Health Risks Of Dental Implants

Infection At Implant Site

Infections at the dental implant site often happen when the immune system triggers the inflammation response to attack the surrounding bone and gum tissue. It can also occur when peri-implantitis causes the gum and bone surrounding the implant to become inflamed and may cause the loss of bone density in the surrounding bone. This occurs when bacteria is introduced to the surgical area. Bacteria can be introduced throughout the different stages of operation if the dentist does not observe the proper protocol for dental hygiene. It may happen if the equipment is not sterile or if the implant is contaminated.

It may also occur if the patient has an untreated infection. Peri-implantitis often occurs years after the surgery and is more likely to happen in individuals who smoke or have diabetes, poor immune systems, thin gums, or poor dental hygiene. If patients notice their gums look red or purple, if there is pus coming out from the implant, or abnormal bleeding at the gum line, they may have peri-implantitis. The dentist will need to reopen the gums to clean the area to remove the bacteria. A bone graft might also be necessary if there is bone loss, and severe cases might need to remove the dental implant.

Bone Loss

The placement of dental implants may put an individual at an increased risk of having bone loss in the years following the installation. Peri-implantitis is an infection that affects the soft tissue around the bone-integrated implant. The pathophysiology of this particular type of infection is known to be associated with a disruption in the equilibrium between an individual's defense system in the body and the microflora in their oral cavity. Plaque with microbial properties can form on the surface of an individual's dental implant the same way it can build up on the natural tooth surface. The soft tissues around the implant abutment become infected and inflamed due to the tissue's response to the bacterial presence. This infection can spread into the actual tissues of the bone itself around the implant fusion.

Peri-implantitis often results in the breakdown of alveolar bone that surrounds the implant. It is estimated between ten and twenty percent of all patients who have a dental implant installed experience alveolar bone loss after the implant has been functional for about a decade. Bone loss following implant installation is technically defined by a bone loss of 1.5 millimeters as referenced on a radiograph within the first year or greater than 0.2 millimeters of bone loss for each subsequent year. Early treatment of this infection can prevent dental implant-associated bone loss.