What Does Dental Implant Removal Cost Involve?

Dental implants — the gold standard for teeth replacement — are meant to last for life. However, in some rare cases, they may need to be removed or replaced. Peninsula Dental Implant Center, serving Foster City, California, and its environs, expertly installs dental implants to give you a lifetime of a healthy and complete smile. Besides placement, we are your go-to dental office when your implant has complications. Dr. Shivani Gupta, Fellow AAID, Master ICOI, has over ten years of hands-on experience in implant dentistry. So, whether you need implant installation, removal, or replacement, there is no job too small or too big for her.

Why would my dental implant need removal?

When you have invested in dental implants, the last thing you would want is for your restoration to fail. Although dental implants have an over 95% success rate, failure can happen. And when this happens, your implants must be removed to salvage your dental health.

These are the reasons your implants may need removal:

• Positional change: Poor planning before implant placement can result in poorly placed implants. A misaligned implant messes up your bite, resulting in discomfort and other oral health problems. An improperly positioned implant must be removed and inserted again for correct alignment.
• Peri-implantitis: Implant failure can happen immediately after placement or after you have had your implant for over a year. Implants infection (peri-implantitis) is the number one reason for implant failure. The infection attacks the gingival tissues and bone around the implant, resulting in failure. 
• Loose implants: Teeth grinding, dental trauma, components failure, or poor installation can result in loose dental implants. Loose implants must be removed and replaced to give your implant a second chance to integrate with the bone. 
• Damaged nerves: When your implant is placed too close to a nerve, it may damage it, resulting in tingling, numbness, and pain. Your implant must be removed and replaced once your nerves heal.

Severe pain, inflammation, improper bite, and loose implants are some signs that indicate your implants have failed. 

How are dental implants removed?

The complexity of the removal process depends on how long the implants have been in your mouth — if the implant hasn’t integrated with the bone, removing your implant is much simpler. There are two methods for removing an implant. Your dentist can use a trough bur (a cutting tool). This precise equipment only cuts a small amount of bone (1 mm) to loosen your implant. Once the implant is removed, the area is cleaned, and a graft can be inserted if you want to replace the implant. An oversized implant is placed in the same location or another implant is placed next to the site of a failed implant.

The alternative choice, which embraces a contemporary and technology-driven approach, involves an adapter. Using this technique, your dentist doesn’t need to cut your bone. An adapter generates high torque levels to loosen and remove your implant. This method is less invasive, but it’s not feasible where the bond between the implant and bone is strong.

What’s the cost of removing a dental implant?

The cost of removing an implant is similar to placing an implant minus the components, although it differs from patient to patient. The average price is between $500 and $1,000, depending on the complexity of your case. However, sometimes your dentist may not charge you if the implant fails early on. Moreover, the removal cost depends on your insurance policy. So many factors can affect your implant removal cost, so the best way to determine the actual price is by visiting an experienced dentist like Dr. Gupta.

Need to replace your teeth with dental implants? Want your troublesome implant replaced? Consider Peninsula Dental Implant Center for all your dental implant solutions. Please call (650) 232-7650 to start your smile transformation with expertly placed dental implants.

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