More than two-thirds of adults aged 35 to 44 have suffered the loss of one or more teeth, and 25 percent of Americans ages 65 and up have no teeth. While the initial concern of a missing tooth is its impact on your smile, tooth loss can also cause teeth drifting, bone loss resulting in facial aging and a diminished quality of life.
Dental implants, the number one teeth replacement solution today, create healthy smiles, boost confidence, and provide structure for your mouth and face. In addition to completing your smile, they help to keep your remaining teeth in place, preventing shifting and gaps that affects the shape of your cheeks and jaw. Dental implants also provide stimulation for your jaw which keeps it from degenerating.
Improve your smile, oral health, and your overall well-being and facial appearance with dental implants at Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants.
What Are Dental Implants?
Your most natural-looking option for replacing missing teeth are dental implants, and they are made of three components. Dr. Valiente begins by placing a titanium post in your jawbone, which serves as an anchor for the crown. Next, he attaches an abutment to the implant which holds the crown in place and keeps it from shifting. Your dentist adheres the final restoration to the abutment. This final crown is ceramic and looks like a natural tooth.
Advantages of Dental Implants
- Withstand biting and chewing without slippage
- Are comfortable and functional
- Have a very high success rate
- Provide jawbone to continue to grow and prevent bone degeneration
- Put no stress on adjacent teeth
- Are easy to care for like regular teeth
- Act like natural teeth
- Can last a lifetime
- Preserve structure of the face and jawbone
The Longevity of Dental Implants
Are dental implants permanent? How long do they last? Dental implants at Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants can last a lifetime. What’s important to keep in mind is that the way you care for you dental implants will have a significant impact on how long they last, same as any natural tooth. Take care of them by brushing and flossing like you do with your regular teeth, and they can last over 20 years.
Reasons Implants May Decline Over Time
While dental implants are traditionally extremely successful tooth-replacement procedures with an average success rate of 97 percent, failure is possible. The two main contributors to implant failure are peri-implantitis and failed osseointegration, and in the rare case that failure occurs, it happens within the first couple years of surgery, sometimes within the first six months.
If your implant becomes loose, you may be suffering from peri-implantitis, a gum disease that attacks the implant with an infection that damages the bone around the tooth. Osseointegration is the fusing of the titanium implant with the jawbone. Implants have the potential to fail to integrate with the bone, but our use of advanced technology almost always prevents failure.
Other factors that may impact the longevity of your implants are your medical conditions and habits. Those who smoke or have diabetes or immunological disease tend to be at a higher risk for implant failure. Teeth grinding can cause wear and tear on your implants, as it does on natural teeth. And if you’re implants are in the back of your mouth, they are experiencing more strain from chewing that can lead to failure. Our expert oral and maxillofacial surgeon has an excellent record for his long-lasting dental implants. You are in great hands at the Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants.
How to Avoid Dental Implant Failure
The best way to ensure your dental implants don’t fail is to commit to excellent oral hygiene. Routine brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and regular cleanings and checkups to keep your smile healthy.
Dental implants at the Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants look natural and can last a lifetime. Contact us today to schedule a visit! Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants Office Phone Number (813) 968-5400