Godeok Dental Clinic, My Implant Is Loose. If You’re Worried You May Need to Have It Removed, Here’s How We Solve It.

Hello.

I am the director of Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic.

"The implant I’d been using well

suddenly feels loose.

Do I need to remove everything and start over?"

I spent a lot of money,

and it was hard to get the implant placed...

I thought I’d be able to use it for life,

but when it starts to wobble,

it really makes your heart drop.

'What if it failed?'

'Do I need surgery again?'

I completely understand that feeling of helplessness

as a dentist.

But don’t be too scared too soon.

Just because it feels loose

doesn’t mean its lifespan is over.

Today, I’d like to share a case

of a patient who visited us because of implant loosening.

Why does this symptom appear,

and why do I place such importance on the

'prosthetic method'...

I’ll explain it slowly.

If the bone is strong, why is it loose? Godeok Dental Clinic, My Implant Is Loose. If You’re Worried You May Need to Have It Removed, Here’s How We Solve It.

This patient came in after having an implant placed

a long time ago at another dental clinic.

240129

They said they had been using it very comfortably all this time.

But one day, it gradually started to feel loose,

and eventually, when touched by hand,

it had reached the point where it would move with a little "nod."

To find the exact cause,

we started with an X-ray.

240305

Thankfully, the "fixture," which acts as the root of the implant,

and the jawbone

were firmly attached and in very good condition.

Usually, there are two main reasons why an implant becomes loose. Godeok Dental Clinic, My Implant Is Loose. If You’re Worried You May Need to Have It Removed, Here’s How We Solve It.

1. Peri-implantitis

This is when inflammation causes the bone

that was supporting the implant to gradually dissolve.

Honestly, this is the most troublesome issue.

Why? Because implants don’t have nerves.

In many cases, patients don’t realize

that the bone is dissolving because they don’t feel pain.

▽Patient case regarding peri-implantitis

2. Screw loosening

Even if the bone is fine,

if the screw connecting the upper part

has loosened,

the implant can still feel loose.

In this case, tightening the screw solves the problem.

Fortunately, this patient’s bone was fine,

and it was a simple case of "screw loosening."

Like a door hinge coming loose,

an implant can loosen too. Godeok Dental Clinic, My Implant Is Loose. If You’re Worried You May Need to Have It Removed, Here’s How We Solve It.

Even the hinges on a door you open and close every day

become loose over time, right?

The same goes for our mouths.

Especially molars, which chew tough meat,

crush even hard grains of rice,

and endure tremendous force.

After taking repeated heavy impact over a long time,

the internal screw simply loosened.

The solution in this case is very simple.

You just tighten the loosened screw again

with a driver.

There is absolutely no need to remove the implant root,

which is still perfectly fine.

A CEMENT type, not an SCRP type? Godeok Dental Clinic, My Implant Is Loose. If You’re Worried You May Need to Have It Removed, Here’s How We Solve It.

But,

we ran into an unexpected obstacle here.

The patient’s existing prosthesis was a

"cement" type.

There are broadly two ways to make an implant prosthesis,

and the two differ greatly in terms of maintenance.

Let me compare them in a little more detail.

① Cement Type

It is a method where, just like a natural tooth, a cap is placed

and firmly bonded with strong dental adhesive.

• Advantage: There is no screw hole, so it looks very neat and aesthetically pleasing. The chewing surface is smooth, so food tends to catch or get stuck less often.

• Disadvantage: It is very difficult to repair. You may have to drill into an otherwise fine prosthesis to find the hidden screw hole, or in the worst case, remove the entire prosthesis.

② SCRP Type

(Screw Cement Retained Prosthesis)

It is bonded with adhesive,

but a "safety exit (screw hole)"

is made on the chewing surface.

Usually, the hole is filled with a material called resin.

• Advantage: Maintenance is really easy. If you lightly remove the resin filling, you can tighten the screw immediately, and it is much more convenient for gum care.

• Disadvantage: A small hole may be visible on the chewing surface, but since molars are not easily seen, it usually isn’t a major issue.

"Why was this treatment difficult?"

Unfortunately, the patient had the first type, which does not have a "door"—the cement type.

If we force our way through the hard porcelain,

we could damage only the prosthesis,

and prolong the patient’s discomfort,

so after discussion, we ultimately decided to remove the existing prosthesis.

240614

Replacement with durable zirconia & SCRP Godeok Dental Clinic, My Implant Is Loose. If You’re Worried You May Need to Have It Removed, Here’s How We Solve It.

After removal, fortunately, the internal post

was still in good condition and was reused as is.

240614 This allowed us to avoid making a new post,

which helped reduce the patient’s cost burden.

Since porcelain often chips on the surface over time,

we remade it with stronger, more fracture-resistant

"zirconia."

This time, instead of a hole-free method,

we changed it to the "SCRP method,"

which has a very small screw hole on the chewing surface.

240626

Even if the screw loosens again in the future,

there will no longer be any need to struggle by removing the prosthesis.

You just lightly remove the material filling the hole

and tighten it with a driver in one minute.

Pretty simple, right?

The reason Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic insists on the SCRP method Godeok Dental Clinic, My Implant Is Loose. If You’re Worried You May Need to Have It Removed, Here’s How We Solve It.

This is exactly why our clinic insists on this method

for molar implants.

For front teeth, aesthetics are important, so we remove the hole,

but molars, which bear a lot of force,

can have screws loosen at any time.

That is why a structure that can be easily repaired

when a problem arises is much more advantageous

for the patient.

For implants, placement is important,

but it is also very important

how easily the problem can be managed if one arises.

If your implant feels even slightly loose,

please don’t panic and visit a dental clinic

to have it checked.

Thank you.^^

▼Check the dental clinic location▼

Godeok Dental Clinic, My Implant Is Loose. If You’re Worried You May Need to Have It Removed, Here’s How We Solve It.

Go to reservation phone number
02-481-4278

| This post was written directly by Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. The information provided is for reference only, and we recommend that you visit a medical institution and receive guidance from medical professionals for symptom assessment and accurate management methods. All procedures/surgeries performed at the dental clinic may involve risks depending on the individual (inflammation, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make decisions after sufficient consultation with medical staff in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of actual patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under the same conditions. |