Dental implants are a popular choice for restoring smiles in Franklin Square, NY, due to their natural appearance and functionality.
Nowadays, there is no need to worry that losing teeth will affect your appearance, as dental implants can restore your smile in a way that feels and looks very natural. However, placing the dental implants does require a short surgical procedure, and as with any form of treatment, there is always a small risk of failure or something going wrong with an implant.
Dental implant treatment isn’t the cheapest option to restore missing teeth, so if you choose this procedure, you want to make sure you have every chance of it being a long-term success. Often, the success of this procedure relies on successfully controlling or managing a variety of factors. These may include systemic disease, advanced gum disease, and bruxism, where patients grind and clench their teeth.
Generally, implant failure can be categorized as due to loss of integration, where the implant cannot bond properly with the bone around it, failure due to improper positioning, or problems with soft tissues such as an infection. In addition, very occasionally, there can be a biomechanical failure.
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Failure Due to Loss of Integration
When an implant is inserted into the jawbone, a process called Osseointegration must occur. The implant gradually becomes fused within the jawbone during this process as new bone cells grow on and around it. Often the implant post or screw is specially treated to encourage this process, and it can take between three and six months to complete.
However, sometimes an implant post or screw fails to bond with the bone surrounding it so that instead of becoming fused firmly in the bone, it remains loose and unable to support an implant restoration adequately. Ultimately this implant may need to be removed and the bone left to heal before an implant dentist can assess the chances of successfully re-situating the implant.
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Improper Positioning
You might think your jawbone only consists of bone, but it contains other structures that include your sinus cavities, blood vessels, and nerves. It takes a great deal of care, experience, and skill to ensure these structures are successfully avoided while still ensuring the implant screw is optimally situated.
For example, if an implant is placed too close to a nerve, it can cause temporary or even permanent numbness. Also, when restoring the upper back teeth, care must be taken not to perforate the sinus cavity, which can be tricky because the bone in this area is often naturally thinner.
It’s important to realize that implants must be placed into strong, healthy bone. They need a specific amount for successful integration and to ensure the implant teeth look aesthetically pleasing. For example, if you have significant bone loss, it can result in dark triangles forming between your implant teeth and your natural teeth. These would normally be filled with bone and gum tissue. Not only can these dark triangles detract from a nice smile, but they are also quite tricky to keep clean, increasing the risk of infection.
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Implant Infection
When you see a reputable implant dentist for treatment, they follow strict infection control protocols to ensure that the risk of possible infection is minimized when your implants are surgically placed into your jawbone. However, infection remains a risk even with these precautions and can sometimes occur years after treatment.
When this happens, it’s frequently due to poor oral hygiene. As a result, the soft tissues around the implant and eventually the bone become infected with a disease similar to gum disease, called peri-implantitis.
Therefore, anyone considering dental implants must look after them properly, as shown by their implant dentist and hygienist. Caring for dental implants isn’t tricky, but you need to dedicate time to cleaning around them thoroughly, and regular dental checkups and professional dental cleanings are equally important. Even if an implant does become infected, a good periodontist can often treat the infection successfully if you see them promptly.
Biomechanical Failure
High-quality dental implants like Straumann or Nobel Biocare are very unlikely to fail and especially when placed correctly.
However, implant components can break under stress, especially if an implant is incorrectly positioned, placed under an excessive load, or if a patient has other issues like bruxism. It may be possible to replace some implant components that fail under stress, but this isn’t always the case, and sometimes the implant may need replacing completely.
Clenching and grinding put teeth and dental implants under enormous stress, so if you have bruxism, it’s essential to treat it before you have any implants. Treatment often means using a specially made night guard that fits your upper teeth, ensuring your lower teeth grind harmlessly against the guard.
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Health Risks and Lifestyle Factors
Some health problems can affect the long-term success of dental implants, including uncontrolled diabetes or another systemic disease. Smoking is another huge risk factor, so if you currently smoke and want dental implants, you will need to consider giving up at least for the duration of treatment and preferably for good.
Other factors that can influence treatment success include untreated gum disease and drug or alcohol abuse.
These are all the reasons why when you see an implant dentist for treatment initially, they will want to review your dental health and your medical health. An experienced implant dentist will carefully consider each patient for their suitability. They will consider how successful treatment is likely to be in the longer term, considering whether or not a patient is likely or able to look after dental implants correctly.
If you are considering implants, make sure you choose your implant dentist carefully. The best dentist to see is a periodontist as they have advanced training and experience in successfully planning and placing dental implants. They can also treat any signs of active gum disease and carry out additional treatments that might be required, such as bone grafting to build up your jawbone in areas where it may be deficient.
Choosing the right implant dentist and making sure you look after your implants correctly will help ensure you are one of the many success stories and are amongst the 95% of people who will enjoy their implants for years or even for life.
Local dental practices in Franklin Square emphasize the importance of regular check-ups and proper oral hygiene to minimize complications. For instance, Clocktower Dental offers comprehensive implant services, including bone grafting and sinus lifts, to ensure successful integration and aesthetic results.
If you’re considering dental implants in Franklin Square, NY, it’s crucial to work with a skilled dentist who can manage potential complications. Call Clocktower Dental at (516) 352-1000 or visit them at 110 New Hyde Park Rd to discuss your options and ensure a successful implant experience. You can also learn more at https://www.clocktower-dental.com/.