Dental implants in Ajax are a long-term solution for tooth loss, but there is a risk of implant failure without the right care. One of the most common conditions affecting dental implants is peri-implantitis, but it is often treatable.
What is Peri-Implantitis?
Peri-implantitis occurs when bacteria build up in the gum around the dental implant. It is similar to gum disease or periodontal disease in Whitby and can damage the gums and bone around your implants. The bacteria cause inflammation that can lead to bone loss.
Without strong and healthy bone around your implants, there is a risk they could fail.
Who Is More Likely to Develop Peri-Implantitis?
Peri-implantitis in Pickering can affect anyone with dental implants. However, certain situations can increase your risk, including:
- Poor oral hygiene.
- Using tobacco products.
- Periodontal disease that hasn’t been treated adequately.
- Poorly controlled health conditions like diabetes.
- Parafunctional habits like bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching).
- Loading dental implants too quickly during healing can impact their stability.
What are the Signs of Peri-Implantitis?
This condition can cause various symptoms, including the following.
- Painful, red and swollen gums around the implants.
- Gum recession around dental implants that can even expose the implant threads.
- Noticing an implant feels mobile and is moving around in its socket.
- Having a nasty taste that could be due to pus leaking out from around the implant.
- Bleeding gums.
- Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, which can also feel painful.
What to Do If You Think Your Implants Are Infected
If you are worried about the health of your dental implants, please don’t delay; get in contact with Durham Dental Solutions immediately. Prompt treatment can save your dental implants, protecting your investment in your dental health in Oshawa.
How is Peri-Implantitis Diagnosed?
When you come to see our experienced dental implant dentists in Newcastle, we will gently examine your mouth and assess the condition of the gums around your dental implants. We are looking for changes to the colour of your gums, any signs of bleeding and gaps or periodontal pockets where your gums have begun to pull away from the implants.
Additionally, we will want to take digital dental X-rays to assess your jawbone health. These X-rays allow us to see any changes to the bone level around the dental implants.
Treating Peri-Implantitis
If we determine you have peri-implantitis, we can devise a suitable treatment plan. Treatment aims to reduce bacterial infection in your gums, prevent further bone loss and help retain dental implants.
One way we can do this is to thoroughly clean the exposed surfaces of your dental implants in Clarington and remove all infected gum tissue. Getting rid of plaque and tartar buildup from around the implant helps improve oral health and gives you a far better chance of fighting the infection. Antibiotics can also be useful and delivered topically to dental implants if necessary.
Can I Avoid Peri-Implantitis?
Good oral hygiene can help you avoid developing peri-implantitis in Bowmanville. When you have dental implants at our dental office, we will give you lots of helpful advice on keeping them clean, including a routine you must follow daily.
If you smoke, we highly recommend quitting before you have dental implants in Courtice and at least while your implants heal. Also, ensure you look after your overall health, so if you have conditions that affect your immune system, like diabetes, try to control them. These kinds of health problems can affect your oral health.
Are you worried about your dental implant health? Schedule an appointment with us today.
