Will dental implants last forever?

[Sami 01]

Hi

I am 42 years old and have several badly broken down teeth that have now become so bad that my dentist has recommended that they should be removed and replaced with dental implants.

I have a few questions to ask with regards to dental implants. Firstly how long do dental implants last? Is it true that dental implants can last forever? What do I have to do to make them last forever from a maintenance point of view.

My dentist does not place any dental implants and says that I need to see a specialist oral surgeon if I want to have implants. I would like to know if you have a specialist oral surgeon working at Pearl dental clinic.

Lastly, I had gum disease disease diagnosed about three years ago but since then I have had a lot of gum treatment and I was discharged by the gum specialist last year. Can I go ahead and have dental implants at this point?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Thank you for your post.

There are examples of titanium implants that have been placed in the 1970's and they are still present in the patients mouths. Studies shows that at the 10 year point, over 90% of implants placed are still present in patient mouths.

Obviously the crown that goes over the titanium implant, will probably need to be replaced every 10-15 years due to porcelain fracture or for cosmetic reasons just like a tooth crown.

You can increase the lifespan of your implant, by exercising very good daily oral hygiene with daily flossing and brushing and seeng a hygienist and dentist regularly. Also if there is any teeth grinding and clenching going on at night, this should be treated to prevent excessive forces on the implant.

We do have an experienced specialist oral surgeon working at Pearl dental clinic and you can book a consultation with Dejan, by calling reception on 0208 547 9997.

We can place implants for patients who have treated and inactive gum disease but we will need to have clearance from your gum specialist stating that your gum disease is now inactive and that we can proceed with implants.