Interested in getting a dental implant in West Bend or have recently gotten one? Then you might be wondering how this procedure will impact your teeth' position.
Many people report feeling as if their teeth are moved after getting a dental implant, but is this actually possible? And if it is, what can you do to stop this movement and make sure your teeth don’t change their position?
Find out all of this and more from this short blog post from Oakbrook Dental!
The short answer is no, your teeth should not shift after getting a dental implant. In fact, neither the dental implant nor surrounding teeth should move at all.
First, the dental implant should be firmly fixed into the jaw bone by the time you get your dental crown. This is thanks to the process called osseointegration, the 6-month healing period patients have to go through when getting dental implant surgery.
However, it can feel like your teeth are moving. Especially if you’ve struggled with missing teeth for a while, it can take a bit of time for your teeth to adjust to the dental implant. You might feel at first a bit of tightness in the area, which goes down over time. Lack of tightness simply means you’ve adjusted to the new dental implant, not that the surrounding teeth changed positions to accommodate it.
If you notice your implant is genuinely moving, or that the teeth next to it are shifting their position, you should reach out to the dentist right away. Tightness in the area usually goes away in just a few days, but if the feeling persists it may be an indication that something else is going on.
For instance, if the dental implant is moving, it could be a rare case of implant "rejection" because of an underlying condition such as a titanium allergy. Though this is very rare and patients are screened for this allergy before the surgery, it’s still worth a consultation to get to the bottom of things.
Another rare but possible explanation for teeth shifting is peri-implantitis. It’s a form of gum infection that affects the tissues around the implant, causing the implant to move. Usually, the infection is caused by improper oral hygiene which allows bacteria to accumulate on the implant site.
Over time, this infection can cause the implant to move, and even spread to nearby teeth.
Dental implants are a great option to replace missing teeth, and we at Oakbrook Dental will assist you in getting the best possible care to achieve your dental health goals.
To get started, book a consultation with Dr. Patel or Dr. Pako Major or call us at (262) 335-0822 today for more information.
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