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Do Dental Implants Break?

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13th May 2019

Do Dental Implants Break?

Dental implants in London are made of ceramic or porcelain because the materials look and feel just like real teeth. Unfortunately, this may mean they break or chip occasionally. Just like real teeth, they are not invincible and are subject to damage and wear and tear. Dental implants can break under traumatic circumstances just like your natural teeth but taking care of them will greatly lessen the chances of them coming to any harm. We’re doing this to tell you exactly what to do if your dental implants break.

How can dental implants break?

Before we jump right into this, let’s take a look at the materials used to create your tooth replacement. There are three different parts: the dental implant placed in the jawbone (the titanium screw), the connective abutment, and the dental crown itself (the part made of ceramic or porcelain that looks like a tooth). Now we’ve got these key parts down, let’s look at the stress they can come under.

Your crown and abutment may suffer some damage when they come under too much pressure. Don’t worry, this isn’t the kind of pressure created by eating or chewing, because they’re specifically designed to withstand this kind of pressure. No, the pressure we’re talking about is applying quite a bit of force through your teeth. For example, if you bite open plastic packing or remove clothing labels with your teeth, you might dislodge your abutment or crack your crown. Your natural teeth can very easily chip while doing these sorts of things, so break this habit for longer-lasting dental implants.

The dental implant itself, the root embedded in your jaw, can break or fail if too much pressure is applied to it before it has fully bonded with your jawbone. After we place your root for the first time, we always wait for weeks or even months before placing your dental crown to lessen the likelihood of this failure.

Woman with white fillings

Can you fix a dental implant?

There are ways of restoring or fixing your dental implants, depending on which part of the apparatus has broken. If the implant itself, the screw, is broken, then the only choice is to remove it and replace it with a new root. Some patients may require some bone work if this happens, which can delay your roof replacement by a month or two, but it is entirely necessary. If your connective abutment or a crown breaks, then we only need to replace that specific part, which is comparatively fairly simple.

Preventing the breakage of your dental implants

It bears repeating, but don’t use your teeth for biting anything other than food. Biting through labels, chewing your pen lids, and even biting your fingernails could lead to a chipped crown or dislodged abutment. Teeth grinding and clenching can also put your dental implants under a lot of stress, but these habits can be safely managed by your dentist. Another highly important top tip is to follow the aftercare advice given to you, attend your maintenance appointments, and notify your dental team of any problems or side effects you may be worried about. We’re always on hand to help!

If you’re considering dental implants in London, then contact the team at Crescent Lodge Dental Practice by visiting our contact page or booking online to arrange your initial consultation.

Contact Our Dentists For Dental Crowns in Clapham Today!

 

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