While dental implants can be an excellent solution for missing teeth, it’s important to be informed before going forward with this decision. One key consideration should be how to prevent implant failure—no one wants to invest time and money only for it to fail later. Overall dental implants in Corpus have a very low failure rate. However, that doesn’t mean that taking precautionary measures shouldn’t be a top priority in your oral care regimen.
We’ve said it a dozen times—we value educating our patients as it is part of our duty, being entrusted with your dental care. So, let’s go over everything you need to know about preventing failure with dental implants.
What Are Dental Implants?
In case you’ve never looked into dental implants or don’t know how they work, let us give you a quick condensed overview.
Dental implants are an innovative and efficient solution to replace missing teeth that have forever changed restorative dentistry. Made from titanium, dental implants are surgically placed into the jawbone as the “roots” for replacement teeth. They serve as support structures for either a single restoration or a modular denture as is the case with full mouth reconstruction. They can also be used to support bridges for a more secure fit than the traditional method.
Although dental implants are generally safe and effective treatments, it’s still oral surgery, so there are some risks. One of the more serious risks associated with dental implants in Corpus is the potential for implant failure. This occurs when the implant fails to bond with the jawbone or becomes infected due to bacteria buildup.
Since over 90% of dental implant failure is preventable, there are several things you can do to reduce your risk of dental implant failure. First and foremost is choosing an experienced and reputable prosthodontist, not just a general dentist. following all their post-operative instructions carefully, and visiting regularly so any problems can be caught early on.
If you are curious about dental implants in Corpus or ready to move forward with this treatment option, be sure to book a consultation first. Dr. Vela will help determine whether dental implants are right for you while minimizing potential complications.
The Most Common Causes Of Implant Failure
One of the primary factors contributing to dental implant failure is infection. When bacteria enters through gums and attaches itself to titanium implants, an infection often develops. Furthermore, infections may also arise if an improper cleaning procedure was used before surgery takes place.
Poor bone support, improper placement, and overloading are other leading causes of dental implant failure. Poor bone support may cause loosening and eventually failure while improper placement can damage adjacent teeth or nerves; overloading occurs if too much force is placed upon the implant – such as when you bite down on hard foods or your nails!
Failing to get yourself properly qualified for dental implants is a common cause of implant failure as well. When we say properly, we mean speaking with a prosthodontist who is skilled in implant surgery such as Dr. Vela.
If you are considering dental implants, we cannot stress enough how important it is to come to a consultation with Dr. Vela first. In fact, we cannot perform dental implant surgery on you unless we qualify you during the consultation.
Dr. Vela will order advanced imaging, perform a full exam, and then determine if your situation warrants implants. He must also determine that you have enough jawbone density to support the implants.
We understand you may want dental implants but we must make sure they are right for your situation.
Tobacco use and heavy alcohol usage are very common causes of failure—as much as 20%. This is why we ask you to stop smoking and drinking heavily at least three months before your surgery. It inhibits healing and we recommend you continue that cessation for at least the duration of recovery.
Why Do People Choose Dental Implants?
While it may seem that there are some strict qualification standards to get dental implants, they are quite routine for ANY medical procedure. That being said, the success rate for dental implants is incredibly high at over 95%. There’s more than one reason that patients choose dental implants overwhelmingly more often than dentures.
The Closest Thing To Natural Teeth
Most dentists in Corpus will concur that dental implants are by far the best developments of dental technology in history. They not only replace missing teeth but also minimize collateral damage to any surrounding healthy teeth. That is because unlike partial dentures or bridges, they are a 1:1 exact fit. That means no gaps, no crowding neighboring teeth, and most importantly—no scraping of adjacent teeth by metal supports.
The Pain Is Minimal
Naturally, when thinking about a screw being implanted into your jaw it’s not going to sound pleasant. In fact, when you think about it—it sounds downright dreadful. However, it is a minimally painful procedure and requires little downtime. Most of our patients return to work the following day with only a bit of Tylenol. Dental implant surgery also enjoys a very low complication rate as most procedures go quite smoothly. Of course, each patient is different with different circumstances, but 24 hours of downtime is very feasible.
It Can Improve Your Physical And Emotional State
When a patient who is a good candidate for dental implants completes the process, the impact it makes is immediate. Dental implants, besides restoring your smile aesthetically also maintain quality of life. On the other hand, dentures impact your diet in a restrictive manner, can potentially fall out when speaking, and more. Implants are permanently bonded to your jaw so there are no diet restrictions, no embarrassing accidents and they look 100% natural.
Implants Are Incredibly Durable
Although having your natural teeth is the best possible scenario—implants are a very close second. In fact, dental implants have one key advantage—they don’t decay. That’s right— because they are made out of special composites dental implants can’t and won’t rot like natural teeth. That doesn’t mean you can slack on oral hygiene though. You can still get food particles stuck in between teeth that can lead to gum disease. Furthermore, implants can also stain just like regular teeth, so make sure you floss and brush at least twice daily.
Implants Fortify Your Jawbone
Implants replace the natural root so well that your jawbone doesn’t even know the difference. It bonds with the implant just like with a tooth root, maintaining the root stimulation of the jawbone. Without this fortification—such as with dentures, the jawbone would disintegrate over time.
Implants Protect Existing Teeth
When you just need a single tooth replaced with a bridge, it is supported with metal brackets. These brackets are attached to the neighboring teeth and put a strain on them. Over time it can cause shifting of your teeth which is a compounding problem. If you’re a good candidate for dental implants, you can avoid all those issues. Dental implants don’t need any support from adjacent teeth since they’re implanted into the jawbone.
Looking For The Best Specialist For Dental Implants In Corpus?
If you want to make sure that dental implants will be a smooth process for you and ideal for your situation—contact us. We’ll get your consultation with Dr. Vela scheduled so that you can get your smile back!
