If you’ve recently gotten or are considering getting dental implants to replace missing or damaged teeth, you may have some questions about implant materials and how long they last. Let’s dive into how dental implants work, what material options you may have during the process, and how long a prospective implant can last.
How Long Do Dental Implants Usually Last?
To answer this question in a meaningful way, we first need to understand the structure and function of the dental implant itself. A dental implant is made up of 3-4 distinct parts, each made of its material and each having its own expected lifespan. And while the components will usually last for decades, there’s one element of an implant that may need a touch-up every ten years or so.
The Bone Graft
Not all dental implant procedures require a bone graft, but your oral surgeon may need to implant a graft in some cases, usually when the jawbone is either not thick enough to support an implant or too soft for it to stay on its own.
Chewing is one of the most powerful muscle actions in the human body, and the jawbone needs to be strong enough to support hundreds of chews per meal, multiple times per day. Bone grafts are either made from donor tissue or a synthetic “bone substitute” material, which is expected to have a lifespan of decades, often up to and including the lifetime of the recipient.
The Post
Whether it goes into the jawbone directly or into a bone graft, the dental implant body (or post) is a piece of rugged metal, usually titanium or a medical-grade titanium alloy. It gets implanted deep into the bone for stability since it will act as the root of your new tooth.
Titanium is one of the strongest metals on Earth, and it’s extremely rare for the post itself to cause any kind of issue. Your titanium post will almost certainly maintain its integrity for the life of the implant.
The Abutment
The abutment is a small cap that goes on top of the post and is the part of the implant to which the crown, or new tooth, will attach. It may be implanted at the same time as your post, or it may have to be attached after the fact, depending on the exact model of implant being used.
The abutment is made of the same medical-grade titanium or titanium alloy as the post, which means that it has a physical longevity of decades, so there’s little worry of needing to have this part replaced.
The Crown
The crown is the false tooth that is attached to the top of the abutment and is what you will do your future chewing with. It is also the portion of the implant that will be visible when opening your mouth and smiling for photographs, meaning that its appearance has a personal and psychological impact.
Unlike bone grafts, posts, and abutments, crowns are made of several different materials that all have trade-offs in cost, appearance, and longevity. While your dental care team will go over your options with you in the office, here are just a few of the materials available on the market for crowns:
All-Resin Crowns
Resin dental crowns are made from a hardened type of plastic and are generally less expensive than other materials made to do the same job. Resin crowns can often be used for temporary crowns, which are removable but still offer some significant staying power.
Resin is affordable and easy to work with, making it an excellent choice for patients whose priority is financial. The average all-resin crown will last from three to five years, as the resin is more fragile and prone to cracking or breaking than other materials.
All-Ceramic or All-Porcelain Crowns
Ceramic or porcelain crowns are made from different forms of clay which have been baked and hardened. While this may sound fragile, keep in mind that some of the oldest existing human artifacts are ceramics that have lasted thousands of years.
While a porcelain or ceramic crown offers the most realistic replacement for a human tooth, including the slight translucency that natural teeth have, ceramic and porcelain can discolor or chip over time.
Pressed Ceramic Crowns
A pressed ceramic crown has a hardened, ceramic inner core, while the exterior of the crown is made of layers of porcelain. The ceramic provides extra hardness and a long-lasting base, while the porcelain offers a material that is as similar as possible in appearance to natural teeth.
Your dentist might be able to color-match your crown to your existing teeth for a seamless smile. Pressed ceramic ceramic crowns are also great options for patients who have metal allergies, especially to nickel, chromium, or palladium, which often appear in metal-based crowns. (Medical-grade titanium rarely causes any kind of allergic reaction.)
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM) Crowns
Similar to a pressed ceramic crown, the PFM crown type uses a porcelain exterior that mimics the natural color and appearance of the surrounding teeth. The difference is at the core: PFM crowns are built around a metal core instead of a ceramic one, offering an even stronger center.
However, both pressed ceramic crowns and PFM crowns can suffer from the same chipping and discoloration issues as all-ceramic crowns. When PFM crowns chip, the metal core may be exposed, increasing wear on the enamel on the teeth on the opposite jaw. The upside, however, is that PFM crowns last almost as long as our last material: metal crowns.
Metal Crowns
Metal crowns have a long history of being used in dentistry and are still in wide use today. Options for the specific metals range from gold and palladium to nickel and chromium.
Metal crowns are exceptionally sturdy and rarely chip or break, boasting the longest wear-and-tear lifetimes of any crown material. Metal makes an exceptionally good choice for out-of-view molars, where their unmatched durability can hold up to decades or more of chewing.
The Cement
The materials used in modern dental implants can usually offer decades of long-lasting, hard-wearing toughness. One of the biggest weak points we encounter, however, is the cement that holds a permanent crown onto an abutment.
While permanent dental cement can often hold your crown in place for 5–15 years or longer, abnormally high wear can shorten that life. The good news is that the crown can almost always be re-cemented in place and allowed to last for years in a quick, outpatient procedure.
How To Get the Most Mileage Out of Your Dental Implants
If you want your implants to last as long as possible, there are a few things to do. Avoiding excess sugar and tobacco in all forms can help keep your gums strong, and choosing not to chew hard objects like ice or hard candy can keep your natural and artificial teeth from chipping. Additionally, staying away from sticky, chewy foods like gummy candy or chewing gum can help your dental cement stay in place as long as possible.
Are You Considering Dental Implants In The Martinsburg Area?
If you are considering dental implants you owe it to yourself to speak with an experienced dentist as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact us online or call our Martinsburg, West Virginia dental office directly at 304.267.6059 to schedule your appointment. We provide a wide range of general dentistry care as well as more involved dentistry services for patients throughout the Martinsburg area and look forward to you joining the Cornerstone Dental family.
