An implant showing signs of failure doesn't always need to come out. With early diagnosis and the right intervention, many ailing implants can be saved — preserving your bone, your restoration, and your investment.
Book an Urgent EvaluationAn ailing implant is one that shows signs of disease or compromise — typically peri-implantitis (infection and bone loss around the implant) — but remains osseointegrated and clinically stable. It is fixable with prompt, appropriate intervention. The implant is in danger but not yet lost.
A failing implant has lost its osseointegration and exhibits clinical mobility, uncontrolled infection, or irreversible bone loss that cannot be treated conservatively. A failing implant will ultimately require removal — but even then, the site can be regenerated and a new implant placed once the area has healed.
The critical distinction: early diagnosis of an ailing implant dramatically increases the odds of saving it. If you are experiencing any implant symptoms, act now — not after the next routine cleaning.
Don't dismiss these symptoms as normal. Any of the following warrants an urgent call to our office.
A properly integrated implant should be completely immobile. Any movement, even subtle, indicates loss of osseointegration and requires immediate evaluation.
Pain or discomfort when biting or chewing — especially if it was not present before — is a red flag that the implant is under abnormal stress or the bone is compromised.
Radiographic bone loss around the implant — particularly if progressive between films — is the hallmark of peri-implantitis and requires active treatment.
Persistent bleeding when the implant is probed, or any purulent discharge from the gum around the implant, indicates active infection.
Visible implant threads or metal through the gum indicates significant bone and tissue recession — the implant surface that should be buried is now exposed to the oral environment.
A broken crown on an implant may indicate occlusal overload or underlying abutment screw loosening — both of which can lead to implant damage if not addressed.
Our protocol prioritizes saving the implant whenever possible, escalating to surgical intervention only when conservative measures are insufficient.
For ailing implants diagnosed early, conservative treatment can halt the disease process and allow the tissue to recover. Our non-surgical protocol addresses the infection, removes the bacterial biofilm, and creates an environment where the remaining bone can stabilize.
When conservative treatment is insufficient, or when the implant has progressed to clinical failure, surgical intervention is required. Even then, our goal is to rehabilitate the site for future restoration.
Peri-implantitis is a progressive disease. Left untreated, it accelerates — destroying bone faster as the disease advances. An implant with 1–2mm of bone loss is a very different clinical challenge from one with 4–5mm of bone loss. The treatment options narrow and the prognosis worsens with every millimeter of bone gone.
Patients who respond to symptoms early — when the implant is ailing rather than failing — have the highest probability of a successful outcome without implant removal. Patients who wait lose options. The implant that could have been saved with laser therapy becomes the implant that requires removal.
If your implant is hurting, mobile, or showing any signs of trouble, every day you wait narrows your options. Call us today or book an urgent evaluation online — we specialize in exactly this.
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