Dental implants cannot be seen with the naked eye. This is because the dental implant itself has been placed in your jaw and can't be seen without an x-ray. The implant allows the installation of a prosthetic dental crown, which is what replaced your missing tooth. Certain problems with an implant might first be noted due to an abnormality with the crown. What does it mean if your prosthetic dental crown becomes loose?
Implant Failure
The most serious cause of a loose prosthetic dental crown is dental implant failure. This can be due to trauma (blunt force), but many instances of implant failure are bacterial in nature. When bacterial biofilm contaminates the subgingival (below the gum line) surface of the implant, an infection may develop. This infection can jeopardize the implant's integration with the underlying bone. Your body's inflammatory response has been triggered, so the tissues at the base of the implant will generally be inflamed if the issue is bacterial. Your discomfort and inflammation are strong warning signs, so you should see your dentist immediately. Yet, many causes of a loose prosthetic dental crown aren't quite so sinister.
The Abutment
After the implant has successfully integrated with your jaw, it now offers the necessary stability to anchor the prosthetic dental crown (and all the bite pressure the crown will experience). In order to connect the crown, your dentist will have accessed the peak of the implant to fit an abutment. The crown is joined to the implant via this abutment. Depending on the location of the tooth, as well as the type of implant, and your own dental history, your dentist will have connected the crown with dental cement or a screw.
Cement or Screw
When there are no telltale secondary signs of infection, all you might be facing is a problem with the abutment. The problem will worsen without treatment, and the prosthetic dental crown may ultimately detach. This requires more complicated repairs, and you also run the risk of swallowing the crown. See your dentist as soon as possible. Crowns retained with a screw may simply need to have the screw tightened. Cemented crowns must be removed so that a new bonding agent can be applied to the abutment. Dental implants and their crowns are designed for longevity, so sometimes it's not possible to remove a cemented crown without breaking it. In this case, a new crown will be needed.
Any loosening of a dental crown attached to an implant must be promptly examined. This is so you and your dentist can be sure that the implant's connection to the underlying jawbone hasn't been compromised. But when the issue is limited to the implant's abutment, the required intervention is very minor.
Reach out to a dentist who takes care of dental implants for more information.
Share7 December 2021
Toddlers should see a dentist for the first time by the age of twelve months or by the time their first tooth comes in. But if you are a parent with toddlers anything like mine, the prospect of going to the dentist (let alone anywhere!) can be pretty intimidating. My kids were a handful growing up. They had tantrums any time we would have to sit in a waiting room, and they refused to get in the dentist's chair during their first few visits. So, I had to employ a professional to help me make the transition to finally getting them in that dental chair without all the screaming and crying. I know I'm not the only parent in this situation, so I decided to share the information I've learned with others who can use a little help. You can find all my advice right here on these pages!