Mini implant problems

[Khloe]

Hello

I would like some advise as to what to do with recurrent problems that I am having with a mini implant that I had placed in central london earlier this year.

I lost my front tooth through gum problems at the end of last year and saw a dentist who recommended a mini implant to replace the lost tooth and teeth whitening to make my teeth whiter for the implant crown.

After the implant crown was placed, I felt as though the implant was a bit loose, when I put pressure on the crown during eating. The dentist informed me that this is normal and the implant would eventually become tighter.

Last week, I noticed my gums around the implant were bleeding and the implant crown seemed to be very loose and there was a foul taste in my mouth. I saw another dentist who said that the mini implant itself was very loose and needs to be removed as it has failed.

He suggested that the mini implant was really designed for holding dentures and not for single missing teeth. I am really upset that my implant has failed in less than one year. What are my options regarding this implant?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Thank you for your post.

We don't place any mini implants because many experts in Implantology believe that these short implants were designed for complete denture abutments and not for supporting implant crowns and bridges. Mini implants have a higher failure rate than standard implants and with Implantology one should aim to produce work that lasts a long time and not just provide a temporary solution.

If your mini implant has failed, you have a few options. You can either have it removed and then have a denture or a bridge. If you still want another implant, you will have to have the mini implant removed and this time have a standard implant placed.

Without seeing your implant, I could not say for sure but you may need bone grafting if your mini implant failure has caused damage to the bone around it.