Understanding How Your Dental Implants Will Age
Posted on: 15 July 2016
If you are considering one or more dental implants to fix a gap in your smile, you may be wondering whether or not your implants will last long enough to be worth the cost and surgery. Although it is impossible to accurately predict how long any particular dental implant will last, you can project a reasonable lifespan based on the overall durability of the implant as well as how you take care of it. These are three of the primary factors that will decide the longevity of your implant, as well as your options when it is finally time for an implant restoration.
Measuring the Lifespan of a Dental Implant
Generally speaking, if a dental implant does not fail within the first few weeks or months following installation, it can be expected to last many years without further complications. One study examining over 13,000 two-stage implants found that 92 percent survived at least 15 years, while another, smaller study determined an 85 percent success rate among one-stage implants. Two-stage implants are often more successful because of differences in the surgical process between them, which typically require more caution and longer time frames than a one-stage implant.
Maintaining Your Implants for Greater Longevity
A successful installation is not enough to guarantee a long and useful lifespan for your implant, however. You should treat your implant like a regular tooth, including following the usual dental hygiene procedures like brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist regularly. Although your implant itself may not be prone to decay, keeping the teeth and gums surrounding it healthy will prevent potentially harmful conditions like gum disease from emerging.
Avoiding Physical Damage to the Tooth
Similarly, you should treat your implant with the same caution as you would a regular tooth, which means avoiding any bumps or bites that could chip it or knock it off its abutment. If you do damage your implant, you may be able to undergo an implant restoration procedure to install a new cap or repair damage to the post and abutment.
Restoring Worn or Discolored Implants
Whether you take care of your implant perfectly or neglect it for years, there will eventually come a time when the cap must be replaced. Your dentist will examine the overall implant to ensure that the components below your gum line are still in acceptable condition, though they may need to be swapped out as well. Either way, dental restorations are estimated to last 5 to 10 years on their own, meaning even once you do need more frequent maintenance, your appointments should still be few and far between. Rather than lose bone density for decades as you struggle to hide the hole in your smile, committing to dental implants may be exactly what you need to have peace of mind for many years to come.
For more information, contact Tijeras Dental Service or a similar location.
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