Often, the patients who have recently lost a tooth or are considering teeth replacement for the first time are skeptical about the various options and their vitality. The most common option in today's time is "Dental Implant". More and more people now are opting for Dental Implant as the first option for the replacement of their tooth. But with that consideration, a series of question comes to their mind. The most common of them being the longevity of the Dental Implant, 'Will they last forever?'
While the studies reveal that the average life of a well placed and well maintained Implant ranges from 15-25 years, but there is a big consideration before jumping to the conclusion. The studies have been done more than 20 years ago, and the new studies are still to conclude to any result, while the 'Research & Development' of Dental Implant technology has been becoming fierce year after year. Due to which the Dental Implant technology used today is far excellent than that used 20 years ago, or 10 years ago. Even the skills of the Dental Surgeons have improved by great extent because of more and more R&D as well as more and more knowledge sharing platforms available in today's time.
Initially there were only a couple of companies that were doing "R&D" over the surface of the dental implant as well as how well will it integrate with the bone structure of the jaw. With time we have seen the meteoric rise in dental implant companies. This competition has also led to speeding up of the R&D's by the companies.
How is the average consumer(patient) benefited?
Because of the increase in competition, the consumer(patient) is the biggest beneficiary. Not just the quality of the Dental Implant is increased, but the overall cost of the Dental Implant has also reduced(in comparison to Inflation), hence making it more affordable to the common man. Also the increase in means for Implant training, more and more dentists can now afford to learn the technique and hence the surgery cost are also substantiated.
What about the life of Dental Implant then?
Well, no doubt the technology as well the techniques used for Implant placement have hugely improved over time. But there are still factors which will determine the life of the Dental Implant
The knowledge and proficiency of the Dental Surgeon.
It is a key factor which will determine how well is your implant placed. Hence one should chose the Dental Implant specialist very carefully.
The selected size & shape of Dental Implant
The experience & skills of a good Dental Implant surgeon also determines the correct type of Dental Implant to be used according to the area and general bone health. This will greatly determine the integration of the implant with the bone as well as the load balancing while chewing.
The quality of Dental Prosthesis placed over the Implant.
Again the skills and knowledge of the Prosthodontist comes into play. Because the Prosthesis(Crown or Bridge) is the actual thing that helps in chewing, and transmits the pressure onto the Dental Implant, so it is very important that it is made by an trained Prosthodontist. It is also very important that there should be no food lodging as well as enough space for inter-dental cleaning, so that there is no development of infection around the Dental Implant.
Regular maintenance of the Implant.
Every patient must go for regular Dental Check-ups with their dentist, so that if any infection or any other problem is starting, it can be dealt with in the initial stage only.
Even after taking all these measures there are certain conditions which are out of human control and can impact the overall life of the Dental Implant, such as "Bruxism", "AIDS", "SWINE Flu", "Osteoporosis", etc. While these bodily conditions don't necessarily reduce the life of the Dental Implant Directly, but can influence the overall life of the Implant by great level.
But considering all the factors, Dental Implants are still the No.1 solution for teeth replacement. they provide the maximum chewing efficiency ( which is the top priority for all patients) as well as are aesthetically better looking than all other options.