This is a great question we receive from our patients on a daily basis.
- How long will this implant last?
- Will I have this implant until I die?
- Once you place the implant, we don’t need to do anything else, right?
We recently came across this great article from Spear Education,which is a high level, continuing education group for dentistry. This article focuses on the lifetime of dental implants.
This insight on the life span of other bodily implants really helps put things in perspective regarding timelines:
By the same token, I believe that it would only be fair to look at the average expected “longevity” for other body part prosthetic replacements/enhancements:
- Limbs: average of 3 years.
- Hips: Studies show that more than 80 percent of all hip replacements across the industry last at least 15 years, and more than 70 percent last at least 20 years. Individual results may vary and will depend on personal circumstances.
- Breast implants: 10 years on average.
- Cochlear implants: 3 to 5 years on average.
- Eye prosthesis: 10 years on average.
So if it is not suggested anywhere that these prosthetic body parts should last forever, why is it that a large percentage of the population assumes that dental implants should?
You can read the entire article HERE.
Let us know what you think? Did this help with your expectations regarding the life span of a dental implant?