When implants become visible
Why do I have visible implants?
Implants become visible when they are not surrounded by bone and your gums are in direct contact with the implant. When implants become visible, you may experience...
- an unpleasant appearance to your smile.
- complications such as tissue damage or inflammation.
- mechanically unstable implants and thus trouble chewing.
- implants that may result in implant instability.
How can these bone defects be treated?
The bone deficiency around the implant can have two different forms: the bone defect can have the form of a window located in the space where the roots of the tooth had been before, or it can come in the form of a crater.
If the bone loss is not related to an infection (a complication called peri-implantitis), the bone defect can be regenerated with Geistlich biomaterials and the implant doesn't have to be removed.
If the bone loss is due to an infection, it is crucial to eliminate the cause of the inflammation, the bacterial biofilm on the surface of the implant, before regenerating lost tissue.