Signs

Signs that your dental implant is failing include:

• Implant feeling loose: Implants are comprised of a crown (the false tooth) affixed to a post that’s embedded into your jaw bone called an “abutment.” Looseness, or the feeling that the tooth is moving or twisting, arises when these elements aren’t properly affixed.
• Difficulty chewing: If the dental implant hasn’t set into the right position, your teeth end up out of alignment. Among other issues, this makes properly chewing, speaking, or even just opening your mouth more difficult.² Furthermore, this can arise if there’s numbness due to damage to the nerves as a result of the procedure.
• Gum inflammation or recession: An additional sign of dental implant failure is inflammation and bleeding in the gums around the affected area. In some cases, this can advance to gingivitis and periodontitis (an infection of the gums) and cause the gums to recede. This can expose the abutment, among many issues.
• Swelling: Facial swelling can also be a sign of dental implant failure. While some is expected in the first 72 hours after surgery as you recover, if this persists after that you need to let your oral surgeon or periodontist know. This swelling may be a sign of peri-implantitis.
• Pain or discomfort: You’ll likely experience some pain and discomfort in your mouth in the week following dental implant surgery.⁴ Your oral surgeon will prescribe pain medications and give you other tips for managing this. Pain lasting longer than 10 days may be a sign of dental implant failure. In this case, call your dentist or seek care.