Home / Failing Implant Revision
Second opinions & complications
When the implant is fine
and the tooth on it isn't.
Loose screws, a bridge that never fit, exposed threads, an implant angled where no crown can rescue it. Bring whatever records you have. You will get a full workup and an honest answer.
Why patients come here
- Practice limited to prosthodontics and oral implantology
- Every case CBCT-scanned and fully guided
- IV conscious sedation available in-office
- A written, itemized plan before anything is scheduled
Why this is its own specialty
Most implant problems are prosthetic problems.
An implant that integrated successfully can still be a failure clinically, because integration is not the goal — a restorable, cleanable, comfortable tooth is. When the fixture sits at the wrong angle or too far to one side, every restorative option afterwards is a compromise.
Dr. Resnik is a contributing author to Avoiding Complications in Oral Implantology (Elsevier) and teaches complication management to other dentists. A large share of this practice is work that started somewhere else.
The assessment is the same regardless of who placed it: a CBCT scan, a clinical and radiographic check of bone levels, a torque and mobility test, a prosthetic assessment of the angle and emergence, and a review of the occlusion.
What we see most
The common presentations.
Loosening screws
A screw that keeps backing out is usually reporting a bite problem or a non-passive fit, not a screw problem. Retightening it repeatedly is treating the symptom.
Peri-implantitis
Inflammation and bone loss around the fixture. Managed by decontamination, correction of the cause — often retained cement or an uncleanable contour — and sometimes grafting.
Unrestorable angle
The screw channel exits through the facing surface. Sometimes solvable with an angled channel abutment; sometimes the honest answer is to remove and replace.
A bridge that rocks
A full-arch prosthesis that does not seat passively stresses everything. Verified optically, then remade to a captured, confirmed record.
Retained cement
A frequent and preventable cause of late inflammation. It is why we use screw-retained designs wherever the position allows.
Fractured components
Abutment screws, prosthetic teeth or frameworks. Repairable far more often than patients expect.
What you can expect
A second opinion is a workup, not a sales appointment.
You will be told which of three categories your case falls into, and why.
- Restorable as placed — the fixture is sound and correctly positioned, and a properly designed restoration solves it.
- Restorable with compromise — it can be restored, but with a caveat you should hear before you agree to it, whether that is contour, cleanability or long-term prognosis.
- Should be removed — the position or the bone loss makes any restoration a liability. Removal, grafting and replacement is the honest recommendation.
If your case is straightforward and your existing dentist can complete it, you will be told that too. Records are shared on request either way.
Start with a scan and a straight answer.
A consultation includes an examination, a 3D scan and a written, itemized plan. If implants are not the right treatment for you, we will say so and tell you what is.