received the implant. The implant will not restabilize itself, and you need to schedule a dental appointment as soon as possible.

Tightening the Prosthetic Tooth

Your dentist will carefully inspect the implant and might perform an x-ray. Hopefully, the issue is with the prosthetic tooth itself, as opposed to the underlying implant. Sometimes it's just a matter of removing the tooth from the abutment that connects it to the implant and re-cementing it, before tightening it back into position. But sometimes the problem is with the implant itself. 

Antimicrobial Therapy and Antibiotics

Sometimes the implant can destabilize due to a problem with its surrounding tissue. If the site has become infected, antimicrobial therapy or antibiotics can correct the problem, leading to the implant stabilizing once again. 

The Underlying Bone

When the density of your alveolar bone (the thick ridge of bone that hosts your dental sockets) was insufficient to hold the implant, guided bone regeneration (bone grafting) can often correct the problem. In some cases, your dentist might opt to remove the implant in order to perform this bone grafting. The implant will be reinstalled when the site has developed the necessary density.

A loose dental implant can be distressing, but it's not the end of the world, nor is it the end of the dental implant. Make sure you have a loose dental implant inspected as soon as you can. For more information about the dental implant procedure, contact a local dental office.

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21 October 2020

Mouth Rinses Are Not Just for Bad Breath

I have always brushed and flossed my teeth daily, but I still had the occasional cavity when I visited the dentist for a check-up. He told me it was normal to have a cavity on occasion and that I shouldn't let it stress me out too much. Well, I am not one to just accept any problem I am having, so I started looking into how to improve my oral hygiene even more. I had always thought mouthwash was just to improve your breath, but I found some that said they helped keep cavities away. I started using one every day before bed. I haven't had a cavity in two years now, and I think the mouth rinse is the reason! I created this blog to remind other people that even if they brush and floss regularly, they can always find ways to take even better care of their teeth.