What’s The Lifespan Of A Dental Implant?
When anyone is considering undergoing treatment for a dental implant in Richmond they should know that initially speaking, replacing missing teeth with dental implants isn’t a cheap option. However when you take into consideration their possible lifespan, it’s easy to see how implants can be considered a cost effective method of replacing missing teeth. So just how long are dental implants expected to last?
You might often hear the saying that “implants will last a lifetime.” This is a bit of a misleading statement because if you stop and think about it for a second, whose lifetime are we talking about? Is it yours, the implants, or could it be the dentist who fitted them? The truth is that there are no guarantees that dental implants will last anyone’s lifetime. That said, here’s what we do know – The first ever dental implants were fitted to a Mr Gosta Larsson (a Swedish man who was born with severe chin and jaw deformities). That was back in 1965. When Mr Laarson died in 2006 some 41 years later, the implants were still intact.
So can we say that dental implants will last for forty years?
Well, not exactly, because it all depends on the implant wearer. If for example the patient smokes or has health issues such as diabetes, then the outlook for implants can be greatly reduced. Alternatively, if a patient is in good health, maintains a good standard of regular oral hygiene including regular brushing and flossing, and attends regular 6 monthly check-ups, then yes, a patient might get forty years out of them (provided they live this long of course).
The fact of the matter is that dental implants are still relatively new in terms of modern dentistry and as such it’s difficult to say exactly how long they’re expected to last. We do know that many implants that were placed ten or twenty years ago are still going strong, but obviously there’s no way of telling whether these people are likely to have their implants intact in another twenty years from now.
But what about advancements in technology?
It’s true that implant dentistry has come on in leaps and bounds over the past decade and as such implant failures due to functionality and rejection issues have virtually been eradicated. Because of this, pre-existing medical conditions and/or implant misuse remain the most likely factors that may cause an implant to fail.
So what’s the lifespan of a dental implant? Well, that could be down to you!
If you want a refreshingly honest approach to dental implants and are considering undergoing dental implants in Richmond, then book a free, no-obligation consultation with Sheen Dental. To book yours, either visit our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk or alternatively contact us direct on 020 8876 5277.