What Can Cause Dental Implants to Feel Loose?

For quite some time, dental implants have been considered the best available solution for replacing missing teeth. This is because they’re placed directly into the patient’s jawbone, allowing for impressive and lasting support for a custom dental restoration. However, despite their 95% success rate, dental implants can still fail – so if yours feels loose, you shouldn’t delay in receiving professional care. Here’s what you need to know about dental implant failure and what you need to do if your dental implant feels loose.

What Causes Dental Implants to Become Loose?

Here are a few of the main reasons why dental implants can become loose:

• Osseointegration failure – Osseointegration refers to the process in which your implant posts fuse with your jawbone. The biocompatible implant posts must fuse with your bone matter in order for your dental implants to be successful. Otherwise, the implants will inevitably loosen and fail. Osseointegration can also be thwarted by things like insufficient jawbone density or poor oral hygiene.
• Infection – Another common reason for dental implant looseness is infection; specifically, peri-implantitis. This condition attacks the gum tissue surrounding the implant posts, causing it to become inflamed and irritated, and ultimately leading to dental implant failure if left unaddressed.
• Poorly-made prosthetics – It’s also possible for the implant posts to loosen and fail because of the prosthetics, or replacement teeth. Whether it’s due to a loose screw, old cement, overloading (unusual amounts of pressure on the implants), or poor initial placement, these problems can lead to dental implant failure.

What Should I Do If My Implant Feels Loose?

Contacting your dentist should be your top priority if you suspect you have a loose dental implant; the issue will not resolve on its own! That said, the solution depends solely on the problem. If it’s an issue with the restoration, it’s generally going to be easier to address, compared to if the implant post has become compromised. In any case, your provider will be able to perform a thorough examination of your smile and take X-rays to determine the reason behind your implant becoming loose.

In many cases, a restoration can be refitted or replaced as necessary. However, if the problem lies within the surrounding gum or bone tissue, the treatment process will likely have additional steps and could require other procedures before replacing the implant, such as a supplemental bone graft or periodontal therapy.

About Our Practice

Under the talented leadership of Dr. Harry Golnazarian, our team here at Elite Oral Surgery Associates has proudly served the needs of patients and families in Worcester, Dudley, Fitchburg, Lowell, and Sturbridge. We’re excited to offer a wide range of restorative dental services, including dental implants as well as implant salvage and maintenance. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with us to schedule an appointment, you can contact our team for additional information or assistance.