When Do Most Implants Fail

Investigating the most common cause of implant screws falling out

The causes of dental implant failure vary from person to person. By being educated, prepared, and understanding the common causes of dental implant failure, you can protect the health of your mouth, teeth, implants, and gums for decades to come. 

• Gum infection around the implant (peri-implantitis) 

The most common reason for the failure of dental implants is an infection in the jawbone around the dental implants, which is called peri-implantitis. Although implants cannot cause tooth decay, they are still susceptible to implant gum disease.

Peri-implantitis is when plaque and bacteria cover the surface of the implant and penetrate below the gum lines, causing inflammation of the gum tissue, retreat from the implant, and then bone loss. Remember, you are relying on a healthy jawbone to support your implant, which is why bone grafting may be necessary for people with extensive tooth loss. 

To prevent dental implant failure, it is necessary to know “How To Keep Healthy Oral Microbiome?“.  In addition to regular cleaning by brushing and flossing, it’s a good idea to have an implant dentist evaluate your oral cavity at least twice a year, even if you have full arch implants and no teeth left.

• Sinus rupture

Another type of infection that can cause severe pain and implant failure is due to improper placement of the implant. . In implant dentistry, many factors, such as the location of nerves and blood vessels, the anatomy of the bone surrounding the implant, and even the lining of your nasal sinuses, must be considered. 

Note that you must find the Root Causes Of Dental Pain before any treatment.

A dental implant procedure that involves placing an implant in the upper arch should be performed by the best dentist. If placed incorrectly, the dental implant procedure can cause the tip of the implant to tear through the lining of the nasal sinuses. Especially if the patient has been losing teeth for a long time (due to the shedding of sinus linings.) Pain, infection, and bone loss are common symptoms. 

Today’s advanced technology, such as 3D radiography – when combined with a skilled provider – ensures the success of a dental implant even when the lining of the sinuses has collapsed. 

• Poor bone health

Finally, if you have a bone disease such as peri-implantitis or extensive resorption caused by tooth loss and poor oral hygiene, you can lose both your natural teeth and experience implant failure.

If left untreated, gum disorders will eventually cause bone loss throughout your mouth. A new implant that is exposed to occlusal overload from biting and chewing causes excessive stress on the bone in that area. Along with issues like teeth grinding or poor health, the success rate of dental implants decreases significantly. 

Sometimes, a brace or graft is used in your treatment plan to stabilize the jaw and any adjacent teeth. However, the symptoms of dental bone graft failure are similar to gum disease and compromise the integrity of your smile. 

• Allergic reaction

The implant is made of a titanium alloy that sometimes contains elements such as nickel.

In very rare cases, some patients may have an allergic or inflammatory reaction to the titanium alloy. Allergy symptoms may vary from burning or stinging to swelling and dry mouth or loss of taste and even chronic fatigue syndrome.

The term MELISA, which stands for Memory Lymphocyte Immunostimulation Assay, is a test that is considered the only way to identify a possible allergy to titanium or other metals.

In cases where you are allergic to titanium, you can still implant, but instead of a titanium implant, you must implant zirconia. Zirconia implants are as durable and strong as titanium implants, but they do not contain any metal composition.

• Rejection of the body as a foreign object

Dental implants, just like any other organ transplant, may be rejected by the body.

Although this condition is rare, some patients suffer from this problem. In such cases, the human body considers the dental implant as an external object and tries to remove it from itself.

The result is the loosening and failure of the dental implant.

• Break the implant

Although the dental implant is made of titanium and is very strong and durable, it is possible that it will bend or break.

Fracture of the implant itself is not at all common, thanks to the many advances made in dentistry, materials, and design.

However, it is possible for the implant to bend or crack under the influence of strong external forces. For example, the implant may be damaged if it is hit suddenly.

Continuous and intense pressure that continues for a while, like grinding teeth, may cause damage to the implant itself.

• medicines

Certain medications and procedures, such as radiation therapy, can affect your bone density. Always check your medications and supplements with your dentist ahead of time. Even with oral and dental hygiene, certain drugs prohibit the replacement of teeth with implants. Your implant specialist should communicate with your primary care physician and specialists as needed. 

• Wrong implant placement

Unfortunately, one of the most problematic factors of dental implant failure is the way the implant is installed. After screening for general health problems and ruling out bone problems and ruptures, the most dangerous cause of dental implant complications is improper placement by the provider. 

Without adequate training and experience, especially in more complex cases, the dentist may place the implant in a way that is set up to fail from the start. Perhaps the implant is next to the sinus lining, and the grafting is not done well, or the bony ridge is too narrow to be stable enough to withstand the pressure of biting.