According to a June 2014 journal in the Journal of Periodontal & Implant Science, researchers tracked the results experienced by 4,316 people who received 13,147 dental implants between 2004 and 2012. Researchers wanted to find out the status of those implants eight years later. What did they find? Researchers determined that 97% of those implants were functioning effectively and satisfactorily eight years after being put in place.
Ninety-seven percent is a great number, but let’s not overlook that missing 3%. Complications and problems relating to dental implants are rare, but they do happen. The staff at your dental clinic in Dryden will explain the entire implant process, all risks involved, and how to ensure a full and quick recovery, but we want to provide you all the information you need to be aware of potential — but rare — long-term issues related to dental implants. We’ll point out three categories of potential problems and what you need to know to manage them.
While you’re healing
A successful implant requires that the post be surrounded by healthy bone and gum tissue. The planning your dentist does before providing your dental implants in Dryden will include a careful assessment of the size and strength of your jaw bone, and the process of osseointegration will bond the implant to your bone. There are factors which can, however, undermine that bond and cause your implant to become loose during the healing process. Those factors include:
● Insufficient bone tissue to support the implant, especially if placed near molars, at the site of bone grafts, in narrow ridges, or in the lower front of your jaw
● If you smoke
● If you have uncontrolled diabetes
Infection can also place the initial bonding of your implant at risk. For that reason, you should carefully review and comply with the instructions the dentist will provide you before going home after receiving dental implants in Dryden.
While you’re living with the implants
Even after you’ve healed and have been living with your implants for some time, it is possible albeit uncommon for the implant to become loose. That happens for the following reasons:
● If your jaw bone is too weak to sustain the forces imposed by eating and chewing, in which case the implant may be removed to allow the bone to fill the area before the implant is replaced
● If you’ve suffered bone additional bone loss in the region of your implant, which can happen due to serious periodontal (gum) disease
Ideally, the crown or restoration attached to your implant fills the gap between your natural teeth exactly. If damage to or movement of the neighbouring teeth creates gaps between a natural tooth and an implant, that gap may allow food particles and bacteria to accumulate between teeth and around the gums in the area.
The most serious type of problem that can arise after you’ve healed from your implant process is the development of a disease called peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis is an infection that will cause the loss of bone tissue surrounding your implant and, if not addressed effectively, will require that your implant be removed. In some cases after effective treatment, a new implant can be placed.
The implants themselves
While it would be unusual, it is possible for the attachments involved in an implant — the abutment that connects the post to the restoration — to break or for metal and ceramic elements to wear down over time. If you have the habit of clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth while you sleep due to the condition of sleep bruxism, your implant will be particularly vulnerable to damage. You can help manage this risk to dental implants by wearing a mouthguard or adjusting the biting surfaces of your teeth to change how they meet.
In the vast majority of circumstances, dental implants in Dryden are successful and satisfactory in the short and long-term. By following your dentist’s instructions, you’ll be able to maximize the chances of success for a lifetime. If you have any concerns about the state of your implants at any time, you should contact a dentist near you as soon as possible.