Dental implants have high long-term success rates, but they aren’t infallible, and when one starts to fail, patients understandably want to know what happened and whether it can be fixed.

Common causes of implant failure:

• Peri-implantitis, an infection and inflammation of the gum and bone around an implant, similar in concept to gum disease around a natural tooth, and the most common cause of later implant failure
• Insufficient osseointegration, where the bone never fully fused to the implant surface in the first place, sometimes due to premature loading, infection during healing, or inadequate bone quality at placement
• Excessive bite force, from grinding, clenching, or a poorly fitted restoration placing uneven pressure on the implant
• Poor initial placement, including inadequate bone volume or density at the original surgery site
• Smoking, which significantly impairs healing and raises failure risk at every stage

Signs something may be wrong: persistent discomfort or pain around an implant, visible gum recession or inflammation, looseness or movement of the implant or its restoration, or an implant crown that feels different when biting down compared to before.

Treatment options, depending on the cause:

• Non-surgical treatment of peri-implantitis in early stages, involving deep cleaning around the implant and management of the underlying infection
• Surgical treatment for more advanced peri-implantitis, cleaning and decontaminating the implant surface directly and grafting bone loss where needed
• Implant removal, when the implant itself has failed to integrate or the surrounding bone loss is too extensive to salvage
• Bone grafting and re-placement, often possible several months after a failed implant is removed and the site has healed and been rebuilt

The most important factor in outcome: catching problems early. An implant issue addressed at the first sign of inflammation has a meaningfully better prognosis than one that’s progressed to significant bone loss, which is part of why regular follow-up after implant placement matters even years later.

If an existing implant feels off, whether it was placed by our office or elsewhere, our oral surgeons at Falcon Implants & Oral Surgery can evaluate what’s happening and lay out realistic options. Schedule an evaluation rather than waiting to see if it resolves on its own.