My Dental Implant Feels Loose

I have had a dental implant with the crown on it for a few weeks. It feels loose to me. What do I do?

Carol

Dear Carol,

The first thing you will want to do is call your dentist. There are several reasons why a dental implant can feel loose. Some more serious than others. Your dentist will want to look at it right away and should set up an emergency dental appointment for you so you can be checked out right away. Even if his office is closed right now because of the quarantine, he should have a number for emergency situations such as yours.

Reasons a Dental Implant Can Feel Loose

One of the simplest reasons is it isn’t actually the dental implant that is the problem, but rather the crown. If the crown is loose, that is a simple fix and can just be bonded right back on.

Another reason could be that the crown was put on prematurely. As you can see in the picture above, dental implants need for the bone to integrate with them in order to retain the implants. If he didn’t give the implant enough time to integrate, it could cause the implant to become loose.

Finally, there could be an infection brewing. If it as caught soon enough, then it is possible to still save the implant. Otherwise, you risk not only losing the dental implant but the infection spreading to further into your jaw.

What If You Lose the Implant?

If the implant cannot be saved, all is not lost. After a suitable period of time, you can have bone grafting done. This will build the bone back up in the area where you’d lost it and give you a second chance. Then, you can try again for the implant.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.