Although no exact figures have been determined, it is estimated between 300,000 and 400,000 dental implants are installed every year in the U.S. Implants are attachments, or artificial roots, that are created to replace missing teeth. They are able to integrate with other teeth to the point where they live naturally within the remaining tissues of the mouth. Currently implants are made of chemically pure titanium. After placement into the maxilla or mandible, they become osseo-integrated to give support to the new artificial tooth attached thereto.
Your local Implant Dentist in Dix Hills should advise you that:
* 98% of implants integrate into the bone after placement. In 15 years, over 90% of the implants placed in the maxilla and mandible are working properly.
* This puts osseo-integrated dental implants among the most reliable surgical techniques ever performed in humans.
* It is not possible to provide an overall estimate for all patients, but no existing dental implants have a known shelf life.
* Dental implant treatments have shown lasting results, comfort, aesthetics, reliability and predictability that is far superior to other treatments as a replacement for natural teeth.
* After assessing your case, your dentist can provide a rough estimate of the probable duration of treatment.
* Implants will not make you exempt from suffering diseases in the medium to long term. Thus, they have the same environmental constraints as natural teeth.
* The lack of proper hygiene and the subsequent accumulation of plaque, associated with genetic factors, denote a possible presence of periodontitis and/or smoking predisposition to peri-implant disease.
* The life of teeth and implants are parallel. If the patient continues to lose teeth due to periodontitis and other oral diseases, they will also lose the implants as well.
* In cases where peri-implantitis is left to evolution, and without appropriate treatment, it can lead to large losses of bone, which will require surgery.
* Peri-implant infections can develop after several years of having a dental implant.
In order to have good function and esthetics with dental implants, it is essential to undergo proper maintenance. This means great oral hygiene, both personally and by the Implant Dentist in Dix Hills. For more information, contact your local cosmetic dentist today.
