Your Warrnambool Dentist Answers: I Chipped My Dental Implant – How Serious is it, And What Do I Do?

Dental implants are very durable and can be expected to last a lifetime.

At Warrnambool Dental, we specialise in dental implants, and we have the experience needed to help you enjoy the benefits of this innovative treatment to replace missing teeth.

Implants are typically manufactured of metal and porcelain, to create a tooth that looks and functions naturally.

Just like your natural teeth, however, your implant is not indestructible – it can chip or break if you bite too hard, grind your teeth, or suffer trauma.

What are implants?

Dental implants are among the most popular tooth replacement options offered at Warrnambool Dental.

In a dental implant procedure, your dentist drills a hole into your jawbone and installs a titanium implant directly into the bone tissue.

The implant eventually fuses with the bone in a process called osseointegration.

Once the implant is firmly anchored, your Warrnambool dentist will place an abutment, upon which we then place a crown, typically constructed of porcelain or ceramic.

An implant can take some time -often several months – and multiple appointments are needed.

While dental implants are normally safe, long-lasting tooth replacements, in a tiny number of cases, issues can arise.

In some cases, the implant does not completely bond to the jawbone, leading to a loose implant. This may call for a bone graft and a replacement implant.

Important Information about Dental Implants

Dental implants can be broken in multiple ways

First, the implant (post) itself can loosen. This can be the result of a poor installation, which is why it is important to get your implant from a trusted dentist like your Warrnambool dentist.

There is also the possibility of a broken or bent abutment (connecting the implant below the gums to the crown above it. An abutment screw can be bent or broken by trauma to the mouth.

The crown itself is quite strong; but just like a natural tooth (or a crown), and often in the same ways, it can be broken by trauma, lack of care, or misuse.

Dealing with Broken or Chipped Dental Implants

If you feel your implant is bending, breaking, or if you are experiencing any other problems with it, be sure to call your Warrnambool dentist, immediately, to schedule an appointment.

While your implant should be very long-lived, things can go wrong, and treatment by a skilled dentist, proper care, and keeping your eye on all aspects of oral health can help you avoid potential damage or loss.

What Warrnambool Dental can do

Our treatment depends on where the issue is and what needs to be repaired.

If it is the top, the dental crown (the part that looks like a tooth) that has become damaged or cracked, we can usually replace or repair the cap without having to do anything about the implant (the post in the jawbone).

If your crown is damaged or falls off, make sure to clear debris from your mouth and gather up any remaining pieces.

Your next step is to schedule an immediate appointment. We can take a look at the damage and tell you if we can repair a chip or crack in a damaged crown that is still on the tooth.

If we do need to replace a crown, we will have a dental lab manufacture a new one which we will attach to the abutment to your implant.

If the implant itself (the post) has failed, things are a bit more complicated, usually leading to a four-step procedure that can be more complicated than the initial dental implant treatment.

Here are the replacement steps:

• Carefully remove the post, which may call for surgery.
• Depending on the health and thickness of your jawbone, a bone graft may be needed. If your implant loosened because of a lack of bone density, not correcting the problem will make it impossible to replace the implant without grafting.
• Heal before a new implant can be placed.
• Place another implant and repeat the abutment/crown procedure.

Avoiding Implant Issues

Here are some things you can do to avoid issues with your implants:

• Don’t down on hard foods or hard items -meaning don’t use your teeth to open things, or to chew on hard items.
• Wear a mouthguard during athletics or sports and a nightguard if you suffer from bruxism.

Welcome to Warrnambool Dental

Warrnambool Dental is a full-care dentistry specialist serving the entire Southwest Victoria region. We represent the highest calibre of dental treatment in Australia.

We offer our patients affordable and professional service in a comfortable, family-friendly environment.

Warrnambool Dental welcomes patients of all kinds, including pregnant or nursing women. We provide outstanding service based on your specific dental condition, expectations, and desires.

We are your number one choice for dental health treatment, cosmetic services, dental restorations, and preventative expertise.

Every visit to Warrnambool Dental helps ensure long-lasting oral health and keeps you smiling for many years to come.

We offer extended hours on weekdays (until 7:30) and Saturday hours from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM.

Warrnambool dentist also serves local communities in Portland, Hamilton, Camperdown, Terang, Port Campbell, Colac, Timboon, Port Fairy, MacArthur and Casterton.

For more information in dealing with chipped dental implants, call us on (03) 5562 4433 or request your appointment online.

We are located 454A Raglan Parade, Warrnambool.