Check dental implants for bone loss

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A dental surgeon in Sweden warns people with dental implants need to be checked for bone loss.

Christer Fransson of the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg analyzed X-rays of 600 patients and found 28 percent of them had lost some degree of supporting bone around dental implants -- artificial tooth roots made from titanium that screw into the jawbone

"Contrary to what we had previously assumed, the bone loss in these patients was not linear, but instead accelerated with time," Fransson said in a statement. "This is a new discovery that shows just how important it is to detect and treat bone loss around implants at an early stage."

The risk of bone loss around implants is greater in smokers than non-smokers.

"It's important to examine the tissues around implants in the same way as we examine the tissues around teeth," said Fransson.

"In that way we can notice early signs of inflammation and treat it before the bone loss has any serious consequences."