Dental implants have become one of the most popular methods of tooth replacement around the world. They have proven to offer an attractive, effective and long-lasting solution for missing teeth for people of all ages. Due to ongoing research and medical advancements, dental implants can be successfully placed for 95 percent of patients with few to no side effects during and after placement. They are as easy to care for as your normal teeth and as long as you observe good dental hygiene, as well as keep up with regular checkups, your implants will continue to provide a beautiful and comfortable smile for a lifetime.

However, in a small percentage of cases, certain risks can cause implants to fail. It is estimated that about 5 to 10 percent of dental implants fail either shortly after a procedure up to months, and even years, past a successful placement. We will examine the most common causes of these implant failures in this article.

Gum disease
A requirement for successful implant placement is healthy gums, so before placing implants, your dentist will determine the health of your gums. Any existing gum disease must be treated prior to implant surgery. After your implants are successfully placed, it is important to follow your dentist’s cleaning and daily maintenance instructions to maintain healthy gums. Failing to practice good oral hygiene can lead to bacteria forming in the tissues surrounding your implant and causing more serious problems such as peri-implantitis.

Smoking
Smoking restricts blood flow to your gum tissues. Therefore, if you have had dental implants placed, continuing to smoke after implant placement can slow the healing process and possibly contribute to implant failure. Smokers are not necessarily disqualified as implant recipients but may be asked to quit smoking both before and after placement to optimize healing. Even after a dental implant has healed, the chance of long-term failure is still a risk with continued smoking. Even though the failure rate of dental implants is very low (reported 5-8%), more than half of these failures were noted in individuals who were smokers. Learn more about smoking and dental implant complications.

Insufficient jaw bone
A dental implant requires sufficient bone mass to support it and hold it in place. During an initial exam, your implant surgeon will determine your jawbone sufficiency prior to implant placement. If he determines that you don’t have adequate jaw bone density for implant placement, there are procedures available such as bone augmentation, to help correct this and help accomplish implant placement. In time, after years of implant success, bone loss can still occur for a variety of reasons. So it is important to continue seeing your dentist for ongoing evaluation.

Poor dental hygiene
There is a strong correlation between healthy dental implants over many years and daily oral hygiene. As with the everyday care of your natural teeth, consistent oral hygiene is necessary for optimal osseointegration (the bonding process between the implant and the jaw bone) and remains an important aspect of healthy dental implants over the long haul. Your implant dentist will recommend an implant maintenance routine that is important to adhere to for optimal outcomes.

An inexperienced implant surgeon
As dental implants have become a popular tooth replacement option, more and more dentists are opting to treat their implant patients directly instead of referring them to more experienced implant specialists. While there are many very qualified dental practitioners that place implants, not all have been properly trained or offer the highest level of expertise and the most relevant experience. A highly trained implant surgeon understands the many nuanced aspects of every individual patient and offers an expert level of knowledge and skill in both the surgical and restorative stages of implant placement. Therefore, it is important to discuss your surgeon’s qualifications and level of experience to make the most informed choice. The best outcomes are more likely when the initial implant placement is done properly. Search the Academy’s member database for an implant dentist in your community by clicking the link below.