5 Tips for Avoiding Dental Implant Failure

When people talk about how incredibly successful the vast majority of dental implant treatments are, they’re not exaggerating. Dental implants have a 98% success rate! That pretty much means what you might think it means: it’s a safe and reliable tooth replacement option.

Part of what makes dental implants so successful is your dentist’s diligence, but you’ll still have to put in some work yourself to ensure a smooth experience. These five tips will help you out!

#1. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene Habits

One of the biggest threats to your dental implants is gum disease. When harmful oral bacteria are left alone, they’ll build up near your gumline and harden into tough-to-remove plaque. Eventually, your gums will become infected and recede as a result. Without strong gum support, your dental implants are likely to loosen or fall out.

Disrupt daily bacterial growth by brushing your teeth and tongue twice daily, flossing once per day, and visiting your dentist for a checkup and cleaning every six months. You’ll be glad you did!

#2. Avoid All Tobacco Products

Tobacco usage isn’t always an easy habit to break. However, the chemicals in these products pose a significant treatment risk. They’ll essentially slow down the healing process and dramatically increase your odds of developing an infection. If you need help resisting a tobacco craving, don’t hesitate to lean on your support network.

#3. Treat Bruxism

Bruxism, or teeth grinding, can exert excessive pressure on your dental implants. This might not sound like a big deal but can prematurely wear out your implants after treatment, or damage them during treatment. If you have a teeth grinding habit, it’s best to let your dentist know so they can take the proper precautions to mitigate complications.

#4. Be Careful During Recovery

After your dentist anchors the implant posts to your jawbone, it’s imperative that the bone is able to grow and integrate with your implants. Otherwise, they’ll likely wiggle loose or even harm your jawbone. Be careful with your implants during this process, and strictly adhere to your dentist’s recommended soft-food diet until they’re properly integrated.

#5. Listen to Your Dentist

You should follow your dentist’s care instructions – and take their advice to heart if they say you’ll need prior treatment. Pre-existing dental conditions like gum disease, tooth decay, or even severe bruxism could all affect the success of your dental implants.

If this seems like a lot of information, don’t worry! That’s what consultations are for. When you meet with them in person, your dentist can review best practices for ensuring dental implant success and discuss the treatment process in more detail. With their help, you can be confident in your dental implants.

About the Practice

At Chester County Dental Arts, we’re proud to have three experienced and skilled dental professionals on staff who are passionate about their work – and their patients! Dr. Mark Simeone in particular has advanced training in complex dental implant treatments and has placed over 400 implants. If you’re interested in this life-changing tooth replacement, you couldn’t be in better hands. To contact our office with questions or concerns about dental implants, call 610-383-1600.