Dental Implant Moving
Unlike your natural teeth that are held in place with a periodontal ligament, your dental implant is held in place by your implanted post fusing together with your jaw bone. So your natural teeth will move slightly but your dental implants are designed to remain perfectly in place without moving. If you have noticed that your dental implant has started to move, you will need to make an appointment immediately with the dentist to address the issue. Other symptoms that can accompany moving dental implants include:
- Pain in your gums
- Movement of the implant either above or below your gums
- Swelling in your gums around the implant
- Bleeding around your dental implant
- Inability to chew the way you used to
- Unable to bite down with pressure or force
- Implant falling out of your mouth completely
What to Avoid When Your Implant Moves
Take care to avoid the temptation to rock or adjust your implant back into its original place. By doing this, you can damage your jaw bone by adding pressure to the area. Even with accidental movement by hitting it with your tongue, you could be loosening the implant more due to bone loss.
Be sure to never for any reason try to pull the implant out on your own. Without the proper tools and training you will do more damage to your mouth than having a loose implant. The resulting damage could include hurting healthy teeth near the dental implant and the surrounding soft tissue.
What Problems Cause An Implant To Move?
If you have noticed that your implant is moving, it is an indication that something has gone wrong either with your oral health or the implant itself. Your jaw bone heals and fuses with the implanted post, so your implant may be moving due to bone loss in your jaw. There may be an infection in your gums around the implant and it is moving as a result of inflammation.
Use Ice
Between the time you notice the issue with your dental implant and your dental appointment, apply ice to your cheek where you are feeling pain. Placing a towel between the ice itself and your skin will help you reduce the inflammation.
Make an Appointment With The Dentist For Treatment
Whether your moving dental implant is causing you pain or not, you need to make an appointment to see the dentist who has been included in your dental implant process. The dentist will be able to review the implant itself through removing the crown or using an X-ray to determine the reason why your implant is failing. Depending on the reason your implant is moving, your treatment may include:
- A course of antibiotics to clear the infection
- Tightening the crown to the abutment
- Removing some or all of the components of the dental implant
- Replacing damaged pieces with new parts
- Inserting a new dental implant after your mouth has had an opportunity to heal
I Can’t Make An Immediate Appointment
If you are unable to follow the suggestion to see the dentist as soon as possible, you need to protect the dental implant from any further damage. Eating soft foods, not attempting any at home repairs, and avoiding foods that are too hot or too cold will help keep you as comfortable as possible until your appointment.
While most dental implants have long term success and provide people with permanent tooth replacement solutions for decades, there are cases where the dental implant can fail. There are a variety of reasons why your dental implant may feel like its moving in your mouth.
1. Loose Dental Crown
If you notice that the post seems to be sturdy and without change but the top of your implant is shifting, the crown on top of the abutment could be the issue. And if you find that crown has completely detached from your abutment or implanted post, then be sure to not lose or damage it. You may be able to avoid buying a replacement if it is not lost. You can avoid eating on that side of your mouth to help prevent more damage. The dentist should be able to attach or tighten the loose crown to stop the movement.
2. Loose Abutment Screw
The abutment attaches your dental crown to the implanted post; it is not considered your implant itself. When the screw loosens, you will experience movement with your dental implant. The dentist should be able to repair this problem without having to do anything to the implanted post itself. In order to reach the screw, the dentist may need to drill a hole in the dental crown if there is not a screw hole in it already. The screw should be able to be tightened easily in one short appointment.
3. Fractured Post or Abutment
Whether your dental implant is zirconia or titanium, the implanted post or the abutment may break under serious biting pressure. It is rare that this may happen but the ideal conditions may line up to cause this problem with your dental implant. If the abutment is broken, then it will be an easier and less invasive repair. If the implanted post has broken, the dentist will not be able to be repaired. Instead, the dentist will remove the broken implant and it can be replaced with a new one once your mouth has healed from the removal if it is healthy enough to support a new implant.
4. Loose Snap On Denture
Dentures that are held in place with dental implants usually rely on two to four implants to secure it. The abutment that connects the denture to the dental implant can become loose over time and just needs to be tightened. Once the dentist tightens the abutment, the dental implant will not feel like it is moving around any more.
Is a Loose Dental Implant an Emergency?
Yes. It is not a life threatening emergency, but you will want to get to the dentist within 48 hours of noticing the movement. Use ice, try not to bite or chew on that side of your mouth, and save any pieces that have fallen out, if possible. If you get to the dentist before more damage happens, then you may be able to avoid having another implant surgery and dealing with the costs related to that.