If the Crown on an Implant Is Loose, Has the Implant Failed?｜證據鏈

Movement of an implant crown or a clicking sound when biting may result from loss of crown retention, loosening of a prosthetic screw or damage to the veneering ceramic. It may also arise from a deeper problem involving the implant or surrounding tissues. These conditions require different extents of treatment and cannot be distinguished from your perception alone. A systematic review shows that screw loosening, loss of retention and ceramic fracture can occur with single implant crowns within 5 years while the implants themselves still have a very high group-level survival rate. Technical complications and implant failure therefore cannot be equated. The more prudent course is to avoid biting hard foods on that side, not to manipulate, rebond or tighten anything yourself, and to arrange an examination by a dentist promptly. The dentist needs to determine which layer is moving, whether the screw and crown are intact, whether the occlusion and proximal contacts are abnormal, and the condition of the bone and peri-implant area on imaging. Only then can they decide whether refixation is possible, parts need replacing or further treatment is required.