Can Dental Implants Fail?

If you have lost a tooth, you perhaps know that dental implants may be the best solution to replace them. Implants are the first devices in modern dentistry that replace the root of the missing tooth and stay attached to the bone permanently. Thanks to a process called osseointegration, the implant integrates with the bone in roughly six months; therefore, the patient must wait for this period to receive a permanent crown. But don’t worry; in the meantime, a dentist near you will place a temporary crown that will look as natural as your original tooth.

Even though they are a highly demanded treatment, dental implants near you are expensive; hence, many patients often ask if they are going to last forever.

So what happens with dental implants in Waterloo? Can a dental implant fail?

There are several requirements that a placed implant must achieve to be successful. Look no further to find out what these requirements are:

• The patient must eat comfortably, without neither pain nor sensitivity.

• After osseointegration has been completed, your implant is secured to the bone; therefore, there shouldn’t be any movement.

• There shouldn’t be more than 2mm of vertical bone loss during the first year that follows the placement of the implant.

• Neither irritated nor sore gums around the dental implant.

Unlike what we stated above, an implant that is still in the mouth but it’s not functional or satisfactory, is an “implant survival”; meaning, the implant requires additional treatment because it does not function properly. The signs of a survival implant are the following:

• The patient experiences some pain when biting or chewing.

• The bone loss is higher than 2mm in the first year; however, it less than the length of the implant.

• A probing depth up to 7mm. Keep in mind that probing depths over 3mm is an indication of periodontal therapy; hence, 7mm is a severe probing depth.

• Red gums around the implant along with pus, or any other sign of infection.

• Pus or bleeding around the gum line.

Complications of Dental Implants

Some of the complications that you may experience after one decade of your implant placement are the following:

• The dental crown falls off.

• The crown breaks.

• The crown doesn’t contact the adjacent teeth, resulting in food impaction and recurrent tooth decay.

• Loss of alveolar bone around dental implants.

• Receding gums around dental implants.

• Loss of the implant.

If you made it this far, now you know that dental implants, as many dental procedures, can have complications if you don’t provide them with the proper care. Keep a daily oral care routine and be cautious with the selection of your foods until the osseointegration has been completed. Remember that a dental implant will never tolerate the same forces as a natural tooth does.

Many dental procedures have the possibility of failing; however, there are things that you, as a patient, can do to prevent them. Instead of looking for a general dentist, look for a dental professional that is specialized in the area at our dental office in Waterloo. Also, brush your crown and floss between it and your natural teeth, to avoid food impaction. Although an implant cannot grow cavities, the neighboring teeth can.

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us. You may have a consultation with one of our specialists to get professional advice.

By following these recommendations, you can minimize the risk of having an implant complication, after all, implants are pricey, so it’s better to be careful to preserve them, for many decades.