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A smiling man outdoors, showcasing his confident smile after a successful dental implant procedure at ClearChoice, emphasizing the importance of proper care to avoid dental implant failure.
01.22.2025

How to Avoid Dental Implant Failure: Tips for Long-Term Success

Dental implants have high success rates, but failures can occur. Know the signs, causes, and tips to reduce your risk.

A smiling man outdoors, showcasing his confident smile after a successful dental implant procedure at ClearChoice, emphasizing the importance of proper care to avoid dental implant failure.

Any surgical procedure, including dental implants, always has some chance of failing, even if small. Although some dental implant failures can’t be prevented, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of such a failure so that you can easily restore your smile. This article explains the risks of dental implants failing, including reasons why they can fail, what to do if they fail, and some tips for reducing your risk of implant failure.  
  
Ready to restore a seamless, bright smile? Schedule a consultation today to see if dental implants are right for you. 

Why Do Dental Implants Fail?  

Dental implants have a success rate of around 95%, indicating that the risk of failure is quite small.¹ However, the chance is still there. Implants can fail for several reasons:

  • Failed osseointegration: Poor healing or a weaker jawbone can cause the implant to fail to fuse with the jawbone. This results in an implant failure.

  • Poor dental hygiene: Poor dental hygiene could allow an infection to develop in or around the implant site, potentially reducing its stability and causing other dental issues. 

  • Rejection: In rarer cases, the body’s immune system may reject the implant as a foreign object, like with other foreign objects. 

  • ​​Tobacco use: Tobacco is a vasoconstrictor, restricting blood vessels and thus reducing blood flow to the surgical site. This slows healing, potentially preventing the implant from fully healing and integrating. Other complications could arise as well. 

  • Biting and chewing pressure: Too much biting force on an implant not fully fused to the jawbone could loosen or detach it. This may happen in patients with bruxism (teeth-grinding), but it may also happen if one eats hard or sticky foods or chews with the still-fusing implant. 

  • Underlying health conditions: Diabetes, autoimmune disease, and similar conditions can impact the body’s healing and integration of the implant. This may lead to failure. 


Signs of Dental Implant Failure

Here are some signs that your implant has failed or is failing:

Severe Pain  

Mild to moderate pain for a few days after receiving a dental implant is normal. It gradually peaks within the first 48 hours and fades away by 7 to 9 days. However, persistent or severe pain could be a sign of an infection, improper implant placement, or failed jawbone fusion.  
  
Regardless, these could cause the implant to fail or indicate that failure has already occurred. Speak to your dentist immediately to uncover and fix the issue before further complications develop.

Swelling of Your Gums

Like with post-operative pain, your gums may swell somewhat after the implant surgery without it indicating an issue. This is how your body responds to the surgical wound and starts the healing process. Normal swelling should gradually decrease and subside by the end of one week post-procedure. 

Excessive or prolonged swelling, however, should not occur. If it does, it could indicate an immune response, pointing to infection or potentially foreign body rejection. This requires immediate attention from a dental professional to discover and fix the issue before it worsens and creates other dental issues.

Gum Recession

Gum recession is when your gum tissue pulls away from the teeth, exposing the roots, or, in this case, the implant underneath. Recession can occur due to teeth grinding or poor oral hygiene, which could damage the implant and lead to failure. However, a poor implant fit or infection can also cause gums to recede. Regardless, visit your dentist quickly to get treatment and prevent further issues, like a worse infection or bone loss.

Difficulty Chewing

Dental implants restore normal chewing function osseointegration and final restoration is complete. That means if you have pain or difficulty chewing, the implant may not have integrated fully. It could also point to an infection in the area. Not only does difficulty chewing impact quality of life — it also aggravates the issue if you continue chewing with an improperly integrated implant.   
  
Speaking with a dentist immediately is critical to fix the issue. If you act early, you could potentially save the implant, avoiding additional financial and emotional strain.

Loose Implant

As mentioned, dental implants should feel just as stable as healthy natural teeth. A loose implant could indicate that osseointegration failed, or it could indicate gum disease or another dental issue that may otherwise loosen teeth. A loose implant can lead to jawbone loss or damage to surrounding teeth.

Tips to Reduce the Risk of Dental Implant Failure  

The risk of implant failure is always present, although it is lower than ever thanks to advanced techniques and modern technology. Still, you can do several things to drive down the risk of failure even further:

Maintain Good Oral Care  

Proper oral hygiene is a cornerstone of protecting your dental implants. You should do the following:

  • Brush at least twice daily with gentle, circular motions and using a soft-bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste  

  • Floss once daily, being careful to get the harder-to-reach areas and addressing the gumline  

  • Rinse once to twice daily, ideally with an antimicrobial mouthwash to further inhibit bacterial growth

The good news is that implants, made of artificial materials, cannot decay like natural teeth. Still, keeping the area around the implant in particular is crucial to prevent gum disease and other issues from loosening it. 

Visit the Dentist Regularly

Routine dental visits outside of the implant process allow your dentist to thoroughly clean your teeth and mouth and address any missed or hard-to-reach spots. They also check the implant’s health, looking for potential issues with it or other parts of your mouth to take action early if they find anything. They can also provide personalized home oral care advice to protect your implant and keep your mouth healthy. These help you maintain your implant and protect your oral health, ensuring a healthy and happy smile over the long term. 

Avoid Smoking  

Smoking and using other tobacco products can restrict blood flow to the implant site, reducing the delivery of nutrients it needs to fuse and heal. They can also increase the infection risks. Smokers and tobacco users should avoid any usage leading up to the procedure as well as throughout the entire process, from implant placement to crown placement. That said, quitting tobacco use altogether can reduce risks even further and improve your implant’s long-term durability and stability. 

Avoid Habits That Can Damage Your Teeth  

Some habits can damage your teeth and, by extension, your dental implant:

  • Chewing on ice  

  • Eating hard or sticky foods too often  

  • Biting nails  

  • Grinding your teeth

Dental implants are designed to be quite durable, but doing these and similar things too much can wear them down. They can eventually fracture, chip, or loosen with enough time. Most of these are easy enough to avoid, but grinding your teeth often happens unconsciously at night while sleeping.  
  
Getting a custom-fit mouth guard from your dentist to wear at night prevents teeth from grinding together and protects the implant. Similarly, consider wearing a mouthguard during the day if you participate in activities that could cause facial trauma, such as contact sports. 

What to Do If Your Dental Implant Fails

Immediate action is necessary if a dental implant fails. This minimizes the risk of complications, saving you money and stress, and can even potentially save the implant in certain situations.  
  
Here’s what to do: 

1. Contact your dentist immediately

Inform your dentist of the issue and get an appointment ASAP to get evaluated. 

2. Avoid putting pressure on the implant

Avoid chewing with the implant and be conscious about teeth grinding. This helps reduce the risk of worsening the issue. 

3. Keep up excellent oral hygiene

Good oral hygiene can keep further negative developments at bay while waiting for your appointment. 

4. Manage discomfort

Use over-the-counter pain medication to manage pain and swelling. Use ice packs or cold compresses if needed to manage swelling.  

5. Give your dentist thorough details

Tell your dentist everything you know surrounding the failure, such as when you noticed it, whether you did anything that may have contributed, your symptoms, and similar information. This helps them take proper action. 

6. Follow their treatment plan

Follow your dentist’s instructions as closely as possible to maximize the chance of success. 

Depending on the issue, the dentist may recommend several courses of action:

  • Implant removal and replacement: This may be necessary for severe pain or loosening. The dentist will remove the implant, let it heal, and then place a new implant when they have fixed any issues.  

  • Bone grafts: If a weak jawbone caused the issue, the dentist may recommend a bone graft to strengthen it.  

  • Soft tissue graft: This may be necessary to restore damaged or receded gum tissue around the implant.  

  • Infection treatment: Infections may require deep cleaning, antibiotics, or both. You could save the implant if the issue is caught early enough.


Stay Informed About Dental Implants 

Dental implants can be an excellent way to replace damaged or missing teeth. However, despite their high success rate, their complexity leaves them open to potential failure. 

Fortunately, you can reduce the risk of failure by maintaining great oral hygiene, avoiding certain habits, following your dentist’s instructions, and visiting them immediately if any issues arise. 

If your implants are giving you any trouble, don’t wait. Contact your local Clearchoice Dental Implant Center immediately. Our expert team can evaluate your implant and determine the best course of action to help you restore your smile. 


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Dental Implant Failure FAQs 

What is the most common cause of dental implant failure? 

Peri-implantitis, or infection of the gum and bone around the implant site, is the most common cause of dental implant failure.² Many things can cause peri-implantitis, such as poor oral hygiene, smoking and tobacco use, or foreign body rejection. 

Who should not get dental implants?  

Dental implants may not be suitable for patients with the following situations or conditions:

  • Weak jawbone (although bone grafts may make you a viable candidate)  

  • Those with diabetes  

  • Those with autoimmune issues  

  • Those with dietary restrictions that could negatively impact healing and osseointegration

Your dentist will thoroughly evaluate during your initial consultation to determine if you’re a good candidate and recommend additional procedures to prepare if necessary. During that time, you can bring up any concerns and speak with them about your potential implant candidacy. 

Can a dentist tell if an implant is failing?  

Yes, dentists can often identify implant failure, although the method depends on the cause. For example, severe pain and inflammation could imply an implant failure with nothing more than a visual exam. X-rays can also be used for more subtle signs or to confirm a visual exam’s findings. You should visit your dentist immediately if you have any concerns about a potential implant failure. 


Sources: 
¹American Academy of Implant Dentistry - What is the Success Rate of Dental Implants?  
  
²National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine - The Etiology and Management of Dental Implant Failure: A Review 

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(888) 486-3443Copyright © 2024 ClearChoice Management Services, LLC

ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers are locally owned and operated by licensed dentists, and are part of a professional affiliation of implant practices operated by oral surgeons, prosthodontists, and restorative dentists across the U.S. A majority of patients (and approximately 90% of Minnesota patients) qualify for same day implants and can have their procedure in one day after initial workup, without additional bone graft surgery, and may leave the office that same day with provisional prostheses and the final prostheses to be placed later. Results may vary in individual cases. Some claims made are supported by network surveys. Both general dentists and specialists in some states. Dental implants are not a recognized specialty. Dental specialists are specialists in oral maxillofacial surgery and prosthodontics. Limited services available at satellite offices.

Dental implants can last a lifetime. Studies show that dental implants are likely to last at least 25 years with proper care and maintenance in most cases.

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