What is the Lifespan of a Dental Implant?

Implant dentistry is growing in popularity as more and more people turn to this method to replace missing teeth. Implants are permanent, stationary, and natural looking. They also help keep your jawbone healthy and help maintain the look of not just your smile but also your face over time. Barring damage, implants can last twenty years or more.

Dental Implants and Your Smile

If you are missing teeth—or even just one tooth—dental implants provide a long-lasting, natural looking replacement that will keep your teeth properly aligned and prevent the long term problems that can occur as a result of gaps in your smile.

Implants start with a titanium screw placed in your jawbone by your implant dentist. This anchors the visible portion of your new teeth and also functions much as a natural root would. Your natural tooth roots help stimulate growth of the jawbone whenever you chew. Because the implant roots bind to the bone, they also help keep the jawbone healthy and growing. The visible portion of the tooth is made of durable materials that match the color and look or your original teeth. Because of the permanent nature and durability of implants, you can expect to have a perfect smile for as long as twenty years or even longer as long as the implants are not damaged in some way.

Deciding on Dental Implants

Your implant dentist can help you decide if dental implants are a good choice for you. In most cases, if you have a missing tooth, you are a good candidate for an implant. However, some conditions can make it harder for you to heal after an implant procedure. If you have any of the following issues or conditions, you might not be a good candidate for implants:

  • Diabetes
  • Immune system disorder
  • Osteoporosis
  • Gum disease
  • Insufficient bone mass in the jaw

If you are a smoker, your healing ability is also compromised, so this could also affect your ability to heal after an implant procedure. The healing process is very important to an implant because it is during this period that the implant bonds to the jawbone.

For more information on dental implant therapy, call our office at our office today.