Will Your Dental Implant Last Forever?

Everyone from Echo & The Bunnymen to Maroon 5, The Kinks and Sam Hunt agree that “nothing lasts forever.” Were they talking about dental implants? Maybe not, but now that you ask: just how long should dental implants last?

Dental implants in Downtown Vancouver are designed to be a permanent once-and-for-all solution for tooth loss. Having said that, it’s more reasonable to expect that an implant will last approximately 25 years. There’s a big difference between forever and 25 years, so we’ll explain just how we came up with that 25-year approximate lifespan and also talk about how you can preserve the life and performance of your implant for as long as possible.

Understanding implants

Implants consist of three different elements. Each element of dental implants near you plays a very different role. Understanding the role of each element will contribute to an understanding of implants’ lifespan as a whole.

The implant itself is a titanium post that is rooted into and bonded powerfully with your jaw bone through osseointegration. A well placed implant is accepted by the body as a replacement and natural tooth root as if it were biological material. Although implants can fail due to pre-existing medical conditions, poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease and a condition called peri-implantitis, the implanted post can be expected to last your lifetime in typical circumstances. The same can not be said about the other two elements.

An abutment is a fastener screwed onto the implant. The abutment itself sits above your gum line. It’s job is to connect your restoration — a crown, a bridge or dentures, for example — to the implant in your jaw.

Your restoration (crown, bridge or dentures, for example) is attached to the implant via the abutment. The restoration sits in your mouth just like natural teeth where the restoration is exposed to all the tension, pressure and features of the rest of your teeth. Restorations are typically made of ceramic.

As well-designed and durable as abutments and restorations are, they are inherently more vulnerable to damage and deterioration than the implant itself. Whereas you can expect the implant itself to last your lifetime, the vulnerability of the abutment and (particularly) the restoration mean they may need to be replaced every 15 to 25 years.

Factors affecting the lifespan of your implants

There are five primary factors that affect the lifespan of dental implants in Yaletown as a whole:

● How well you take care of your oral health, including by brushing, flossing, visiting your dentist regularly and receiving all recommended dental treatment

● How well you respect your teeth. Your teeth are designed — and well-designed at that — for eating, biting and chewing. They are not wrenches, pliers, scissors or other tools and should never be treated as such

● The skill of the dentist near you who provided your implants. If you’re considering dental implants in Yaletown, ask your potential dentist about their experience and success rate

● Where your implant is located. Implants placed in high-pressure locations in your mouth — molars, for example — can be expected to need to be replaced more quickly than implants in the front of your mouth where they aren’t exposed to the same pressure

● Your commitment to your general and oral health as a whole. Smoking and consumption of excessive alcohol, for example, are associated with implant failure and delayed healing — especially smoking and drinking before and after your implant procedures.

Obtaining dental implants from a dentist in Yaletown involves a significant investment of time, money and effort. Before making that investment — and to make sure you’re not wasting your time, money and effort — ask your dentist how long they expect your dentist to last in your circumstances and how you can prolong that lifespan as long as possible.