Is the dental implant prone to cavities or gum disease?
Dental implants are often chosen by patients who need to replace a tooth that was lost due to tooth decay or gum disease. They offer a structurally complete tooth replacement and have a number of advantages over alternatives like dentures and dental bridges. Understandably, these patients want reassurance that those conditions will not compromise the replacement tooth as well. The implant itself, which is a small cylinder made of titanium, is not made of biological material so it is not directly susceptible to the effects of the oral bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal disease. However, the answer to this question is not quite that simple. Gum disease can affect the stability of a dental implant by degrading the quality of the underlying bone that supports it. Osseointegration, which is the process of bone bonding with the implant after the oral surgeon places it, is the keystone of the durability…