recurring boil in gum where implant is

[jenny8484]

Long story short, about 4-5 years ago I had a front tooth removed after root canal got infected and was replaced with an implant/crown. About a month or so ago I noticed a boil in the gum where the root of the tooth would normally be. This is how my infection in my root canal started but now that I have an implant there it is puzzling to me. I went to my dentist and the x-rays seem ok. They are recommending I replace the crown since it was poorly made (it is misaligned, shade is off) but I wanted to hold off before investing the money to see if the boil came back. Sure enough, about 3-4 weeks later the boil came back. Is it possible to get an infection even though there is no longer a tooth root but an implant?

 

[drhirst]

Hi jenny8484,
It is possible to get an infection around an implant. Causes could include excess cement from the implant crown getting stuck under the gum, loose implant crown, granules of graft material working their way out, a gum infection around the implant root known as peri-implantitis or in the case of one of my patients small piece of floss that got caught around the implant under the gum.
Of course, there is a chance the gum boil has nothing to do with the implant.
The thing with implant problems is that they generally are most successfully treated if caught early so I would definitely get it checked out again.
Hope it gets sorted soon.

Lincoln

 

[jenny8484]

Thank you for your response. I would hate to spend money to replace the crown if there is something wrong with the implant. I am currently 34 weeks pregnant so I plan to go to an oral surgeon after I give birth, to see if they can look into it further ,as my dentist can only see on an x ray showing nothing is wrong.