By Rafael Mercado, DDS on December 28, 2019
Thanks to dental implants, people in Castle Hills, TX who are missing teeth can experience a fully restored and healthy mouth again. These artificial tooth roots can support individual crowns and even full dentures. Dr. Rafael Mercado achieves some great result with dental implants, but success means proper aftercare.
The team at our practice would like to consider some common causes of dental implant failure below. We’ll then look at ways patients can avoid these causes of implant dentistry failure.
What Causes Dental Implant Failure?
There are a few common causes of dental implant failure that patients and dental health professionals should always keep in mind:
- Mistakes by the Dentist and Oral Surgeon – If a dentist or oral surgeon makes mistakes in the planning or placement of dental implants, it increases the chances of dental implant failure.
- Problems During Post-Op Recovery – Slow healing times and other complications while recovering from oral surgery could mean issues with osseointegration, putting the implant dentistry process at risk.
- Poor Oral Hygiene – Patients need to keep the area around the dental implants clean as well as their gums and mouth to avoid serious complications.
- Gum Disease/Peri-Implantitis – Infection of the gums, especially around the implant area itself, increases the risk of failed dental implants.
Find a Reputable Dentist/Oral Surgeon
One of the best ways to prevent dental implant failure is to find a good dentist or oral surgeon to perform the procedure. You can do this by asking for recommendations from loved ones and colleagues, or by doing some research online. Just searching for “San Antonio area dental implant dentist” or “Bexar County implant dentistry surgeon” can yield some promising leads that you can look into.
Quit Using Tobacco Products
Smoking and chewing tobacco is a leading cause of periodontal disease, gum recession, and tooth loss. To avoid dental implant failure, it’s a good idea to quit smoking before treatment and continue to avoid tobacco products for the foreseeable future.
Follow Pre-Op and Post-Op Instructions
We offer dental implant patients at Castle Hills Family Dental detailed pre-op and post-op instructions to prevent complications and serious side effects. Following these instructions closely helps ensure speedy recovery and a greater chance of successful osseointegration.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Good oral hygiene is going to be essential as you’re recovering from oral surgery and in the months after your dental implants and appliance are in place. Be sure to clean the areas around the dental implant thoroughly, and to keep your gums clean as well.
Attend Follow-Up Dental Implant Visits
There are multiple follow-up visits after getting your dental implants. These are helpful in monitoring your recovery from oral surgery and making sure you don’t suffer from any adverse side effects. Be sure to go to all of these scheduled visits.
Go to Regular Dental Checkups
In addition to your follow-up implant dentistry visits, you should continue to go to your regular dental checkups every six months. Your dentist can perform routine cleanings and diagnostics, and help treat any problems as they arise. This will be crucial for long-term success of your dental implant treatment.
Learn More About Implant Dentistry
For more information about dental implants and how they can help you have a healthy and beautiful smile again, be sure to contact an experienced cosmetic and restorative dentist. You can reach the team at Castle Hills Family Dental by calling (210) 405-1257.