Why Implants Fail

The success rate of dental implants is extremely high. There is typically a 95% success rate of implants lasting after 5 years and 90% success rate 10 years after surgery. There is a very low rate of dental implant failure, but it does happen from time to time. You may be wondering why implants fail? There are two major reasons that implants fail.

One of the reasons for implant failure is when the jaw bone does not adhere to the titanium screw. When this happens the implant will be loose and fall out. If there is trauma to the jawbone during surgery or infection sets in, the fusion between bone and screw could happen. In some instances the replacement teeth are set too soon after implant and the implant has not fully healed or set. The second major reason is infection in the gum tissue. If an infection develops in the gum tissue it may prolong or prevent the implant from setting up properly. One an infection is cleared up with antibiotics and the gum tissues heal, the implant can typically be restored.

To avoid implant failure, remember the following tips:

• Brush your teeth twice a day and pay close attention to the gum line to best avoid infection.
• Always use interproximal brushes that are specially designed to clean the area between dental implants.
• End-tufted brushes should be used to clean around the neck of the implant at the gum line.
• Ask your dentist to prescribe antimicrobial mouth rinse like chlorhexidine and use mouth rinse as recommended.
• Keep regularly scheduled dental checkups and cleanings.

If you fear you are having a problem with your dental implant, call your doctor immediately.