Failed Dental Implant Repair
 A dental implant that has become loose, painful, or infected can often be repaired or replaced, and our oral surgeons treat failing and failed implants in Pullman, WA and Lewiston, ID.
At Oral & Facial Surgery, our board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons find out why the implant is struggling, then walk you through the options for fixing it.
A failing implant is unsettling, especially after the time and cost already invested. The good news is that most problems have a clear cause and a clear path forward, whether that means treating an infection early or removing the implant and rebuilding the site for a fresh start.
This page focuses on what to do when an implant is in trouble. Our main page on dental implants covers how implant treatment works from the beginning.
On This Page
Signs and Causes of Implant Failure
 A properly integrated implant should feel as stable as a natural tooth and cause no pain. Warning signs that one is failing include looseness or shifting, gum swelling or bleeding around the implant, ongoing discomfort, a receding gumline, or a change in how your bite feels. Catching these early gives us the most options.
Failure can happen soon after placement or years later. Early problems usually trace back to healing that did not go as planned, while later problems are most often tied to infection in the surrounding gum and bone, a condition called peri-implantitis.
Why Implants Fail
Implants can struggle for several reasons, and rarely is any single one to blame. Common contributors include infection around the implant, not enough healthy bone to support it, heavy grinding or bite forces, uncontrolled gum disease, smoking, and certain health conditions that slow healing. Identifying the cause is the first step, because it shapes whether the implant can be saved or should be replaced.
Can a Failing Implant Be Saved?
Sometimes, yes. When a problem is caught early and the implant is still stable, we can often treat the infection and the surrounding tissue and keep the implant in place. When the implant is loose or has lost significant bone support, removing it is usually the safest path, followed by rebuilding the site so a new implant can be placed later.
Your Implant Surgeons
Repairing a failed implant takes more diagnostic skill than placing one, because the cause is not always obvious. Both of our doctors are board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and together they have placed more than ten thousand dental implants, which gives them a deep sense of why implants succeed and why they sometimes do not.
Dr. Stephen W. Holm is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and served as chief resident during his residency at Carle Foundation Hospital, with more on Dr. Holm’s bio. Dr. Sherdon W. Cordova completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the same hospital and served as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the United States Air Force, with more on Dr. Cordova’s bio.
We use a cone beam CT scan to see the bone and the implant in three dimensions, which tells us how much support remains and whether the site can hold a replacement. That detail is what turns a frustrating situation into a clear plan.
The Implant Repair Process
Repair always starts with finding the cause, and what follows depends on what we find.
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Evaluation and 3D imaging – your surgeon examines the implant and reviews a cone beam CT scan to measure the bone and pinpoint the problem.
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Treating the infection or removing the implant – if the implant is stable, we treat the surrounding infection to try to save it; if it is failing, we remove it gently to protect the bone.
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Rebuilding the site – when bone has been lost, bone grafting restores the foundation a new implant will need.
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Healing – the grafted or cleaned site heals over the following months, and we monitor your progress.
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Placing a new implant – once the site is ready, we can often place a replacement implant and later fit it with a permanent restoration. |
Most patients are comfortable with local anesthesia, though IV sedation is available for removal or grafting if you would prefer to be more relaxed.
The Benefits of Repairing a Failed Implant
 The biggest benefit is a stable tooth again. Because we plan any replacement from a cone beam CT scan once the site has healed, we place the new implant where the bone can actually support it, rather than repeating whatever went wrong the first time.
Acting on a failing implant also protects the bone around it. Removing a struggling implant promptly, and grafting the site when needed, preserves the ridge so your options stay open, instead of letting bone loss limit them.
There is also real value in keeping the whole process under one roof. Because the same surgeon evaluates the failure, removes the old implant, and places the new one, nothing about your care is handed between offices or repeated from scratch.
Why Choose Our Surgeons for Implant Repair
Patients across the Lewiston/Clarkston and Moscow/Pullman regions come to us for implant repair because diagnosis is half the battle, and a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon reading a cone beam CT scan can see exactly what a flat X-ray misses. That clarity is what separates a guess from a plan.
Experience helps too. With more than ten thousand implants placed and more than forty years of combined experience, our surgeons have seen the full range of implant problems, and the same team that diagnoses the issue carries the repair through to your new restoration.
Implant Repair Cost and Insurance
Cost matters, and we want to be straight with you about it. What you pay depends on whether the implant can be treated or must be removed, whether bone grafting is needed, and the type of replacement, so an in-person evaluation gives the most accurate estimate.
Coverage varies between plans, and some help with parts of implant treatment while others do not. You can review the details of your insurance and financing options, and our team will check your specific benefits and explain the payment options available for qualifying patients.
Schedule Your Consultation
Worried about an implant that does not feel right? Call our Lewiston, ID office at 208-743-1640 or our Pullman, WA office at 509-330-5020 to have it evaluated. You can also request an appointment online anytime. Our Lewiston office is at 444 Thain Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501. Our Pullman office is at 1256 Bishop Blvd Suite I, Pullman, WA 99163. For questions before you book, our Contact page is the quickest way to reach us.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my dental implant is failing?
The clearest signs are looseness, pain, or swelling and bleeding in the gum around the implant. Some failing implants cause no pain at all, though, so any movement or shift, even without discomfort, is worth having checked promptly.
Can a failed implant be saved, or does it have to come out?
Sometimes it can be saved, but not always, which is why we image it first. An implant that is still stable can often be kept by treating the surrounding infection, while a loose implant or one with major bone loss usually needs to come out so we can rebuild the site.
Can I get a new implant after one has failed?
In most cases, yes, though usually not on the same day the old one is removed. The site needs to heal first, and bone grafting often rebuilds the foundation, after which we can place a new implant with a much better chance of lasting.
Why did my implant fail?
Usually it is a combination rather than a single cause, and it is rarely something you did wrong. The cone beam CT scan is what lets us pinpoint which factors were at play for your implant, whether bone support, infection, or bite forces, so the replacement plan can correct for them.
Is removing a failed implant painful?
No. We fully numb the area first, and most patients feel only pressure during the removal. Because implants do not have a root structure like natural teeth, removal is often more straightforward than people expect, and sedation is available if you would like it.
How long does the whole repair take?
If the implant can be saved, treatment may be brief. If it must be removed and the site grafted, plan on several months of healing before we place a new implant, with the permanent tooth following after that. We give you a timeline once we see your scan.
Will I have a gap while the site heals?
Often a temporary tooth can fill the space during healing, depending on the location and how the area looks after removal. We talk through the temporary options with you so you are not left with a visible gap if it can be avoided.
Does insurance cover implant repair?
Coverage varies by plan, and removal, grafting, and a new implant may each be handled differently. Our team checks your specific benefits before treatment, and you can review our insurance and financing options in the meantime. |
