Dental Implant failure, A Subject least Discussed

Dental Implants provide a long lasting and cosmetic solution for the problem of missing or broken down teeth. There are currently over 200 different implant systems in use around the world and only a handful of these implant systems have substantial evidence in the dental research literature to back their use, and even fewer implant systems have any substantial long-term follow up evidence to support their use on dental patients.

Tooth implants are among the most successful procedures in dentistry and the overall success rate is very high, yet there is no guarantee that an implant procedure will be successful. Studies have shown a five-year success rate of 95 percent for lower jaw implants and 90 percent for upper jaw implants. The success rate for upper jaw implants is slightly lower because the upper jaw (especially the posterior areas) has lower bone density than the lower jaw, hence successful implant restorations are potentially more difficult to achieve.

Although the overall success rate of implant dentistry is very high, dental implants occasionally fail, therefore it is essential for the clinician to be able to identify unhealthy implants and to determine whether they are failing, or failed prior to beginning any recovery effort. As failing implants are amenable to therapy. Implants diagnosed as failed should be removed.

Undoubtedly, the best steps to avoid encountering failing implants involve proper case selection, excellent surgical technique, placing an adequate restoration on the implant, educating the implant patient to maintain meticulous oral hygiene, and evaluating the implant restoration at regular recall visits.

Many factors are attributed to failure of the dental implant, either directly or indirectly. The cause is often related to a failure in the Osseointegration process (The growth action of bone tissue). For instance, if the implant is placed in a poor quality bone, or incorrect position, Osseointegration may not take place. Dental implants may break or become infected (like natural teeth) and crowns may become loose.

Unfortunately, dental implant failure is a common occurrence. A sizeable proportion of Dr. Tehranian's practice is dedicated to treating failed cases from other dentists. Of course, even when proper procedures are followed, things can go wrong. When you're dealing with the human body, it isn't possible to have 100% predictable outcomes. But when treatment standards are compromised, it invites difficulty.

Some failure happens despite the best efforts of the dentist and the patient. But some are result of the natural tendency of both dentists and patients to look for the shortcut, the cheaper solution, the easy road. Here are some of the causes:

Inadequate medical history: There are many medical conditions that affect the success of dental implant treatment. Thoroughness and care by the dentist can prevent dental implant failure later.

Low quality dental implant fixtures: There are over two hundred companies that manufacture these fixtures, but only a handful of have published juried research with test results documenting the quality of those fixtures. Research is expensive, and some dentists are attracted to the companies that have cut costs and offer cheaper fixtures. The cost of a substandard fixture can be as little as one-hundredth of the cost of a carefully manufactured, precision-engineered, and fully tested fixture, so this can be a powerful temptation for some dentists. But those shortcuts can come back to haunt the patient as well as the dentist long after treatment is completed.

Incorrect tooth implant placement: This could be tied to an inadequate diagnosis, because it's during the diagnostic phase that the decision is made where to place the implant. It could also be the fact that most dentists place dental implants with only a two-dimensional panographic x-ray. While such x-ray is adequate for most dental surgery, it isn't sufficient for properly placing implants. The quality and the quantity of bone available to support the implant, and the exact position of nerves and blood vessels that run through the bone, are three-dimensional questions.

The success of dental implants is highly dependent on the skill of the dentist performing the dental implant procedure. It is however worth bearing in mind what could go wrong and why it is so important to choose a cosmetic dentist who has years of experience and is a known expert in the field of cosmetic dentistry and more importantly dental implants.

There are indications that some dentists have been attempting the procedure with inadequate training. Not only is an experienced dentist more likely to do a good job, you will have an ongoing relationship with this dentist for many months, so it is important to select carefully.