can an implant get infected

Many patients assume that because an implant is metal, it is immune to problems. The implant itself does not rot, but it sits in living gum and bone, and bacteria can attack those tissues just as they do around natural teeth. Infection comes in two very different forms, at two different times.

Infection soon after surgery

In the first days and weeks, the surgical wound can become infected. It is uncommon when instructions are followed, but more likely with smoking, poor sugar control, food trapped at the site, or touching the wound with fingers or tongue. Signs include:

• Pain and swelling that get worse after the third day instead of better.
• Pus, a foul taste or bad smell from the site.
• Fever or feeling unwell.
• Stitches breaking down with the implant or graft showing.

This needs prompt attention, usually cleaning of the area and sometimes antibiotics. An early infection can stop the implant from fusing with the bone, so do not wait it out.

Infection years later

Long after the crown is fitted, plaque collecting around the implant can inflame the gum. In its early, reversible stage this is called peri-implant mucositis: the gum bleeds and looks red but the bone is intact. If it is ignored, it can progress to peri-implantitis, where the infection destroys the supporting bone. This stage is often painless, which is why it is missed. Signs include:

• Bleeding when you brush or clean around the implant.
• Swollen, shiny or tender gum around it.
• Pus when the gum is pressed.
• Gum receding so the metal threads show.
• Later, the implant feeling loose.

Who is at higher risk

People who smoke or use tobacco, people with diabetes that is not well controlled, anyone who has had gum disease before, and implants that are hard to clean because of the crown's shape or position. Excess cement left under a crown can also trigger infection.

How it is treated

• Early inflammation: professional cleaning around the implant, antiseptic rinses and better home cleaning usually reverse it.
• Established bone loss: deeper cleaning, sometimes with gum surgery to reach and decontaminate the implant surface, and occasionally a graft.
• Advanced loss with a loose implant: the implant is removed, the site healed, and replacement considered later.

Gum and implant infections are the main work of a periodontist (a gum specialist); see our periodontics department.

What to do if you notice signs

Call 8484 990 678 and describe what you see. Kharadi is open until 11 PM, seven days a week. Swelling that is spreading towards the eye or neck, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or bleeding that will not stop are emergencies: after hours, go to a hospital emergency department. See our emergency dentist page for more.

Prevention

Clean around the gumline of the implant every day, keep regular professional check-ups, stop tobacco, keep blood sugar controlled, and do not ignore bleeding. Most implant infections that lead to loss had warning signs months earlier. More on keeping implants healthy is in our dental implants Q&A.