Dental implants replace lost teeth, restore the functionality of the mouth, enhance the appearance of the smile, and improve self-esteem. For these reasons, dentists have successfully prescribed them to patients for decades. They also last for decades, adding to their popularity.
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The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) states that dental implants have a 95 percent success rate. However, the success rate of the implant(s) you receive will depend on where your missing teeth are located, your health, and how well you care for your implants.
Dental implants can last for a lifetime, but only if you take proper care of them. You care for your dental implants the same way you care for your natural teeth. Namely, brush them twice a day, floss once per day, avoid excessive amounts of sugar, and come in for regular dental exams and dental cleanings. You should already dedicate yourself to the care of your natural teeth, so extend that level of care to your dental implants as well.
We take the utmost care to place implants properly in the jaw bone, as this will affect the success rate of the implant. Your general health and lifestyle will play a key role in whether implants succeed and how long they succeed. You will also want to refrain from biting hard objects like pens, pencils, bottles, or using your teeth to open plastic packaging. Doing so can cause the crowns to chip.
We may need to replace an implant if it loosens, becomes damaged, or develops an infection, but those are usually the only times when a replacement is called for. To obtain optimum results, we recommend coming into our office for an appointment once every six months so we can check to make sure your implant is working properly.
Recall that we must penetrate the gums and jaw bone to install an implant. Because of that, certain patients don’t qualify for them.
To qualify as a candidate, you must also have enough bone mass that is strong enough to support the implants. If you don’t have adequate bone mass, you may need a bone graft before we can begin implant surgery. But before beginning, Dr. Dose will examine your teeth to see whether dental implants are the best option for you.
Amazingly, dental implants can bend and break even though they’re made of titanium. But thanks to the advances in implant technology over the past few decades, this happens much less often. However, implants can break because of external forces, like teeth grinding or facial trauma.
In most cases, we can salvage a failed implant, provided that you get the broken implant to us immediately. The process has Dr. Dose build up the surrounding gum tissue and bone. He partners with a trusted oral surgeon to remove the implant, lets the area heal again, and then attempts to insert a new implant. Implants rarely fail twice.
Are you interested in learning more about dental implants? Give us a call at (503) 647-4565. We are happy to help you learn more about your smile!
Schedule your new patient or second-opinion consultation today.
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