Peri-Implantitis Treatment Service in Fall City, Washington
Comprehensive Treatment for Dental Implant Disease at OneSmile
Dental implants are a significant investment in your long-term oral health, offering a permanent solution for missing teeth. At OneSmile, we are committed to ensuring that investment lasts a lifetime. However, like natural teeth, implants require diligent care, and they can be susceptible to a condition known as peri-implantitis, or dental implant disease.
You don't have to read the whole page. If you think peri-implantitis treatment might be right for you, book a consultation and we'll examine you, walk you through your options and answer your questions in person.
Request An AppointmentWhat is Dental Implant Disease (Peri-Implantitis)?
Peri-implantitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the gum tissues and bone surrounding a dental implant. It is highly analogous to periodontal disease (gum disease) in natural teeth.
- Peri-mucositis: The initial, milder stage, involving only inflammation of the gum tissue around the implant, similar to gingivitis. This stage is often reversible.
- Peri-implantitis: The advanced stage, where inflammation progresses to cause the loss of the supporting bone structure around the implant. If this bone loss continues, it can ultimately lead to the implant becoming loose and needing to be removed.
Common Causes and Risk Factors
While dental implants are incredibly resilient, several factors can contribute to the development of peri-implantitis:
- Poor Oral Hygiene: Inadequate brushing and flossing around the implant allows plaque to build up.
- Lack of Professional Maintenance: Skipping regular check-ups and cleanings prevents early detection and removal of hardened plaque (calculus).
- Smoking: Tobacco use significantly impairs healing and increases the risk of infection.
- Underlying Health Conditions: Uncontrolled diabetes and certain systemic diseases can compromise the body's ability to fight infection.
- Excess Cement: Residual dental cement left over from the crown placement can irritate the gums and attract bacteria.
Our Advanced Treatment Approach
The team at OneSmile utilizes a personalized, multi-phase approach to treat peri-implantitis, focusing on preservation and restoration:
- Thorough Diagnosis: We use advanced 3D imaging (CBCT) and digital X-rays to accurately assess the amount of bone loss and the extent of the infection surrounding the implant.
- Non-Surgical Therapy: For early-stage peri-mucositis, treatment involves deep cleaning (debridement) of the implant surface to remove bacteria, plaque, and calculus, often with the help of specialized plastic or titanium instruments.
- Surgical Intervention: For advanced peri-implantitis with significant bone loss, surgical procedures may be necessary. This can include:
- Implant Surface Decontamination: Accessing the infected surface to thoroughly clean and detoxify it.
- Osseous Surgery (Bone Grafting): Applying bone graft material to regenerate the lost bone structure around the threads of the implant, stabilizing the post and preventing future failure.
- Soft Tissue Grafts: Restoring healthy gum tissue around the implant.
- Long-Term Maintenance: Following treatment, we create a specialized recall schedule for our patients, often involving more frequent professional cleaning and hygiene instruction to prevent recurrence.
Don't risk your smile! If you notice signs of discomfort, bleeding, swelling, or a strange taste around your dental implant, contact OneSmile immediately. Early intervention is the key to a successful outcome.
Peri-Implantitis Treatment FAQs
At minimum, at every routine dental visit, and more frequently if you have risk factors or a history of gum disease. Implant checks involve more than a visual look — we measure the tissue around the implant and compare against previous readings and X-rays to detect bone changes. Consistent monitoring is the single most effective way to catch problems while they are still treatable.
Clean around your implants daily and thoroughly, using the tools we recommend for your specific restoration — regular floss often is not enough. Keep your professional maintenance appointments so we can measure the tissue and catch changes early. If you smoke, quitting meaningfully improves implant outcomes. Managing diabetes and wearing a nightguard if you grind also reduce risk.
Not necessarily — many implants are successfully saved when the problem is caught and treated early. The outlook depends on how much bone has already been lost and whether the underlying causes get addressed. If an implant cannot be saved, it can usually be removed and the site rebuilt for a future implant. Early treatment gives you far more options.
Treatment depends on severity. Milder cases are managed by professionally decontaminating the implant surface, improving your home care technique, and sometimes using antimicrobial agents. Advanced cases with significant bone loss may require a surgical approach to access and clean the implant surface directly, potentially combined with bone grafting. In some situations, removing a failing implant is the more sensible option.
The earlier stage — peri-implant mucositis, where the gum is inflamed but no bone has been lost — is generally reversible with thorough cleaning and improved home care. Once bone loss has occurred, that bone does not regenerate on its own. Treatment then focuses on halting progression and, in some cases, regenerating bone surgically. This is why early detection matters so much.
The primary driver is bacterial plaque accumulating around the implant, usually from inadequate cleaning of the area. Risk increases substantially with a history of gum disease, smoking, poorly controlled diabetes, excessive bite forces on the implant, and residual cement left behind when the crown was placed. Skipping professional maintenance visits is a major contributing factor.
Watch for gums around the implant that are red, swollen, or tender, bleeding when you brush or floss the area, gum recession exposing more of the implant, persistent bad taste or odor, pus, or an implant that feels loose. Early stages are often painless, which is exactly why they get missed. Any bleeding around an implant deserves prompt evaluation.
Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the gum and bone surrounding a dental implant. Bacteria accumulate around the implant, the tissue becomes inflamed, and the supporting bone begins to break down. It is essentially gum disease affecting an implant instead of a natural tooth. Left untreated, progressive bone loss can cause the implant to loosen and eventually fail.