A common question we get is “How long do dental implants last?”
Let Dr. Jeff Lynch explain:

A dental implant has the potential to last the rest of a patient’s life depending on how old you are, and most importantly how well you take care of it. When people lose teeth, they lose teeth for generally one of three reasons and causes.

The first reason for losing a tooth is decay. When a tooth is lost because of a cavity so big that it can’t be restored, when we replace it with a dental implant, that tooth will never get a cavity again. That worry is completely eliminated from the possible complications in your future.

Gum disease is another reason. When a tooth is removed due to a gum infection problem, or periodontal disease, we are able to eliminate the cause. However, success down the road depends on the patient’s ability to maintain and keep things clean. If patients don’t maintain and clean properly, the gum disease will come again started off in the implants, and you can lose supporting tissue such as the gum or bone that holds the implant in. There is a component of patient compliance, and cleaning properly is important in in your success!

The third problem that causes people to lose teeth is related to force and trauma. This includes just the action of chewing and how the teeth mesh together- they clench together hard, and that can cause people to break their teeth and wear their teeth down.

Dental implants are also subject to the the wear and tear of chewing so it’s important to have the strongest materials like we use, and in many cases it’s also important to manage people’s bite and grinding and and many people (myself included) where a nighttime grinding guard. When we can manage those other things, like keeping things really clean and managing your bite, dental implants have the potential to last the rest of your life!