Tooth Implant Infection

A dental implant is an artificial root that your dentist can place into your jawbone to attach a tooth or bridge. Dental implants look and feel like normal teeth. In most cases dental implants are an ideal solution to tooth loss, but sometimes there are complications such as infections.

Look and Feel Like Real Teeth

• Dental implants can solve a myriad of problems. The tooth that goes on top of the titanium implant is usually made of porcelain and looks and feels like a real tooth. Implants do not have any of the problems that dentures have. When done properly, they do not wiggle or come out of your mouth. You do not need to mess around with denture pastes. You will feel no pain or discomfort when you chew.

Treat all Infections Prior to Surgery

• In order to be a candidate for dental implants, you must have healthy gums and a healthy jawbone. It is best if you are not a smoker, as smoking harms the gums and causes the decay of teeth and jawbone.

  If you have an abscess, or an infected tooth that needs to be pulled before the implant can be placed, make sure your dentist gives you antibiotics and waits several months before putting the implant in. If he does not do this, it is very possible that bacteria from the infected tooth will be pushed into the bone and can cause a serious bone infection.

Dental Implant Procedure

• Usually dental implants are done in two procedures or surgeries. The first surgery is preparing the jawbone and the second is placing the titanium implant post into the jawbone.

Bone Graft

• During the first surgery your dentist may have to build up the jawbone. When you lose a tooth, you may have lost quite a bit of jawbone and that has to be built back up before an implant can be put in. This procedure is called bone grafting. After the bone grafting, you will wait about three to 12 months before you have the implants put in to make sure the jawbone has healed. During this time, you will be fitted with a temporary bridge or dentures.

Implant

• Before you have your second surgery, when they put the implants in, your dentist should give you antibiotics. This will hopefully ward off any infections. Your dentist will drill holes where the titanium implant posts will be placed down into the jawbone. The implant is like a screw, and after about three months your dentist will screw a porcelain tooth onto it.

Treat Infection Seriously

• During the three-month waiting period, while the implant settles into your jawbone, your dentist will watch for infection. Red, swollen, gums around the implant site could mean an infection and you should see your dentist immediately. There is always an underlying cause to the dental implant infection. The most common cause is the dental implant does not fit properly. If the titanium post loosens in the jawbone, then bacteria can get down below the gum and cause an infection. Your dentist needs to replace the implant post and treat you with the right antibiotics. According to Dr. Chal in Phoenix, Arizona, "without treating the cause of the infection, the use of antibiotics alone is often harmful, because it breeds bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic being used. The source of the infection needs to be eliminated." The second cause of a dental implant is when bacteria enter the jawbone during the surgery. If you take the antibiotics prescribed the infection should go away, if it does not, see your dentist immediately.