When you get a dental implant you expect it to last for a lifetime. In almost 100 percent of cases they do, but there are still instances where dental implants fail. For the patient these cases are alarming, frightening, and panicking – not only are you losing teeth all over again, but you’re losing your investment as well!
At Edgewood Dental Care we take pride in our near perfect rate of dental implant placement. With the advanced technology we use to place dental implants you can rest easy knowing that your chances of failure are as minimal as they could possibly be.
But why do implants fail? It’s a good question, and we want to explore that along with how we prevent that failure today.
The Worst That Could Happen: How Implants Fail
When an implant goes bad there are a lot of questions that need to be asked: was it placed incorrectly? Was it infected? Were your home care habits not enough? There are reasons that are sometimes beyond your control and others that are directly related to your lifestyle.
Not Enough Bone Mass
In some instances the bone an implant is placed in is too brittle, thin, or weak to handle an implant. When that happens it’s common for an implant to fail. In many cases it can take several weeks for the symptoms of a failed bonding to show up, but when they do an implant will feel loose and unstable, just like a tooth on the verge of falling out.
At our Edgewood office cases like this are unheard of. We use state-of-the-art 3D cone beam scanning technology to perfectly model your bone, soft tissue, and teeth. We use that computer model to determine if you’re eligible for implants, the best options for you, and how to make sure we place your implant in the most efficient way possible.
We also offer several oral surgery options to help you rebuild bone mass if you don’t have enough for implant placement. We’ll help you meet your treatment goals no matter what!
Nerve Damage Due To Improper Placement
If a nerve is damaged during implant placement it can sometimes cause a problem with integration and stability. In those cases you might not even know it’s loose, depending on the amount of numbness or damage. Patients who experience nerve damage due to an implant placement sometimes have to have them taken out too – a bad placement can cause a lot of pain!
We use our 3D modeling to prevent this too – the cone beam scan of your jaw area shows us each and every vein, blood vessel, and nerve in your head. When we plan your implant placement we plan based on your nerve locations so that we never have to worry about striking one.
We place implants using special guiding instruments that are oriented based on our computer modeling. This minimizes the risk of an incorrect surgery, leaving you with practically no risk of nerve damage.
Insufficient Aftercare
It’s unfortunate, but the overwhelming number of implant failures come from bad home care habits. If you aren’t brushing your teeth enough, flossing, or keeping the implant site clean while healing it can be very hard for your bones to bind to the implant!
In the long term many implants fail because of a condition called peri-implantitis. This happens when bacteria gets below your gumline and causes an infection similar to gum disease. When peri-implantitis becomes serious you can even lose the bone that’s stabilizing your implant, causing it to fall out with little hope of restoration.
A common reason for the development of peri-implantitis or other aftercare implant losses is tobacco use. Tobacco kills off many species of oral bacteria, and the ones it leaves behind are incredibly harmful. When they proliferate your implant doesn’t stand a chance!
You Don’t Have To Worry With Us
Implant failure is incredibly rare – in fact, somewhere between 95 and 98 percent of all dental implants are successful. We take steps to avoid some of the common placement mistakes that cause loss, and we’re glad to help teach you how to take care of your implant after your procedure.
A dental implant is the perfect choice for restoring lost teeth, and an implant at Edgewood Dental Care is an even better one! To find out what we can do for you call us today at 859-474-7830 or request an appointment using our online form. We look forward to seeing you!