Cases where implants may be inappropriate or at increased risk of failure are furious smokers, those with excessive alcohol use, patients with non-treated periodontal disease, radiation patients, patients with uncontrolled diabetes, patients who have received intravenous bisphosphonates, osteoporosis patients (specific cases), poor bone quality patients, patients with insufficient bone height or width, economic and psychological factor, and patients with unhealthy bruxism.
Long-term studies have shown that implants can last for 30-35 years. Personal success will be affected by factors related to general health, including smoking and oral hygiene. Proper implant evaluation, as well as the choice of a reputable implant manufacturer, achieve the highest probability of success.
The patient does not stay without teeth during healing. Depending on whether the treatment is decided to be done in two phases then a temporary prosthetic work is made that will be replaced by the permanent post-healing period (two to three months). If the case is classified as immediate, then the prosthetic restoration procedure begins immediately after implantation. No matter how easy it is, in the early days, soft foods are recommended.
Like teeth, who need a conscious and consistent hygiene at home and regular visits to the dentist, dental implants that are like natural teeth need the same care. In order to keep the implants clean and free from microbial plaque and tartar, a toothbrush and dental floss or special interdental brushes should be used systematically and correctly according to the dentist’s instructions.
Implant placement is a very specialized medical practice and it is natural to cost more than classical teeth prosthetics. The cost depends on the type and number of implants, the type of prosthetic work to be placed and on the quality of the jaw bone (ie if bone regeneration or graft placement is required). One might say that in the long run, the initial extra cost of implants is diminished as their lifetime is considered life-long, as opposed to other prosthetic works that are occasionally replaced.
Implantation requires bone development to complete. This development is completed at around 18 years of age, but women develop faster than boys. The treatment is so safe that the implants are applied to patients aged 70, 80 to 90 years.
