Dental implants have a high success rate after placement. However, they can fail in some cases. For instance, gum disease, poor oral hygiene, and bone loss can all cause dental implant failure.

But what happens after a dental implant fails. This article will go through what will happen if your dental implant fails.

How can you tell when a dental implant is failing?

In the event that a dental implant fails, you should see some clear signs of failure. When it is about to fail, you might experience:

• Pain around the implant
• Looseness of the implant
• Inflammation and bleeding
• Discomfort when chewing
• Gum recession around the implant

If you experience these symptoms after dental implant placement, it may be about to fail. But even when a dental implant fails, you can work with your dentist to restore the dental implant.

Removal of the implant may be necessary

In many cases, when a dental implant fails, your dentist will need to remove it. Sometimes, if infection is to blame, your dentist will clean the area and as long as the bone that supports the implant is intact, your dentist can then replace it.

However, if the bone around the implant has deteriorated, you'll need to replace the bone before you replace the dental implant.

You may need a bone graft

If the bone around the implant has deteriorated because of infection, a bone graft will be necessary in order to support the dental implant. Dentists usually take bone grafts from part of their patients' body, such as the hip. Your dentist will need to place the bone graft into the socket where your dental implant was extracted.

Once a bone graft heals, your jawbone will once again be able to support a dental implant.

You may need to wait before replacing the implant

Unfortunately, you may have to wait before you can replace the dental implant. For instance, if your dental implant failed because of a severe infection, you'll need to wait for the infection to heal fully before you replace the dental implant.

And if you need a bone graft to replace lost bone, the bone graft will take several months to heal. Only after a bone graft has healed successfully can you replace the failed dental implant.

For more information about dental implants, contact a local dentist. If you act quickly, you might be able to save the implant.