Several factors can cause dental implant failure, including taking shortcuts, placing implants incorrectly, and using cheap implant fixtures. The outcome of implant placement is not entirely predictable—even when a dentist closely follows proper procedures. But when details are missed, the risk of implant failure increases. If you’re having dental implant complications, or if an implant has failed, Dr. Siny Thomas can help.
Types of Dental Implant Failure
- Nerve impairment – If dental implants are mistakenly positioned in places where nerves in the jaw can be impaired, persistent pain, numbness, and tingling can occur.
- Infection – Implants that don’t fit correctly can cause irritation, inflammation, and persistent infection.
- Puncture of other body cavities – Improperly placed implants can puncture the sinuses, the nose, or the mandibular lingual space (lower jawbone/tongue area).
- Loose implants – Inferior implant fixtures can loosen if they are loaded prematurely, if there is not enough bone structure to support them, or because of infection.
Causes of Dental Implant Failure
- Shortcuts during the diagnostic phase – Taking a two-dimensional panographic x-ray is insufficient to place dental implants properly. Three-dimensional x-rays will reveal the position of nerves and blood vessels, your nasal structure, and the area around the missing tooth. It also determines if there is adequate bone volume to support the implants. Your exposure to radiation is less than three percent of the output from a medical CT scan.
- Inadequate medical history – Your medical history must be thoroughly reviewed because certain medical conditions can affect the success of your treatment.
- Incorrect placement – Inadequate diagnostic studies or miscommunication between the restorative dentist and the implant surgeon can cause improper placement of implants.
- Substandard dental implant fixtures – There are more than two hundred companies that manufacture implant fixtures, but few of them invest heavily in research and development. And only six companies have published juried research and test results that document the quality of their fixtures. Cheap implant components can be one-hundredth of the cost of thoroughly tested, high-quality components, but they can result in infection, loose implants, and failure.
Dental Implant Failure—Preventing and Correcting It
Prevention
High-quality components and 3-D guided placement help prevent dental implant failure
Dr. Thomas will thoroughly review your medical history, perform quality diagnostic studies, and use high-quality implant fixtures. And he will use 3-D guided navigation for precise implant placement.
Correction
If you have received implants from another dentist that have failed, Dr. Thomas will expertly remove and replace them. He will explain the phases of restoring your oral health and what you can expect.
After dental school Dr. Thomas received advanced training in implantology from the following education centers:
- Misch Implant Institute
- Brazil Metropolitan University of Santos
- Kois Center
He has achieved fellowship status from the International Congress of Oral Implantologists—the world’s largest organization for dental implant education. And he regularly participates in continuing education to stay current with advances in implantology. You can be confident that you’ll receive the highest quality of care.
Call us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Thomas or complete our Request an Appointment form.