Your Role in Dental Implant Success: Home Care is Crucial

While your dental provider is responsible for expert planning and placement, the long-term survival of your dental implants is significantly in your hands. After the first year of an implant's life, the 2% to 3% failure rate over the next five years is often attributed to inadequate patient dental hygiene and follow-up care.

Just like natural teeth, implants are susceptible to the effects of plaque and bacteria. In fact, most people over 50 lose their natural teeth to periodontal (gum) disease, which is caused by this bacterial accumulation. A similar condition, known as peri-implantitis, can develop around dental implants. This inflammatory condition affects the soft tissues and bone surrounding the implant, leading to progressive bone loss and, eventually, implant failure. Patients who have a history of gum disease are at a higher risk of developing peri-implantitis.

The success of your implant depends on:

osseointegration—the process of your jawbone fusing directly to the implant surface. This process unfolds in stages over many months.

Initial Healing (First 6 months): This is the most critical period, where the implant integrates with the bone. Your overall health, medical conditions, and hygiene habits heavily influence this phase.

Bone Remodeling (6 to 18 months): During this time, the initial weak bone is replaced by stronger, denser bone. However, this new bone is still vulnerable. Habits like teeth grinding (bruxism) or biting on hard foods too soon can overload the implant, leading to bone loss.

It is your treatment provider's duty to educate and inform you on how to provide proper and diligent home care. However, it is your responsibility to follow through. The longevity of your investment in dental implants depends on you keeping the implant system scrupulously clean. Dental implants usually fail due to a combination of shortcomings on the part of both the treatment provider and the patient.