Q.
My dental implant on my anterior #9 has failed. The implant was originally placed in my mouth roughly 5-7 years ago. I do not smoke, and I take very good care of my teeth. I recently went back to go see my periodontist due to puss and infrequent bleeding of the implant gum tissue. The puss and bleeding in the gum could not be controlled no matter what I tried. I went back to my periodontist to try and fix this situation, but unfortunately the implant could not be saved. My periodontist says the implant failed due to a breakdown of the hydroxyapatite coating on the implant. He tells me that the breakdown of the hydroxyapatite coating on the implant caused an allergic reaction that lead to the degeneration of the bone in the infected area, and thus causing the inflamed tissue. When the implant was removed, he said that there was no bone left in the area, and that the implant was held in place by inflammed tissue. I have recently had a bone graft done, and will likely need another one. My questions are this: How do I know for sure this is the reason that the implant failed? Or was I allergic to the implant metal itself? Or was it something else? Is there a test I can require him to perform to find out what I am allergic to? How do I know that the next implant wont have the same issue? Being that my implant is in the very front of my mouth, I am very insecure about the way it looks. Is another implant still the best option for my situation? Or is a bridge a better option for my case? My periodontist isn\’t keen on doing a bridge because the two teeth on either side of the area have never been touched, or even had a cavity. It would mean filing down to perfectly healthy teeth. Please help. I feel lost and I am not sure what I should do next.,