What can you do if an implant does not work?

If an implant does not achieve or cannot maintain a rigid fixation with the surrounding bone it will eventually become loose and no longer be able to support replacement teeth. Commonly the failing implant causes no discomfort and if there are enough remaining, it may not be necessary to replace it at all.

Failures may not always be so easy to deal with and if you embark upon this type of treatment you have to be prepared to deal with this possibility. Most treatment providers will want to achieve failure rates much less than 5%, however in practice this could mean that 1 in 20 of the implants placed might not survive in long-term function. It is a good idea to discuss how your treatment plan might be affected by the loss of an implant.

Next: How long does treatment take?