Dental Implant Moving
Dental implants are designed to be permanent dental restorations and shouldn’t move once they are placed and have healed. Natural teeth are affixed in the mouth by a periodontal ligament, which is a collection of tiny soft tissue fibers that hold the teeth in place. This ligament may allow slight movement with natural teeth, as it is stretchy and durable, but the movement it allows should be infinitesimal, much less than a millimeter. Any more movement than this is likely to be a sign of gum disease. Because dental implants are not held in place by a ligament, however, they should not move at all. Dental implants are fused directly to bone and should not move once they have healed. If an implant does move, this is a sign that something is wrong, either with the implant or with the bone.
If you have a dental implant that is moving, the first thing to do is avoid touching it. Don’t try to push it back in place, as this will place excess pressure on the bone. Even accidentally pushing or moving a loosened implant with your tongue could damage the bone, making the implant even less stable, and should be cautiously and consciously avoided. You should also never try to remove a loosened implant on your own, which is very likely to lead to damage of the teeth, the bone, and the soft tissues of the mouth. Instead, try to determine if there are any other issues that are apparent if your dental implant is loose or mobile. A loosened implant may result from loss of bone in the jaw and may be accompanied by pain or discomfort in the area, bleeding in the adjacent gum tissues, or an infection in the bone. If you notice that one of your implants is mobile, call your dentist and schedule an appointment right away. Even if the moving implant isn’t painful or even uncomfortable, prompt dental care is a vital step in saving the implant. If the area of the implant is painful, an ice compress applied to the outside of the cheek, adjacent to the implant, can help relieve pain and inflammation. Because the facial skin is sensitive, too, be sure to wrap the ice in a towel before applying it to the face.
Once you are able to see a dentist, they will examine the implant area. Dentists can remove the crown so that they can inspect the implant itself, and they may also need to take x-rays to pinpoint the source of the problem. Depending on the source of the issue, they may prescribe antibiotics. They will also address the implant itself, either tightening the crown if that is the mobile element, or removing the crown and abutment to examine them for damage. The dentist will then either replace damaged parts, or they will discuss the need for inserting a new dental implant. If a new implant is needed, the area of the implant will first be treated for infection and allowed to heal, and, if the bone has been compromised, bone grafts may be placed and allowed to heal before the implant can be reinserted into the jaw.
If any part of the implant has actually fallen out of the mouth, be sure to save it and take it with you to the dentist. More often than not, the implant post itself may remain stable and fixed in the jaw, while the abutment or crown may be the piece that is wobbling or loose. Be careful not to chew on the loosened implant, in order to avoid causing additional damage. If the abutment has come loose, it is reasonably easy to fix and can usually be done in just a few minutes. The abutment is the small screw-like fixture that attaches the dental crown to the implant post itself. When the abutment comes loose, it can be repaired quickly and easily by simply accessing the abutment through the crown and tightening it. If your implant is still healing and your permanent crown, or crowns, have not yet been placed, the healing cap that is used to protect the implant as it heals may come loose. Again, this is an easy fix, though it is important, in both cases, to address the issue promptly, so call your dentist immediately if you notice any part of your implant moving.
The force caused by biting can sometimes cause part of an implant to break. While implants are made to be durable and withstand these forces, sometimes, they can break, though this is rare. If the abutment or crown has broken due to force, your dentist can remake either the abutment or crown, or both, and reinstall them. While this is a relatively simple solution, it is a bit more costly, especially when it is the crown that needs to be rebuilt. When an implant itself fractures, it cannot be fixed and must be removed. A new implant can be installed in the same site once the broken one is removed. When crowns and abutments break, they usually don’t cause damage to the implant area and may not come with any symptoms. When an implant breaks, symptoms can include pain and swelling in the gums around the implant, bleeding around the affected tooth, an inability to bite or chew with that tooth or in that area, and the more visible symptoms like noticeable movement of the tooth or the tooth or implant falling out entirely. If the implant does fall out entirely, take extra care to keep the area clean while you’re waiting to see your dentist, and be sure to see the dentist as soon as you can so that bacteria can’t enter the surgical site.
If you are experiencing a loosened implant, abutment, or crown, eat only soft foods until you can see the dentist, and try to protect the loosened tooth from additional damage. Be sure to keep the area clean, to prevent bacteria from slipping into small areas. You may also notice that the natural teeth around a loosened implant become sensitive to extreme temperatures, which should be avoided. Ideally, you’ll be able to see a dentist within 48 hours of discovering a loosened implant, and they will be able to evaluate the problem and determine whether any damage has been done to any part of the implant or crown. While loose abutments and crowns may not indicate any serious problem, a loose implant may be a sign of implant failure and should be addressed right away. Implant failure occurs when the bone can no longer support the implant, and it is usually caused by bone degradation that arises due to periodontal disease. In many cases, implants that have failed can be successfully placed into the jaw once the bone is repaired with bone grafts. In every case, prompt treatment is an important part of solving the problem of loose or mobile implants, no matter which part is loose.