Avoiding Implant Failures and How to Treat Them

What do you do when implants are obviously failing, but you have thousands of dollars of prosthodontic treatment supported by the questionable implants? Many dentists have the mistaken opinion that implants are better than teeth and need little upkeep. However, after over three decades of observing root-form implants in service, dentists are seeing the same periodontal diseases around implants that are observed around teeth – peri-mucositis and peri-implantitis. The percentage of implants with these diseases is reported as high as 45 percent after only a few years of service. What can be done in the early and late stages of implant disease? When should an implant be taken out?