Can Bruxism Affect The Lifespan Of A Dental Implant?
Whether you’re thinking about undergoing surgery for dental implants in Richmond or indeed anywhere else in the country, you’ll probably be aware that as long as they’re looked after they have been proven to last 40 years plus. Unfortunately there are certain situations that have been known to significantly reduce an implant’s lifespan and one of them is Bruxism. But what exactly is it?
Bruxism is more commonly known as chronic teeth grinding and is thought to affect as many as one in three of us. The hard grinding of teeth against teeth has the ability to wear them down over time causing cracks, bite problems and other long-term problems such as TMJ.
So what causes it?
Unfortunately there are a number of factors that can bring about chronic teeth grinding such as stress, previous trauma, sleep problems such as sleep apnoea, and even underlying psychological issues. As such it can be hard to pinpoint an exact cause as it may be one, a culmination, or even all of these things.
Can it affect dental implants?
Although dental implants are designed specifically to be durable and long lasting they’re ever only intended to take the natural bite pressure that we apply through chewing food (typically 20-40lbs of pressure per square inch). Chronic teeth grinding on the other hand can unleash pressure of up to 250lbs per square inch. As such it can have the same effect on implants that it has on your real teeth, that of wearing away the outer casing causing possible fractures. In addition, if a dental implant in Richmond is newly placed, it takes time to settle properly into the jaw. Constant excess pressure and movement on a new implant by bruxism can cause misalignment and even possibly implant failure.
So if you are diagnosed with bruxism, is it still possible for you to have dental implants?
This does depend heavily upon the severity of the bruxism. If a patient’s teeth grinding has been diagnosed as mild, then it is possible to wear a night guard at bed time to safeguard the dental implants and indeed your natural teeth. Conversely, if the problem is categorised as more severe then the reality is that the root cause of the problem needs to be dealt with first. This may involve a whole host of lifestyle changes as well as medical and psychological treatments so it can be a slow process, but one that can be cured nonetheless.
If you suffer with bruxism, then we have more information about the subject on our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk Alternatively, if you would like to seek advice about the possibility of dental implants in Richmond, then contact Sheen Dental on 020 8876 5277 to book a free, no-obligation consultation.