Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
A dental implant restoration in Pompano Beach is the visible tooth and the parts that attach it to the implant in your bone. It is also the part most likely to need attention years later, and it is usually fixable without touching the implant itself.
Quick answer
A dental implant has two halves: the fixture that is fused into the jawbone, and the restoration on top, made up of an abutment and a crown, bridge or full-arch prosthesis. Most implant problems are restoration problems, such as a loosened screw, a worn or chipped crown, or cement failure, and those are repairable. Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS restores and repairs implants at South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach, including implants placed elsewhere. If an implant feels loose, stop chewing on it and call the office rather than waiting for your next visit.
Two Halves of an Implant
What a restoration actually is
The fixture is the titanium post in the bone. The restoration is everything above it: the abutment that screws into the fixture, and the crown, bridge or prosthesis that carries the shape, shade and bite.
They are separate on purpose. A well-integrated fixture can last decades, while the restoration takes the daily wear and can be remade without disturbing the bone. That separation is why a loose tooth on an implant is often a twenty-minute fix rather than the disaster it feels like.
We restore implants we placed and implants placed elsewhere, including cases where the original records are long gone. Identifying the system is part of the first appointment.
Loose crown or failing implant
These feel similar and are treated completely differently, so the first job is telling them apart.
| Loose restoration | Failing implant | |
|---|---|---|
| What moves | The crown rotates or lifts; the post beneath is solid | The whole unit moves with the bone |
| Usual cause | Loosened abutment screw, cement failure, worn crown | Peri-implantitis, bone loss, fixture fracture |
| On X-ray | Bone level around the fixture is stable | Bone loss visible around the fixture |
| Typical fix | Retighten or replace the screw, remake the crown | Remove the fixture, graft, heal, place again |
| Urgency | Prompt, to avoid damaging the screw threads | Prompt, because loading it accelerates bone loss |
Either way, the advice while you wait is the same: stop chewing on that side and do not try to tighten anything yourself.
What Happens Next
How implant repairs are done
- Assessment. Examination, a digital X-ray to read the bone level, and a check of how the bite is loading the implant.
- Identify the system. Implant components are not interchangeable between manufacturers, so the system is identified before parts are ordered.
- Repair. Most often the crown comes off, the screw or abutment is replaced, and it is refitted at a torque setting that stops it recurring.
- Remake where needed. A worn or fractured crown is remade from a digital scan rather than an impression tray.
- Address the cause. A night guard for grinding, periodontal treatment for inflammation, or a bite adjustment where the loading is uneven.
Where the fixture itself has failed, the honest answer is that it comes out. The site is cleaned, usually grafted, and left to heal before a new implant is placed. We would rather tell you that at the start than retreat something that will not hold.
Why implants loosen in the first place
- Screw loosening. The most common cause, and the least serious. Bite forces gradually back the abutment screw off.
- Peri-implantitis. Bacterial inflammation of the gum and bone around the fixture. It behaves like gum disease and it is the main reason implants are lost. A periodontal exam is part of the workup for this reason.
- Grinding and clenching. Implants have no ligament to cushion force, so bruxism transmits the whole load into the components and the bone.
- Cement failure. On cemented crowns, the seal breaks down and the crown lifts.
- Component fracture. Uncommon, and usually the end of that particular restoration.
Keeping a restored implant stable
An implant cannot decay, which is why people assume it needs less attention. The opposite is closer to the truth: it has no ligament, no nerve to warn you, and it sits in the same tissue that loses natural teeth.
- Brush and floss around it exactly as you would a natural tooth
- Keep to your maintenance interval so the bone level is checked on X-ray, not assumed
- Wear a night guard if you grind
- Treat gum disease and keep it treated
- Report any movement, bleeding or bad taste around an implant early
Related pages: single tooth implants, All-on-4 full arch, and our full range of dental implant services.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa
Dr. Nicole M. Berger has practiced in Pompano Beach for more than twenty years and restores implants placed by other offices as well as her own cases.
- Digital X-rays and intraoral imaging on site, so the diagnosis is made in one visit
- Digital scanning rather than impression trays for remade crowns
- IV and oral sedation available for patients who need it
- A visiting specialist in our office where surgical removal or grafting is needed
- English and Spanish spoken
- One location on E McNab Rd, serving Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek
New here? See what to expect on your first visit, or meet the team.
If an implant feels loose
Stop chewing on it and call. Most of these are a small repair caught early and a much bigger job left alone.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a dental implant restoration?
It is the part of the implant you can see and everything that connects it to the fixture in the bone: the abutment and the crown, bridge or full-arch prosthesis. Placing the implant and restoring it are two different stages, and the restoration is the one that gets replaced or repaired over a lifetime.
How common are dental implant problems?
Failures are uncommon, and most problems that do occur are with the restoration rather than the implant itself: a loosened screw, a chipped or worn crown, a cement washout. Those are fixable. Loss of the fixture is the rarer and more serious event.
My dental implant feels loose. What should I do?
Call us rather than waiting, and avoid chewing on it. A loose crown is usually a loosened abutment screw, which is straightforward to retighten. A fixture that moves in the bone is a different problem and needs assessing quickly, because continuing to load it makes it worse.
Is a loose crown the same as a failing implant?
No, and telling them apart is the first thing we do. If the crown rotates or lifts but the post underneath is solid, the restoration has come loose. If the whole unit moves, the implant has lost integration with the bone. The first is a repair; the second is a removal and a rebuild.
Why do dental implants become loose?
The common causes are screw loosening under heavy bite forces, peri-implantitis eroding the bone around the fixture, grinding or clenching overloading the restoration, cement failure, and occasionally a fracture of a component. Untreated gum disease and smoking both raise the risk.
What does dental implant repair involve?
Usually less than people expect. Many repairs mean removing the crown, replacing the screw or abutment, and refitting; often in one visit. A damaged crown is remade from a digital scan. Only where the fixture itself has failed does the treatment become surgical.
How do you treat a fractured dental implant?
A fractured crown or abutment is replaced. A fractured fixture cannot be repaired and has to be removed, with the site usually grafted and allowed to heal before a new implant is placed. We would explain that timeline fully before starting.
Can a failed implant be replaced?
In most cases, yes. The fixture is removed, the site is cleaned and generally grafted, and after healing a new implant can be placed, sometimes in a slightly different position. Success rates for replacement implants are good when the reason for the first failure has been identified and addressed.
If one implant fails, will my others fail too?
Not necessarily. If the cause was local, such as a fracture or a single infected site, the others are usually unaffected. If the cause was systemic, such as uncontrolled periodontal disease, heavy grinding or smoking, then the others share that risk and the plan has to address it.
How do I stop it happening again?
Treat the cause, not just the symptom. That means clean around the implant as carefully as around a tooth, keep to your maintenance interval so the bone level is checked on X-ray, wear a night guard if you grind, and get gum disease under control and keep it there.
Will my insurance cover implant repair?
Often partly. Coverage depends on the plan and on whether the work counts as a repair or a replacement. Our front desk checks your benefits and puts the figures in writing before treatment is scheduled.