How To Maintain Your Dental Implants to Prevent Failure

In terms of tooth replacement, Dental Implants are generally thought of as the gold standard, they have a very high success rate and have good longevity if cared for correctly. 

However, like most things, if not cared for correctly they can develop problems. So today we’re going to be going through some of the main reasons Dental Implants can fail and how to prevent it from happening.

The leading cause of implant failure is something called Peri-implantitis, a form of bacterial infection in your gums which can be caused by a number of things such as; a build up of plaque from poor oral hygiene, smoking or conditions such as diabetes.

This can lead to tooth loss and destruction of the jawbone. 

However, if someone has a history of gum disease it doesn’t mean they will necessarily develop this around an implant but they will have to maintain a very high standard of oral hygiene to prevent this from happening. 

If you’re concerned this is something you might suffer from and may affect your smile restoration, you can bring it up at your consultation appointment where our dentists will go through a full oral and general health check with you.

Another reason an implant might fail could be from unexpected biological failure or rejection, this can be caused by a lack of, or losing bone support in the jaw and the implant will need to be removed. However, this is considered low risk and uncommon as our dentists will go through a full health check with you before we proceed to minimise the risk of this happening.

Implant failure could also be caused by the artificial tooth on top of the implant fracturing or cracking, this can be easily remedied by replacing this part of the implant. Another risk is from overloading the dental implant, this can happen when too much pressure or biting force is put on the implant. To combat this we would recommend you come for regular check ups to maintain a good balance with the rest of your teeth.

Overall we would advise you to come in for regular dental check ups, hygiene appointments and maintain excellent oral hygiene to maintain your Dental Implant’s health and longevity.