Are Dental Implants Removable?

A modern wonder of the dental world, the dental implant procedure has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. Thanks to its formidable design and careful execution, this service restores the complete function and appearance of a missing or extracted tooth.

Due to an array of unwelcome circumstances like gum disease, tooth decay, or even physical trauma to the jaw- a tooth, especially if unsalvageable, may permanently be removed from your smile’s arsenal. While the natural tooth may remain gone for good, why should you need to be constantly reminded of it each time you attempt to chew, speak, or glance in the mirror?

Designed to Stay

Providing a boon to so many imperfect smiles across the globe, dental implants are designed to be near permanent remedies and ideally last over two decades. Keep in mind, once deciding on this procedure, there remains little room to reverse course.

To be made aware of the rare, but potential cases where they require removal, it’s first crucial to understand what they consist of.

An implant is comprised of three major parts:

The post: this tether is crafted from the same material utilized to construct space rockets- that’s not an exaggeration. The titanium post is drilled into the jawbone below, anchoring it into the very structure of the smile.
The Abutment: the abutment, resembling a screw, acts as a connector between the previously installed post and what is next to come.
The crown: speaking of what’s next, this is the star of the show and completes the implant’s design. Created from durable and resilient materials, capable of mimicking the function and appearance of natural teeth, the crown is fused on top as the final layer.

Removal, if Necessary

With a now fully restored smile and such a demanding procedure completed, why would you seek to remove it? Thankfully, nobody voluntarily demands their implants be removed, but a few complications could arise which make this reality a necessity.

Please remember, this is hypothetical and all of these factors remain extremely rare occurrences. As the dental implant procedure celebrates a near perfect long term success rate- an impressive 98%.

The following instances will require a dental professional to temporarily remove your implants, as part of a calculated approach to further improve the state of your oral health.

Position Shift

Unlike the alignment of the stars, which allegedly impacts the human experience, the alignment of the teeth undeniably impacts the human experience. After a successful installation process, the artificial tooth is designed to perfectly fit among the natural smile surrounding it.

While this is the ideal scenario, sometimes due to poor installation performed by other dentists, severe gum disease impacting the area, or a possible allergic reaction to titanium, the implant can loosen and begin to shift out of position.
This requires a revision implant surgery, and while rare, is absolutely necessary the minute any movement is felt by the patient.

Early Implant Failure

The implant procedure is vastly successful, but there is always the possibility of complications arising. Early implant failure describes a situation where the structures failed to properly attach to the jawbone, and can be attributed to some type of infection or the patient’s body rejecting the implant.
Early implant failure is recognized by patients experiencing these symptoms within the first two to three months after the initial procedure.

Late Implant Failure

Similar to the aforementioned scenario, this is uniquely identified by having one full year pass before the patient experiences any trouble with their implants. Culprits such as bacterial infections or the implant failing to connect to the jawbone often lead to this scenario and must be removed by a dental professional as soon as possible!
Additionally, another reason the implant may endure late-stage failure is due to an excess of force being applied to it since installation. This causes it to become dangerously loose and pose a risk to the integrity of the surrounding smile.

These complications are mere possibilities, and remain outliers which typically don’t challenge the permanence of successful dental implants. However, if the situation absolutely demands it, then yes- removing the implants is a possibility.

It’s crucial to be made aware of these possibilities and the hypothetical answers associated with them since dental implants are such a significant procedure. Being invasive in nature, and designed to permanently alter the foundation of your smile, implants are no small feat! If you believe implants are the right fit for you, or if you feel any pain, discomfort, or movement throughout your current implants, please contact dental team members immediately!