If you’re a New York City resident who is considering oral surgery to have dental implants replace a missing tooth or teeth, you likely have several questions about this treatment option. If you’re like most New York City residents facing oral surgery, you want to know that you won’t need to have the procedure repeated any time soon. So, most likely, you are wondering how long do dental implants last? Fortunately, there is good news for you. As long as you properly care for your dental implants, they can last permanently.
Making Dental Implants Last a Lifetime
The key to making your dental implants last for the rest of your lifetime is to care for them properly. New York City periodontist Dr. Kissel, who has years of experience treating New Yorkers with dental implants, has this advice to offer to dental implants patients:
- Brush your teeth twice daily;
- Floss your teeth every day;
- Come in for you bi-annual checkups, even if you have a full mouth of dental implants; and
- See your periodontist at the first sign of infection around your dental implants, no matter how long it was since you had them placed.
Conditions That Can Cause Dental Implants to Fail
Dental implants have a 90% success rate. But sometimes, certain conditions can cause them to fail. These include:
- Situations in which the dental implant does not fuse to the jawbone, creating a strong, healthy bond;
- Surgical trauma at the time of the dental implants placement;
- Trauma to the face after the dental implants surgery, such as a car accident or sporting injury;
- Developing an infection around the implant; and
- Smoking after your surgery, as smoking decreases blood flow and may cause dental implants to loosen.
Avoiding Dental Implant Failure
Some situations that cause dental implants to fall out, like a car accident or freak event, can’t be avoided. But there are other circumstances that lead to dental implant failure that are preventable. First, to ensure that your dental implants will fuse with your jawbone, you will need to undergo a full oral examination by an experienced New York City periodontist, like Dr. Kissel. During this examination, which may include an X-ray or oral CT scan, he’ll determine if you have enough healthy bone tissue to proceed with getting dental implants, or if you need bone grafting performed, first.
Second, having dental implant surgery performed by a skilled New York City periodontist like Dr. Kissel can prevent you from having surgical trauma. Third, wearing a mouth guard while playing contact sports can protect your dental implants, as well as your remaining healthy teeth. While you may not be able to prevent all infections, diabetics, who are more susceptible to infections like peri-implantitis, can reduce their chances of developing the complication by sticking to their diabetic treatment plan. And finally, if you smoke, you are in control of quitting and can do so to protect your dental implants for years to come.
Getting More Info on Dental Implants
If you’d like to learn more about dental implants, including whether or not they are the right tooth replacement solution for you, we highly recommend that you speak with New York City periodontist Dr. Kissel directly. During a consultation and oral examination with Dr. Kissel, he will explain the dental implant procedure, evaluate your unique case, come up with a personal treatment plan for you and answer all your questions.
You can schedule your appointment with Dr. Kissel today by calling (212) 702-9088.
