Dental Implants can get infected just like teeth. But there are ways to restore your dental implant and prevent the progression of the dental implant infection.
In these situations, your PerioLife periodontist will evaluate the cause for the dental implant infection to create the appropriate treatment. The dental implant will need to go through a debridement or cleaning phase. Depending on the type and location of the bone loss, the dental implant may need adjustments to its surface by smoothing it out and disinfecting it. After that, bone grafts can be placed around the dental implant to restore some of the lost bone support.
Infections around dental implants should be treated quickly as bone can be lost much faster around dental implants compared to teeth.
Signs of an infected dental implant can include:
– Redness
– Swelling
– Presence of pus in the gums around the dental implant
– Movement of the dental implant
– Abscess formation
If you have any questions about dental implant infections or how we can help your smile, feel free to contact us today at our Dallas, Irving, Fort Worth or Keller offices.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Red or swollen gums at the site of the implant.
- Loose or wobbly implants.
- Pus emanating from the area of the implant.
- Bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth.
- Dull ache or throbbing pain.
- Fever.
- Visible threads.
- Bleeding when brushing around the implant.
Left untreated, peri-implant mucositis might develop into peri-implantitis, which is characterized by an infection both in the soft tissue and in the bone around an implant. As the infection attacks the bone, the bone begins to deteriorate. Thus, the dental implant loses its base of support and may start to feel loose and come out.
You might need a combination of different options to revive your implant, depending on the level of infection. A variety of treatments are available, including antibiotics, surgery, laser therapy with surface decontamination, mechanical debridement, and antimicrobial therapies. Healthy teeth are your dentist's goal.
The earlier an infection is treated, the better the chances of success. If a dental implant has already become loose due to a severe infection and subsequent bone loss, it may not be possible to save it. In this case the infected dental implant might need to be removed and the area left to heal.
