One great thing about dental implants is that they are intended to last nearly indefinitely. If you take care of them, they'll outlast your natural teeth and can give you years of durable, reliable enjoyment.

That being said, no dental implant can actually last forever, and you may have issues along the way with yours. Posts can come loose, your gums or jawbone can get infected, or you can have dental crowns that shift or wear down oddly, causing discomfort. In the end, it's up to you to be able to see when you need further dental care, but you can make your dental implants last a long time by having them periodically inspected.

It's best to have your dental implants checked out when you go in for your normal teeth cleanings, X-rays, and checkups. If you don't visit the dentist regularly, you should still have an inspection done on your teeth regularly to ensure your dental implants are doing well.

Here are signs your dental implants need an inspection.

Your mouth is in pain where your implants are

Unless you have just recently had your dental implant procedure done, you should not have a lot of pain where your dental implants are. You should not be feeling discomfort, tightness, pain, throbbing, or any kind of ache in the area. If you do, especially if your pain is accompanied by compromised jaw movement, fever, facial aches, or other kinds of pain, then call your dentist right away. You may be able to get your dental implants inspected and have a special screening done to look for signs of infection and other concerns.

Your mouth is feeling like your dental implants are loose

Your dental implants may start to feel loose at times and even feel like the posts are uprooting. This can happen as your mouth shifts when you get older and can be a major issue if you don't have it at least checked out by your dentist. If you have had your dental implants for a long time especially, then they may actually become loose at the posts or have other issues related to loss of calcium or jaw bone density.

Your dentist wants to know if your dental implants are doing well or if they need to be replaced. In the end, they may be perfectly fine or you may want to consider a new dental implant procedure, whichever is best for your needs.