I recently had a dental implant placed. This morning I noticed it feels a little loose. Can I take it out myself? I don’t want it falling out in public. Can the dentist replace it?
John
Dear John,
Please do not take this dental implant out yourself. One reason for that is it may not be that the dental implant is loose at all. Instead, it could just be that the dental crown is what is loose and just needs a little bonding done to keep it secure.
Even if that is not the case, and it is the implant that is the problem, there is still a possibility that this implant can be saved. Call your dentist right away and have him look things over. He should get you in sooner rather than later.
Can a Dental Implant Be Replaced?
Replacing a dental implant is not as simple as just taking out one and putting in another one. When the implant is removed, it will take bone structure with it. That bone is necessary for a succesful outcome. The bone is what keeps it in place.
In order to replace the implant, you will first need bone grafting done to replace the missing bone. Once that has healed, then you can have a new implant placed.
If your dental implant fails, I would find out why before moving forward with a replacement. When done well, these have about a 95% success rate, so failure is not common.
I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Portage, MI Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.