Dental implants are a very successful technology. In about 98% of cases, they work great and last longer than our long-term studies. But in some cases, dental implants do fail.
But even in this case, you might not have to give up on your dream of having a replacement tooth that looks and works just like your natural teeth. For many people, the Irvine implant dentists at Rice Dentistry can install new dental implants to give you the attractive, functional benefits of dental implants.
Remember the Benefits of Dental Implants
If you lost a dental implant, you might wonder if it’s worth it to try again. Absolutely! Dental implants offer many benefits that other tooth replacement options just can’t. With dental implants, you can enjoy benefits like:
- Attractive tooth replacement
- Functional tooth replacement
- Comfortable restorations
- Easy care
- Potential for life-long restorations
Dental implants can look more beautiful than other tooth replacement options. Plus, unlike dentures, you never have to worry that they will be out of place when you smile.
Dental implants let you bite and chew normally. Removable dentures don’t give you a full-strength bite and can limit the foods you eat. With dental implants, you can enjoy all the foods you ate with natural teeth.
Dentures put pressure on your gums. They can also rub your gums, causing sore spots. Dental implants feel like natural teeth. They won’t put pressure on your gums, and they never get cavities.
You take care of dental implants the same way you care for natural teeth. Brush, floss, and make regular dental visits. They require no special care.
We know that if you have lost a dental implant, you might not believe they can be lifelong restorations. However, that’s the truth. On average, dental implants last 20 years or more and, in some cases, properly planned and cared-for implants.
With all these benefits, dental implants are worth a second try, especially since your Irvine implant dentist can improve the odds of success with your second implant.
Why Did the First Implant Fail?
To give you the best chance of getting a second dental implant to succeed where the first one failed, your Irvine implant dentist must figure out the cause of failure. Depending on the cause of failure, an Irvine implant dentist can use certain approaches to improve the odds of success for your second implant. Some notable causes of dental implant failures are:
- No osseointegration
- Gum disease / infection
- Bad bite or trauma
- Poor planning or placement
- Titanium allergy
Osseointegration Failure
The key discovery that makes dental implants work is osseointegration (fusion of the bone with the implant). About half of dental implant failures happen in the first year, largely because osseointegration doesn’t happen. Your Irvine implant dentist will review your health to see if health conditions or medications might interfere with bone healing. We can also discuss nutrition and other approaches to improve bone healing and osseointegration.
Gum Disease
After the first year, gum disease is the leading cause of implant failure, just as it’s the leading cause of tooth loss. If gum disease causes the failure of your first implant, your Irvine implant dentist can treat gum disease more aggressively and recommend changes to your oral hygiene, both at home and during your visits, that will help control gum disease and prevent future infections.
Bad Bite or Trauma
If your dental implant was subjected to excess forces because of TMJ and other bite conditions, we can look at ways to improve your bite and balance forces more evenly. This also falls under the category of dental implant planning. Your Irvine implant dentist should take the time to understand your bite forces when planning your implant procedure.
Dental implants are strong, so they rarely fail because of trauma. However, it does happen. If it happens to you, your Irvine implant dentist can talk to you about how to protect your dental implants from injury in the future.
Poor Planning or Placement
Sometimes, dental implants fail because they are poorly planned or placed. A better approach can improve the odds of a second dental implant. A common cause of failure is trying to support too many replacement teeth with too few dental implants. At Rice Dentistry, our Irvine implant dentists will never cut corners. We use an All-On-X approach to dental implants so we make sure everyone gets the number of implants they need to support their replacement teeth.
We also carefully evaluate your bones using CT scans (3D x-rays), so we know if your bone is strong enough to support your implants.
Titanium Allergy
An uncommon cause of implant failure is titanium allergy. About 0.6% (6 in 1000) people experience titanium allergy. The Irvine implant dentists at Rice Dentistry offer metal-free dental implants so you can get replacement implants that won’t cause an allergic reaction.
Your Second Dental Implant Procedure
How we proceed with your second dental implant depends on the state of your mouth after the first implant. If you have gum disease, your Irvine implant dentist will recommend treatment before we place a second implant. If your first implant left you with too little bone, we might recommend a bone augmentation procedure.
We might recommend a different placement for your new dental implant. We might also design a different restoration that will improve the health and function of your new implant.
Get a Second Opinion For Dental Implants in Irvine
Before you get a second dental implant, it’s important to get a second opinion. The best time to consult with a second dentist is when your first implant is failing, and your dentist is recommending removal. At that point, a second implant dentist can tell you:
- Is the dental implant really failing, or can it be saved?
- Why is the dental implant failing?
- Is a second dental implant an option?
If your first dental implant procedure didn’t go as planned and you are looking for a second opinion on dental implants in Orange County, please call (949) 551-5902 for an appointment with an implant dentist at Rice Dentistry in Irvine.
