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Saving Failing Implants – Treatment Options Explained

Loose, tender or bleeding dental implant? Puresmile Earley Dental & Implants on Wokingham Road explains how failing implants are assessed and whether they can be kept, repaired, rebuilt or replaced.

📍 370 Wokingham Road, Earley, Reading | 🦷 Dental Implant Care | 🕢 Late Opening Thursdays

When an implant starts to give you trouble, the first question is usually the same: “Can it be saved?” The honest answer is that it depends on what is causing the problem and how early it is found. Many implants in difficulty can be kept. Some need repair or rebuilding. A few need replacing. What matters most is getting a clear diagnosis before deciding anything.

At Puresmile Earley Dental & Implants, we see patients from Earley and across the Reading area who are concerned about an implant, whether it was placed here or elsewhere. This guide explains how the outcomes break down, how we work out which applies to you, and what to expect.

Short answer: A failing implant usually ends up in one of four places: kept with better care, repaired, rebuilt with bone or gum treatment, or replaced after healing. Early assessment makes the gentler outcomes much more likely.

Four Possible Outcomes for a Struggling Implant

Only an examination and scan can tell which of these fits your situation, but it helps to know that “failing” does not automatically mean “lost”.

What Causes Implants to Struggle?

Most late problems come down to infection around the implant, known as peri-implantitis, which damages the supporting bone. Things that raise the risk include:

• Plaque building up around the implant because it is hard to clean
• A history of gum disease
• Smoking
• Diabetes that is not well controlled
• Teeth grinding, which puts heavy force on the implant and crown
• Missing hygiene and check-up appointments

Because many of these can be managed, a good diagnosis also gives you a plan to stop the problem returning.

What Happens at Your Appointment

We listen. We ask when the symptoms started, what you have noticed, and about your health and habits.

We examine. We check the implant, the crown and the gum, looking for movement, swelling, bleeding and pocket depth around the implant.

We image. X-rays and, where helpful, a CBCT 3D scan show how much bone surrounds the implant.

We explain. You will hear what we have found, which of the four outcomes seems most likely, and what each option involves, before any treatment is started.

Before You Come In: A Quick Checklist

It helps us if you can note down:

• When you first noticed the problem, and whether it has changed
• Whether there is bleeding, a bad taste, swelling or pain when biting
• When and where the implant was placed, and by whom, if you know
• Any health conditions or medication, including anything that has changed recently
• Any previous gum treatment

If you have an implant card or paperwork from the original treatment, bring it along.

Looking After Implants Day to Day

• Clean around each implant daily, using interdental brushes of the size we recommend
• Keep up with hygiene appointments and check-ups, even when nothing seems wrong
• Stop smoking, or ask us for support
• Keep conditions like diabetes under control
• Wear a night guard if you grind your teeth
• Call us early if you notice bleeding, swelling or movement

Local, Convenient and Easy to Reach

Our practice is at 370 Wokingham Road in Earley, close to Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve and a short journey from the University of Reading. There are two off-street parking spaces in front of the practice, street parking nearby, and buses 300 and 500 stop close by. We are open Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9am to 5:30pm, and until 7:30pm on Thursdays, which can make it easier to fit an appointment around work.

We welcome patients from Earley, Lower Earley, Woodley, Winnersh, Shinfield, Wokingham and the wider Reading area, including people with implants placed elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions