How Can I Prevent Dental Implant Failure?

When living with dental implants in Richardson, you want to do everything you can to ensure a longer lifespan for your smile, right? While most surgical procedures (around 98%) are successful, there is a small chance you could experience complications that lead to dental implant failure. If you want to make sure you remain in the high percentage of cases that succeed, find out what you can do to minimize your risk and enjoy a healthier, fully functional smile.

What Causes Dental Implant Failure?

Although it is rare for dental implants to fail, there are a few scenarios that can occur that can put you at risk for serious complications, such as:

• Facial Trauma – Whether it’s a sudden fall or hard-hitting tackle on the field, forceful pressure applied to a specific area of the mouth can damage your dental implant, causing it to fail.
• Bone Shrinkage – If you do not have adequate jawbone density when receiving your dental implants, it may not create a stable foundation, causing osseointegration to be unsuccessful.
• Peri-Implantitis – Inflammation of the gum tissue is one of the most common causes of implant failure. It is typically the result of poor oral hygiene.

Ways to Minimize the Risk of Implant Failure

Dental implants are a costly investment, so if you want to protect your new assets and ensure their longevity, you’ll need to make sure you adopt these helpful tips:

• Maintain optimal oral hygiene. This means brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes and flossing at least once a day to remove bad bacteria and food particles. You’ll also want to rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash.
• Kick your smoking habit to the curb, as nicotine and tobacco can weaken your immune system, making it harder to heal and allow osseointegration to occur.
• Never use your teeth as tools to open packages or containers, as you will damage your regular tooth enamel as well as your dental implants.
• Protect your implants by wearing a customized mouthguard while playing sports or while asleep if you grind your teeth (bruxism).
• Maintain a healthy diet by incorporating more fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy, as these will encourage good gum health.

How Your Dentist Can Help

By adhering to the tips above, you should not experience any problems with your dental implants; however, if you begin to notice that your tooth feels loose or swelling appears around the site of your implant, your dentist in Richardson can help.

Depending on the severity and reason of your dental implant failure, your dentist can:

• Clear away any infection gum tissue if peri-implantitis is the culprit
• Perform a bone graft to strengthen the underlying bone
• Replace the restoration if it is the one that is damaged and not the actual implant post

Knowing how to properly care for your dental implants is key. By practicing the many preventive tips provided, you can avoid implant failure and instead, enjoy a smile that lasts a lifetime.

About the Author
At McDougal and Richards Dentistry, our dentists want to help every patient who walks through our doors achieve happier, healthier smiles. For patients with missing teeth, dental implants are one of the most superior and popular solutions to restoring and repairing smiles. Using only the highest quality materials, our team will not only improve your oral health but also enhance your smile’s aesthetics. If you already have dental implants but are worried about the potential for failure, contact us at (972) 231-5376 and let us provide tips to help you take better care of your new and improved smile.