White Material Beneath Implant

Hello everyone,

I have a dental implant that I had inserted about 8 years ago, it is in the far back left of my mouth, on the bottom.

I historically had lost a molar during wisdom teeth removal and my implant serves as a replacement.

Just recently, i noticed a small stringy/threaded white material, poking out between my gum and my implant. It was maybe 4 mm long but only maybe 1 mm in diameter. And I pulled the material and it came out almost like a string from between my implant and my gum.

A few months have passed, and the gum on the outside of my implant has become inflamed due to an infection. I am not on antiobiotics and am working to clean the area around the implant.

My question is, could the stringy material have been decayed food? Or could it have been some kind of suture? If so, it seemed exceptionally deep between my gum and implant. I worry that during flossing, I might even accidentally push food deeper into my gums if I am not careful.

Had anyone had similar experiences with dental implants?

Thanks

~George