Fistula after implant placement | Risks of a dental implant

Fistula after implant placement

In the case of an inflammation localized inside the bone, the pus that develops in the process seeks a drainage channel: a fistula develops. A fistula is a tubular, pathologically formed duct (i.e. it was formed during the course of a disease and does not belong to the normal healthy anatomy). It leads from a cavity, e.g. an abscess or a natural hollow organ, to the surface of the body.

A risk of fistula formation that should not be underestimated is too small a distance from the neighboring teeth or adjacent implants. The distance should not be less than 2 mm, otherwise vascularization (formation of new vessels) cannot occur. The bone may die due to the reduced supply of blood, which leads to bone necrosis (death of the bone) with accompanying inflammatory reactions such as pus formation.