Dental implants are placed in spaces where teeth are missing. Implants can help people chew better and have a natural appearance. Thus, people get implants for practical and cosmetic purposes.However, a poorly aligned implant can often cause bigger problems for the patient than they were initially.
Misaligned Dental Implants
Treatment Process
Installing a dental implant requires several dental office visits. First, your specialist will make an incision in your gums. The surgeon then inserts a metal screw into your gums. This metal piece joins with your bone and creates a solid connection for the denture.
You should wait two to six weeks for your implant to attach to your bone. Next, the dentist will attach the denture, called a crown, to the metal abutment. The crown looks like a real tooth and dental implants have a high success rate.
Alignment Issues
Dentists take impressions of your teeth and use special measurements to custom fit your abutments and crowns. Placing the implant and crown involves the use of very precise measurements. If your dental implant is aligned properly, it will affect your aesthetics and closure. The term bite is used to describe how your upper and lower teeth fit together.
When your bite is misaligned, you may notice your jaw clicking when you chew or speak. Some patients report tooth sensitivity caused by clumsy rubbing of teeth while chewing.
Another negative effect is that misaligned teeth can be worn or damaged by an unnatural bite. This can cause the teeth to break or loosen. Some patients even experience headaches as a result of a misaligned bite.
Revision Implant Surgery
A well-trained prosthodontist can usually perform revision implant surgery. However, not every revision surgery is easy. If an abutment is loose or the crown is broken or loose, the dentist can readjust it or perhaps install another one specifically.
Some patients do not go to the dentist immediately after losing an implant. Waiting before seeing the dentist can cause your teeth to slip in your mouth. When this happens, the patient must position their implant differently to fit the patient’s bite. This can complicate things as it is often easier to replace a screw so that it comes out of the original hole it was drilled in.
Every patient’s situation is different. If you need dental implant revision surgery, contact a dental specialist or prosthodontist.
