I’m about six months into the healing phase of the dental implant process and the top metal bit came off. I can only imagine where it went. I’m terrified that I’ve swallowed it. Worse yet, I’ve got a gaping hole in my mouth and I’m afraid something bad is going to happen. Will I get an infection or something? I really don’t know what to do. I’ve left my dentist a message, but he hasn’t returned my call and it’s the weekend. Can it wait until Monday or do I need to find somebody to fix this right away? — Morgan
Dear Morgan,
It sounds like your dental implant lost its healing cap. It’s rare, but it does happen, and it’s not a huge cause for concern.
As far as swallowing it goes, it will probably pass through your system undetected. Because of its smooth shape, it’s incredibly unlikely to cause any issues for you at all in this respect.
The soft tissue around your dental implant should be healed by now, which means the risk of infection is extremely low as well. However, if you injure or traumatize the area, you could cause a problem. Just be very gentle around it and try to stick with soft foods until you can have it replaced.
You’ll need to see the doctor who placed the dental implant as soon as possible, but it’s not so urgent that it can’t wait until they’re back in the office again on Monday. If the hole is bothersome or you’re catching food in it, you can try packing cotton or gauze in it. A denture adhesive may also work, but don’t attach anything permanent to it- only use temporary materials that are designed to go in your mouth. You can find these in the dental section of most grocery or drug stores. Yes, you’ll have to replace it frequently, but it’s the safest option.
Long-term, this should not affect your dental implant. However, if you go without the cap for too long, the tissue around it can collapse or try to heal over the top. Obviously, this will make it much more difficult to get a good fit when the doctor goes to place the permanent crown on it later. This won’t happen over the course of a weekend, but it’s something to keep in mind so, don’t put off your office visit for too long.
This blog post is brought to you by Des Moines cosmetic dentist, Dr. Phelan Thomas. For more information on the services he provides, please visit his Des Moines cosmetic dentist website.