Dental
implants are among the most successful procedures in dentistry. The studies show a five-year success rate of
95 percent for lower jaw implants and 90 percent for upper jaw implants. The success rate for upper jaw implants is
lower because the upper jaw is less dense than the lower jaw, making the success
of implantation and osseointegration slightly more difficult to achieve. The lower posterior implantation has the
highest success rate for all dental implants
because of the density of the bone, there’s more to work with.
However,
there are no guarantees that an implant procedure will be successful. Given the complexity of the procedure, there
are many variables that can play into the success rate. Some factors that have an impact on success
are pre-existing dental or general health conditions or the position of the
replaced tooth. The most come reason is the
failure of the implant device to properly osseo-integrate. The actual failure of the implant may be the
result of poor positioning or over torqueing in the bone. Although infrequent, dental implants may break
or become infected or crowns may become loose the same way your natural teeth
become loose.
If you are
a heavy smoker, your dentist may advise you to give up smoking before
undergoing the procedure because smokers statistically face a higher risk of
implant failure. Given how expensive implants can be, one risks wasting money
on dental implants if you can’t give up the habit. Other high risk candidates
are patients with diabetes, hemophilia or immune deficiencies and rare
instances, patients with chronic bruxism.
When
successful, the value of implants is significant with respect to bone retention
and actual functionality, and they are not susceptible to the formation of
cavities. So as long as one engages in
good oral hygiene, i.e. with brushing, flossing, and regular hygiene
procedures, the chances of inflammation
or swelling of the tissues surrounding the implant should be avoidable. This inflammation is similar to periodontitis
around one’s natural tooth, and thus requires a similar approach to good oral
hygiene.
Key factors in
minimizing dental implant complications
are the selection of an experienced prosthodontist and periodontist (or oral
surgeon) who specialize in implant dentistry, careful pre-operative treatment
planning and proper after-care and oral hygiene. This can be optimally achieved if all of these
operations are housed under one
roof. If
you would like to know whether you are a candidate for implants please feel
free to call for a ‘no-cost’ consultation.
Novy
Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter
Drive, 200A
Atlanta
(Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
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