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One of the most popular and effective ways to replace missing teeth, dental implants have been restoring smiles across the globe for decades.
With an incredibly high success rate of around 90 to 95%, very few patients ever experience any serious issues once their implants have been fitted, with many implants lasting upwards of 20 years.
However, there are occasions where the dental implant procedure does not go according to plan, leading to side effects that are tell-tale signs of a failed dental implant.
If you’ve recently undergone a dental implant procedure and you’re concerned all is not as it should be, you should reach out to a qualified dental implant specialist to review your case as soon as possible before your condition worsens.
With this in mind, keep reading to learn more about some of the issues you may experience with a failing dental implant, so you know what to look out for.
What are the Warning Signs of Dental Implant Issues?
Pain
Given the invasive nature of the procedure, it is natural for dental implant procedures to be slightly painful in the aftermath.
Generally, if you experience pain, it should subside within 5 days. Prolonged pain that continues after this time could be a sign the dental implant procedure hasn’t worked. This is especially true if the level of pain you’re experiencing is getting worse.
This pain can take many forms, including dull aches throughout the jaw and sharp stabbing pain in a specific area of the mouth.
In this case, it’s wise to avoid eating foods that are hot, hard, or crunchy before you’re able to visit a dental implant centre.
Swelling
Swelling around the dental implant area is completely normal after the procedure and should begin to die down after 3 days, before disappearing entirely within a couple of weeks.
In some cases, though, swelling persists beyond this time and could be a sign that the body has not accepted the implant as expected.
You should use a warm compress on your cheek to try and reduce the swelling around 3 days after the procedure. You can also use an ice pack within the first six hours of the implant being placed to combat any immediate swelling. But if swelling is still an issue after two weeks, you should seek help as soon as possible.
Discolouration
The swelling we’ve mentioned above can cause the gums to appear a deeper shade of red than usual, which is normal in the week following the implant procedure.
However, if the gums do not return to their natural colour relatively quickly after this time, or they begin to shift into shades of purple or yellow, they may have become infected and require immediate intervention.
The skin surrounding your mouth can also shift in colour and may look similar to bruising, though this is not as common. Again, if this has not cleared up naturally within a week or so, you should seek assistance.
Infection/Bleeding
Bleeding gums are perfectly normal following a dental implant procedure. However, bleeding should not still occur approximately three days post-implant. Excessive bleeding should also be of concern and needs to be addressed by an expert as soon as it’s noticed.
While infection isn’t an issue for the majority of dental implant patients, it can occur from time to time. Two main types of infection could take hold after having dental implants:
- Peri-implant mucositis: An infection of the gums directly surrounding an implant.
- Peri-implantitis: An infection of both the gums and the bone surrounding an implant.
While both types of infection usually display the predictable symptoms (bleeding, swelling, etc.) peri-implantitis often also features indentation of the gums caused by rapid bone reduction.
In either case, it is important to speak with a dental implant expert, who can offer a clear diagnosis and suggest suitable treatment – likely anti-biotics or surgery – to solve the issue.
Gum Recession
On the subject of gum indentations, gum recession can also be a serious issue in dental implants. Not only does recession make it nearly impossible to place dental implants if occurs pre-treatment, but it can appear after the implants are placed as an unwanted side effect.
To prevent further recession, you should always consult your chosen dental implant expert to see if the implants are the cause of the continued gum recession, and discuss your options moving forward.
Bone Loss
In rare cases, the bones within the jaw can also begin to recede due to dental implants. While rare, this happens due to the implant failing to fuse successfully with the bone, causing it to slowly wither.
Bone loss after dental implants can also occur due to poor workmanship on the part of the dentist who performed the procedure. In this case, it is advisable to seek out a new dental implant specialist who can attempt to fix the work that has already been done.
Always Seek the Services of a Qualified Implant Dentist
By putting in plenty of dental implant research beforehand, you’ll be able to find the best expert, whether a dentist in Swindon or anywhere else in the UK, to meet your needs and one that will offer the best possible service, without the need to visit multiple dentists throughout your treatment.
Top tip: Google reviews and other testimonials are a great way to gauge whether a certain dental implantology practitioner has the skills and experience you need to solve the issues you’re facing.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
