Gum problems around implants

Gum Problems Around A Dental Implant | Receding Gums Around Implants

The gums around dental implants can recede just as they can around teeth. It’s not uncommon that even though the gums recede, the bone supporting the implant remains stable. Even though the implant may remain strong, gum recession can lead to some very difficult problems.

If the gums recede, the underlying metal of the implant top or the post may become exposed leading to cosmetic or functional issues. Metal showing in the front of the mouth is an obvious cosmetic issue. Additionally, if the gums recede, spaces between the implant, tooth and the surrounding teeth may open up leading to areas where food can be trapped causing irritation, inflammation, gum infection or unsightly dark triangular gaps in the smile.

Factors that contribute to the development of cosmetic gum problems around an implant are the thickness of the gum in the area of the implant, the height of the gum around the adjacent teeth and the amount of bone available on the surface of the implant that’s facing the lips.

While some cosmetic gum problems can be solved by simply changing the crown on top of the implant, other problems require a carefully coordinated combination of surgical and restorative treatments. The specialists at SDNY, working as a team and using our expertise as prosthodontists, implant surgeons, periodontists, orthodontists, and world class laboratory technicians have been extraordinarily successful in correcting some of the most difficult cosmetic defects.