Infected Dental Implant
If you are part of the almost 70% of adults that have lost at least one of their permanent teeth, then you should talk to the dentist about dental implants. At this point, the long-term success rate of dental implants is around 95%, making it a very common and helpful procedure. But it does require surgery and there is always the chance of complications with surgery.
After dental implant procedures, these are the most common signs of infections to look for:
- Problems Chewing and Pain With Chewing - Pain after a dental procedure is common and to be expected. If your pain gets worse or starts to spread to other areas of your mouth or face, then you may have an infection. If the pain prevents you from chewing or talking, it is not an expected result of your surgery.
- Swelling, Redness, and Fever - Following the procedure, your mouth will be red and swollen in the area that was treated. If the swelling does not go down, gets worse, and is accompanied by redness and fever, then you may have an infection developing.
- Bad Taste - When a dental infection is present, bacteria that is growing in your gums can cause a consistent bad taste in your mouth. The bad taste may even bring bad breath along with it.
- Bleeding or Pus - Your body uses red and white blood cells to fight bacterial infections. So if the infection is in your mouth, then you will see blood and/or pus coming from the infection site.
- Loosening of the Implant - Dental implants are surgically placed into your jawbone and the material, either titanium or zirconia, fuses with the bone to hold the implant in place. In healthy cases, the implant should not move and should be stable. If the implant starts to move, wiggle, or loosen, then you should make an appointment with the dentist.
Why Do Dental Implant Infections Happen?
Infections in dental implants do not occur for just one reason and, in most case, there are a number of reasons that an infection can set in.
If you are someone with other serious medical conditions like diabetes or cancer, then you are part of the higher risk group that does not heal as well. Even people with periodontitis may not heal well after surgery. Taking the time to talk to the dentist about your full medical history is important before moving forward with dental implant surgery.
Whether you have suffered bone loss as a result of periodontitis or for other reasons, this can increase the rate of complications. Osteoporosis and even biphosphate medications can leave your jaw bone not as strong as it once was.
Taking the time to ensure the dentist is experienced with dental implants and the type of implant you want is a way to prevent complications.
Finally, be sure to practice good dental hygiene habits at home and carefully following aftercare instructions will give you the best chance of avoiding infections. The dentist will be sure to detail all the best practices as well things to wait on before resuming.