How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Dental implants are widely accepted as the gold standard of smile correction treatments, and the closest way to replicate real teeth, but how long do they last?

Why get dental implants?

Your jawbone’s health requires the presence of a tooth. Leaving a gap not only impacts your appearance but weakens the bone, which can lose density, volume, and structure over time. A dental implant isn’t just to fill a gap – it protects the structure and health of your mouth.

Anchoring a bridge to your teeth causes deliberate damage to the tooth enamel on the surrounding, healthy teeth. Over time this can worsen, leading to extra visits to your dental practice. A dental implant causes no damage because it’s directly connected to the jaw and doesn’t impact your surrounding teeth.

It’s all about the bond

Implants are set directly into the jaw on the site of the original tooth. The bone then ossifies (hardens) around the titanium screws, which in and of themselves are incredibly durable, doubling up on the bond. This makes a dental implant as strong or almost as strong as your natural teeth.

Plan your post-surgery diet

Your dental implant is most vulnerable during the healing process. All in all, it can take a month or more to fully bond, heal and settle, and in that time it’s important to carefully manage what you eat in order to protect the implant.

The first 48 hours after dental implant surgery

Only eat soft foods and liquids such as mashed potatoes, smoothies, soup, and protein-rich yoghurts. Protein is important for the generation of new tissue, so we recommend upping your intake by packing smoothies full of protein-rich foods such as peanut butter and avocado.

3 – 7 days after surgery

Begin to add texture to your diet but keep it soft. Scrambled eggs, soft cheeses, mashed potatoes, soft fruits such as peaches, and softer meats such as fish, chicken, or pâté are all good options. Make well-steamed or boiled vegetables, and blend anything that’s firmer.

2 – 4 weeks after getting a dental implant

The introduction of harder foods should be careful and gradual. If eating something hurts, your implant isn’t sufficiently healed and settled yet. But if you are a fan of hard, crunchy, or chewy foods, you might want to consider a long-term change of diet, to get the best out of your implant.

If looked after properly, combined with a healthy oral hygiene routine and regular check-ups at the dentist, a dental implant has the potential to last a lifetime.

Want to discuss your implant options further?

Contact us online or call our friendly team in Marylebone on 020 7580 2720 today!