The implant had been placed at the wrong angle, breaking down the bond between implant and bone so that it could no longer function

[Initial panoramic X-ray] The implant is not centred in the space

This case shows how much the position and angle of an implant matter. One of the most important conditions for an implant that lasts is whether it was placed in the right position — meaning the position mechanically best suited to receiving biting force, which comes down to the angle and the exact point of placement.

If an implant sits too far back or too far forward, or at a poor angle, the restoration will keep coming loose, screws will loosen or fracture, and in severe cases the implant itself will fail.

This patient came in because the implant was loose and painful. As the initial X-ray shows, it had been placed too far back; taking force from an unfavourable direction over time broke down the bond between implant and bone, until it could no longer function.

[Panoramic X-ray after revision] The implant replaced so that it sits exactly in the centre

Here the implant placed at the other clinic has been removed and a new one placed in the correct position. Even when it is just a single implant, every effort has to go into placing it accurately — that is the only way to expect an implant that lasts a lifetime.