How do you tell that your dental implant is failing? "It is failing if it is loose" is the answer most likely to be given by many people. However, while a loose implant is likely to fail, that isn't the only symptom you should watch out for. Other signs that your implant isn't likely to integrate or heal properly include: 

Discomfort

Discomfort and pain are some of the first signs that something is wrong with your body. Therefore, pain and discomfort around your dental implant should send you to the dentist. The only exception is if your implant is a recent one, and you are experiencing post-surgical pain associated with healing.

However, if you are already done with this early pain, and this is a new one, you may be dealing with something a bit more serious, such as peri-implantitis. This is a bacterial attack around the implant, and it is one of the most common causes of implant failure.

Shrinking Gums

You should also be concerned about the health of your dental implant if the gum tissues start to shrink and recede away from it. This may happen if your gum tissues aren't healthy enough, for example, if they aren't getting enough blood supply. Gum disease is another condition that may cause the recession.

Whatever is causing your gums to shrink, it will be bad news for your implant. The recession can expose your implant and increase your chances of developing an infection in this part of the tooth that should be completely covered up. Left untreated, it can easily lead to implant failure.

Inflammation and Redness

Gum disease is always a threat to a dental implant. You may be dealing with gum disease if you have slight swelling around the implant or redness of the gums. The infection may spread into the root of the implant and interfere with its stability due to bone disintegration. In fact, this is one of the reasons healthy oral tissues is one of the prerequisites for getting a dental implant.

All these things mean your implant may fail, but it doesn't mean that it is time to get rid of your implants. Consult your dentist as soon as you suspect something is wrong with your implant; early intervention may save it. Even if your implant does fail, you don't have to live with a missing tooth. Your dentist may remove the implant, treat the underlying condition, and give you a replacement implant.