How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

If you’re one of the 120 million Americans who have a missing tooth or teeth, you should consider dental implants. They’re often one of the most popular choices for a tooth replacement for several reasons, including:

Durability
Ease of cleaning
Improved speech
Comfort
Longevity

Dental implants also have a natural appearance, fitting in with the rest of your teeth.

When you visit us at K Street Dental & Orthodontic Group in Washington, DC, we first determine if dental implants are right for you. You can rely on our dental team to give you the guidance you need.

When making decisions about the right restoration procedure, we consider different factors. Most of our patients want to know how the procedure works, how reliable dental implants are, and how long they last. We can answer those questions for you.

How the dental implant procedure works

At our state-of-the-art dental practice, we offer cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), which is a 3D scan of your mouth. This allows us to find out if you have the bone density to hold an implant.

If you don’t, we can talk about other options to get your mouth ready for implants, such as bone grafting or a sinus lift augmentation.

To perform your dental implant procedure, we create a small hole in your jawbone where we place the implant, which is a titanium post. It takes months for your bone to grow around the implant or fuse with it.

Once your mouth has completely healed, we attach an abutment to the dental implant to hold a crown or restoration on top. We cement it with a special dental glue, and you walk out the door with a beautiful smile.

Reliability

Dental implants have a 95% success rate. Not only do they feel secure in your mouth, but they allow you to chew, smile, and speak with confidence. In other words, they act the same as your natural teeth.

Unlike removable dentures or fixed bridges, your implants don’t affect your neighboring teeth or result in bone loss in your jaw.

How long they last

The longevity of your dental implants mostly relies on you. In the same way you take care of your natural teeth with proper oral hygiene, you can maintain the condition of your implants with healthy habits that include:

Brushing your teeth at least twice a day
Flossing at least once a day
Rinsing your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash daily
Keeping your routine checkups every six months at our practice

Your regular visits to K Street Dental & Orthodontic Group also allow us to monitor the condition of your implant and help maintain its longevity. With proper care, your implant crown could last 20 years or more. The titanium post is intended to be permanent.

If you have one or more missing teeth, make an appointment with our team. If you’re a candidate for dental implants, it could change your oral health and boost your confidence with a smile you can feel great about. Give us a call today.