Dental implants look and feel great. They are nearly indistinguishable from your natural tooth, stop bone loss from progressing, and don’t require an undue amount of upkeep. However, the main reason dental implants have become the gold standard for tooth replacement is their longevity. If you’re looking into dental implants as a tooth replacement option, here’s what you should know about how long they’re likely to last.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
While their exact lifespan can depend on several factors, dental implants consistently outlast other tooth replacement options. They have a 95% success rate at 20 years, meaning the vast majority of dental implants can be expected to stick around at least that long. It’s common to see them make it 30 years or longer with proper maintenance. When compared to other tooth replacement options, like bridges and dentures, dental implants are by far the most reliable.
How Do I Keep My Dental Implants Around for a Long Time?
As with any oral appliance, the key to a dental implant’s longevity is maintaining it properly. One of the leading causes of failure for a dental implant is advanced gum disease that spreads to the bone layer. An infection like that can cause bone decay, which can make a dental implant come loose. This condition is called peri-implantitis.
Fortunately, taking care of your dental implant won’t require much more than what you needed to do for your natural teeth. The same brushing and flossing routine you had before should be sufficient to prevent peri-implantitis.
How Do I Floss with Dental Implants?
That said, the way you floss might have to change slightly. That’s because your dental implant isn’t secured to the gums naturally. It’s affixed to the gum line by a semi-artificial connection called the “peri-implant seal.” This seal is what ensures that your jawbone isn’t directly exposed to the outside world, so it’s pretty important.
Your natural teeth are surrounded by very sensitive nerves, so if you’re flossing too hard or are in danger of breaking the seal around your tooth, you’d feel it. That’s not the case for your dental implants. Applying too much pressure can break the peri-implant seal, and you might not even know that you’ve done it. That allows bacteria to spread beneath the gum line, increasing your chances for peri-implantitis.
After receiving your dental implant, you’ll need to be a little bit careful when you clean between your teeth. Don’t press down too hard on the floss, and never push it below the gum line.
That said, dental implants’ incredibly high success rate is a tribute to how easy they are to maintain. So long as you take care of them, you can expect your dental implants to last for a long time to come.
About the Author
Dr. Thomas A. Gromling is a family dentist with over 40 years of experience, most of it at his very own Stephens City practice. In that time, he’s developed a large network of specialists across Virginia, including skilled implant dentists. Dr. Gromling received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. He’s also a member of the American Dental Association, and he’s a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. If you have any questions about dental implants, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (540) 869-4377.