How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
St. George, UT
 If you have been thinking about getting dental implants, it is easy to understand why. Dental implants solve several problems for people who have lost teeth. However, if you want to undergo a dental implant procedure, you will want to make sure that your dental implants last as long as possible.
About Dental Implants
It was not all that long ago that people who lost teeth just had to make do with not eating their favorite foods, not smiling, and becoming used to their face changing shape and looking older than their years due to bone loss. Restorative dentistry is a vital dental practice that our dentists perform that gives people their lives back. One of the most important inventions for restorative dentistry has been dental implants. Dental implants allow our dentists to give our patients the closest thing to natural teeth possible.
Dental implants combine all of the most important parts of a tooth. Your natural teeth have a tooth root that connects your tooth to your jaw. The top of your tooth — or the crown — sits on top of your gumline. The crown of your tooth has a soft center — called the pulp - where the tooth nerves and blood vessels keep your teeth healthy. Your tooth pulp is covered by dentin and enamel, which is the hardest substance in your body, and it has to be because your teeth slice, chew, and crush food so your body can digest it.
A dental implant has a prosthetic crown, usually made of ceramic or porcelain, that sits on top of a metal post. Our dentist implants the post, usually made of zirconium or titanium, into the bone of your jaw so that it takes the place of your tooth root. One of the advantages of dental implants is that your gums and jawbone think the implant is a natural tooth. This means your gums will still have great blood flow, and your jawbone will retain its shape.
How Long Can Single-Tooth Dental Implants Last?
Single-tooth dental implants can last for decades if you are careful with your dental hygiene. First, you will need to care for your implant as soon as your procedure is over. Usually, dental implants take two or three procedures to complete.
Our dentist will first make an incision along your gumline to implant the post directly into your jawbone. They will have to drill a hole into your jawbone to implant the post so that your implant has the best chance possible to hold well. After this procedure is complete, your jawbone will need to heal. Your body will fill in your jawbone around the implanted post, making a great anchor for your prosthetic tooth. Second, you may have to have an abutment placed on top of the implant to act as the connection between the crown and the implant.
Once the area where the implanted post heals, you will be able to have the prosthetic tooth placed on top of the abutment. Then, the implant procedure is complete.
Your single-tooth dental implant can last for decades, but several things need to be kept in mind. First, if you take care of your teeth well, the post and abutment for your dental implant lasts for a lifetime because of the quality of the metal. You will need to be careful of your implant for a few weeks after the implantation process. Try rinsing the area around the implant post with saltwater solution. After your implant heals, you will want to brush and floss using implant-specific toothbrushes and floss. Be sure that you floss underneath the prosthetic crown as well to remove any trapped food particles.
In addition to keeping your implant clean, you will also want to make sure that you visit our dentist. Keeping your dental appointments twice a year allows our dentist to check your implant to make sure that it is free from problems or infections.
How Long Can Multiple-Tooth Dental Implants Last?
Multiple-tooth dental implants are a bit different than single-tooth implants. One of the most important differences between single-tooth and multiple-tooth implants is that the procedure for a multi-tooth implant differs depending on the location of the implant.
If your tooth implant will occur in several locations throughout your jaw, it is different from an implant with several teeth on one side of your jaw. Multi-tooth implants come in a few varieties, depending on what our dentist thinks is best for your tooth loss. Dentists can place a permanent bridge between two implanted teeth. Another method of tooth implantation is to implant prosthetic teeth using two or four posts and abutments, depending on how many teeth you need to be replaced.
Like a single-tooth dental implant, caring for multiple-tooth dental implants takes a little extra time and care. Be sure that you are using an implant-safe toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss to clean your teeth. You will want to floss underneath your prosthetic multi-tooth implant as well.
The greatest risk to your single- or multiple-tooth dental implants is infection. It is especially important to care for your implants and guard against infection. If you already have a gum infection, called periodontal disease, you will need to be especially careful with your implants. Be sure that you visit our dentist every three to four months to keep your gum disease under control. After all of the time you have spent getting all of your implants, you do not want to risk your implants because of your gum infection.
You can also care for your dental implants through your diet and habits. For example, many dentists will not want to perform a dental implant surgery if you use tobacco because it is harder for your gums to heal if you smoke, vape, or chew. Also, tobacco use restricts the blood flow to your gums and dries your mouth out, which makes your gum disease worse. Be sure that you are eating a healthy diet full of vitamins, minerals, calcium, and vitamin D to encourage strong teeth and bones.
If you need additional information about whether you should get single-tooth dental implants or multiple-tooth dental implants, we can help. Contact at to set up an appointment with our dentist.
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