If you are interested in restoring your smile with dental implants, you may be wondering if you’ll ever need to replace your implant after it’s been placed. We’ll discuss the lifespan and longevity of dental implants, and explain everything you need to know about implant replacement.
Your dental implant (the small piece of titanium inserted into your gums and jaw) will never need to be replaced. This is because it becomes a natural part of your mouth through the process of “osseointegration,” where it bonds to your jaw tissue.
As long as your mouth remains healthy, the implant will remain securely in place. However, you will need to be careful about how you care for your implant as well as your natural teeth and your gums to ensure that you keep your implant forever.
If your gums become infected due to gum disease, this can lead to “peri-implantitis,” which is an infection of the gum tissue around your dental implant. Over time, peri-implantitis can cause dental implant failure if it’s left untreated.
To avoid peri-implantitis and other complications that may damage your dental implants, make sure to brush twice a day for two minutes and to floss once per day. You should also see Dr. Will Jones every six months for a teeth cleaning and oral exam. At your appointment, our team will clean your mouth, and Dr. Jones will examine your gums, your natural teeth, and your implants to make sure you’ve got a clean bill of health.
It’s important to note that while the dental implant itself will never fail or require replacement with proper oral care, this is not true of dental implant restorations, such as a dental crown. Dental implant restorations are subjected to a lot of wear & tear as you chew, bite, smile, and eat, similar to natural teeth.
Over time, this can wear down the crown or other dental implant restoration, or even cause it to loosen and fall off of the dental implant. In most cases, your implant restoration will need replacement every 10-15 years, but this varies for each patient.
This is another reason that it’s important to see Dr. Will Jones every six months for an appointment after you get your dental implant. He can check on your implant restoration and make sure it’s strong, stable, and in good shape. And if he finds that your implant restoration is worn-out and requires replacement, Dr. Jones can schedule a follow-up so that you can have it replaced, and restore your smile.
At The Burkitt Center , Dr. Will Jones is an expert in implant dentistry in Brentwood. Whether you’re interested in a new dental implant, or you already have multiple implants and want to maintain your oral health to keep them strong and ensure they last a long time, we’re here to help. Contact us online for an appointment or give us a call at (615) 941-3368 to get started right away.