Prevention Of Dental Implant Failure

21 / 09 / 2018

Prevention Of Dental Implant Failure

Despite Their Excellent Success Rate, Teeth Implants Can Still Fail If Not Looked After Correctly

Dental implant placement is now widely accepted by many to be the best method available for replacing missing teeth.

Not only does this procedure offer a realistic tooth alternative, but the success rate of the procedure is also very high. This does not mean that things can not go wrong though, and a lack of foresight or poor aftercare can lead to eventual failure. Fortunately, these mistakes are relatively simple to avoid.

There are two key components to having a healthy dental implant; the procedure itself and the aftercare.

Choosing your dentist

If you are planning to have dental implants, it is essential that you choose a dentist that is both qualified and experienced. If you choose to have this procedure in the UK, any dentist offering implants will be fully qualified, although their levels of experience may vary.

If you choose to have your treatment abroad, this is less easy to ascertain and we would caution our Ipswich patients against opting for this route; a route sometimes carried out to save on cost. Unfortunately, for reasons that we have covered in a previous blog, this is a route littered with hazards, from less experienced dentists to poor quality materials being used. Although you may save yourself a few pounds by taking this path, the stakes are very high and could result in discomfort and failed implants.

By choosing a reputable local dentist to perform this procedure, such as our own implant team, you can be sure that the correct checks and procedures are carried out, providing you with a healthy new implant.

What can cause implants to fail?

Aside from any problems associated with the above, there are a number of factors that can cause dental implants to fail:

Insufficient or degraded jawbone

Because dental implants are placed into the jawbone and allowed to fuse together before a crown is added, it is evident that there needs to be sufficient bone to facilitate this. This is something that will be checked at the Lighthouse Dental Practice in your pre-procedural consultation. X-rays and scans are used to determine if the patient has sufficient bone, and, where this is not the case, options such as a bone graft or sinus lift will be discussed.

Poor care during osseointegration (jawbone bonding)

It is especially important to caretake in the immediate period following the implant placement. Not only is the risk of infections higher, but ignoring advice to eat only soft foods for this period can cause damage and may cause the implant to become loose or fail altogether. Three months or so may seem a long time to follow a softer food diet, but, with a dental implant potentially lasting for twenty years plus, it is a small price to pay for having a healthy replacement tooth.

Poor general care

Once the crown has been attached to the implant as the final part of the process, it is important that you don’t slip into poor cleaning habits. The crown itself won’t decay, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to clean around your implant well. Gum problems can lead to deterioration of the bone which could result in the implant becoming loose. In addition, the soft tissue surrounding the implant can be damaged by peri-implantitis which could also result in failure.

Our dental team will offer full advice on keeping your implant clean and we do strongly advise you to follow it. We will also discuss any habits that you may have, such as smoking or heavy drinking, which may have a negative effect on your implant.

Our role

Although much of the aftercare of your implant will fall to the patient, and especially after the initial 3 month settling period, we will of course monitor the implant’s health throughout its lifespan, providing that you maintain regular check-up appointments at our Ipswich practice. Assuming that your implants remain healthy, these need only be at the regular six-monthly intervals and can be combined with your regular dental checkup. Should you suspect anything may be wrong in between these times, please don’t wait until your next check-up appointment, and contact us as soon as possible so that we can check.

Dental implants are a great way to replace any lost or missing teeth, and we are always happy to discuss the merits of this procedure with you. Should you choose not to have this procedure or we find you are not suitable, we will be pleased to discuss alternatives, such as a bridge or dentures.

To find out more about our teeth implant treatments and the alternatives, please call the Lighthouse Dental Practice, for an initial consultation, on 01473 257 379.

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If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.