Dental Implant is Loose: Should I Worry?

Implants are different than teeth in that teeth can become loose (e.g. from trauma or orthodontic tooth movement/braces) & later tighten up. This is not true of implants. They sit directly in bone (no ligament space like a tooth). Therefore once an implant becomes loose it must be removed. Splinting is not an option. This will only result in problems with whatever you splint the implant to. Whoever placed the implant needs to replace it. Generally speaking surgeons who place implants will replace at no charge up to a certain amount of time after it is placed. The abutment and crown are a different story depending on the relationship of the surgeon and the restorative dentist. If the doctor who placed the implant won't remove and graft the site for a new implant you have to go to a new surgeon and then deal with the monetary issues after the fact. You have to call the implant surgeon to the mat and let him know you realize these facts. He is obligated not to fool you into thinking it will “tighten up” and definitely not splint it to try & “put a band aid” on the problem.