{"id":59,"date":"2023-02-17T11:47:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T11:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.morriscountydentist.com\/blog\/?p=59"},"modified":"2025-10-20T21:50:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T21:50:48","slug":"the-eternal-dental-implant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.morriscountydentist.com\/blog\/2023\/02\/17\/the-eternal-dental-implant\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cEternal\u201d Dental Implant & How to Prevent Implant Failure"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dental implants<\/a> have improved the lives of countless individuals throughout the world. In fact, just within the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 5 million implants are placed each year! There are a lot of reasons why people seek out dental implants: increased chewing ability, clearer enunciation, improved esthetics, not having to cut down adjacent teeth for bridgework, and the fact you can\u2019t get a cavity on a dental implant are a few examples.

However, many people believe that things can\u2019t go wrong with dental implants: that they are indestructible and will last forever. This is an unfortunate misconception! While dental implants do have a very high success rate of over 95%, there are some instances when they can fail early. This article, written by our very own Dr. Ira Goldberg, addresses some of the causes of dental implant failure, as well as what can be done for a failing implant.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Factors That Contribute to Dental Implant Failure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oral & Overall Health<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your dental health is a leading factor when it comes to the success of your implants. Beyond that, systemic diseases can affect your whole body, and your mouth is not isolated from the rest of you. Diabetes, thyroid activity, autoimmune diseases, and osteoporosis are examples of conditions that require discussions with your implantologist, since they can directly impact your treatment. Similarly, smoking is a habit that can negatively impact your oral health, and in turn, your dental implants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Certain medications, such as SSRIs, SNRIs, and PPIs can affect bone metabolism and put dental implant patients at risk for complications. During your dental implant consultation, you and your dentist will review your current medications carefully to determine if any of them will impact your treatment plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of Gum Disease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gum disease is an incredibly problematic oral health condition that spells bad news for teeth and dental implants alike. A history of gum disease greatly increases a person\u2019s risk of having dental implant complications. It\u2019s crucial to maintain healthy gum tissue once the implants have been placed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bite Patterns\/Occlusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, replacing one or more missing teeth without paying attention to the condition of your remaining teeth can be extremely destructive to dental implants. Your dentist is not trying to \u201coversell\u201d you when they discuss this with you; they\u2019re only considering the future impact it\u2019ll have on the rest of your smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complexity of the Present Problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not every smile is exactly the same, and patients experience tooth loss very differently. Two people who may need a dental implant for the same tooth can have polar opposite presenting conditions. For example, one person may have a large amount of available bone, while the next person may have very little bone and could require a supplemental bone graft first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What You Can Do About Dental Implant Failure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So what do you do about an implant that is starting to lose bone, develop deep pockets, bleeds, or feels loose or tender? The answer is simple: speak with your dentist so that they can take a look! It\u2019s also possible for you to not even be aware of a problem with a dental implant\u2014which is why routine preventive care remains more important than ever before once you\u2019ve received implants. After they\u2019ve inspected your smile, they\u2019ll be able to determine what\u2019s causing trouble for your implant and how to get things back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two terms used often with dental implantology: \u201cperi-implant mucositis\u201d and \u201cperi-implantitis.\u201d The first refers to when there is no bone loss around your implant and the problem is limited to the gums, and the second indicates you are starting to see bone loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n