One of the first questions I am asked during a consult for implants is “do they really work?” and the answer is a resounding yes they do.
Since 1985, when the current type of dental implant was introduced to the United States from Europe, implants have changed the lives of perhaps millions of people.
There have been some “generational” changes in implant manufacture and the current types are in the over 90% successful range, long term. There isn’t anything in dentistry, short of removing a tooth that is as successful long term.
Root canals, crowns, dentures, even fillings don’t last as long as implants statistically. Of course, just like any other profession, there are people doing implants that haven’t obtained the appropriate knowledge in planning and performing implant therapy and those people won’t have the same success rate.
If you have a loose denture, if you have a partial denture that is moving and is difficult to wear, if you have reservations about grinding a good tooth down for a bridge, then implants are the best treatment for you, without question. While dental implants have been successful for about 30 years so far, the average length of time a bridge lasts is 13 years statistically, and a single crown on a tooth about 10 years. Implants cannot decay but they can get gum disease, so regular dental cleaning visits are still necessary.
– John C. Stone, DDS, Cosmetic Dentist, Ft. Lauderdale
Dr. Stone teaches dental implant therapy to dentists in two different locations: Atlantic Coast Dental Research Clinic at Palm Beach College and Broward Dental Research Clinic at Broward College. He is a specialist in tooth replacement, a Prosthodontist, and has been placing dental implants surgically since 1991.
