Food is Getting Stuck in Implant Crown: Is It Normal?

Maggie asks:

I recently have had a dental implant placed for #14 and the first permanent crown was a giant food trap. A new crown was made, but food is still getting in the margins. It is definately no where close to the degree of the first one, but it still worries me. Is it normal to be getting food up in the gums or should an implant be just like my other teeth, in which I notice much less "stuff" getting stuck between my teeth?

Answered by: Dr. Cheryl Goren Robins

Millburn, NJ

Hi Maggie,

A dental implant is round and a molar is not. In fact, most molar implants are smaller in diameter than the tooth that they are replacing. This creates a size discrepancy that is often associated with additional spacing between the dental implant and the natural tooth that was never there when the tooth was still around.

As long as you are able to get to the area and clean it adequately, this will be an annoyance, but shouldn't create problems. If you are finding that you can't clean the area properly, however, you should speak to your dentist about it.