While undergoing the dental implant process, you may have noticed that your teeth feel like they are moving. Is this normal? Well, this depends. There are a few reasons you could feel like your teeth are shifting after receiving dental implants, but you only need to be concerned if they are genuinely shifting. Read on to find out what is normal after implant surgery and what should set off alarm bells.
If you feel like your implants are moving, know that there’s a large chance they aren’t. Once you receive an implant, you have a foreign object in your mouth that is placing pressure in areas you aren’t used to.
This can cause odd sensations that feel like your teeth are moving even if nothing is happening. A similar phenomenon happens when people get their braces tightened. Your mouth is simply getting used to the presence of a new tooth and this feeling will go away shortly on its own.
Let’s make one thing clear - your Oak Park dental implants should never move. The entire point of an implant is for it to have a stable and secure anchor point in the jaw that prevents it from moving. This is what makes dental implants so desirable.
They prevent bone loss and provide a stable base so your tooth restoration never moves when you eat or speak. While the movement of dental implants is incredibly rare, it should not be taken lightly.
If your implants are moving, this is a sign of a serious problem and could mean that your implant has failed. There are many potential causes of implant failure, such as peri-implantitis or a metal allergy. Contact us right away if you believe your dental implants are moving.
As long as you follow aftercare instructions and inform us of any potential allergies you could have to your implants beforehand, you have a good chance of avoiding implant failure. You should practice good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing with a water flosser.
After implant surgery, try to chew on the other side of your mouth and stick to a soft food diet for about a week. Avoid eating hard foods and smoking while you are healing. Alcohol should also be avoided at least in the first 24 hours because it delays healing.
Whether you’re considering getting dental implants for the first time or you have implants and are concerned about movement, contact us at Murphy Dental Group, PLLC for guidance. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Murphy today and we can determine if you’re a good candidate for dental implants and if your implants are at risk for failure.