Success or Survival?

Dental implants have become a part of everyday dentistry within the U.S. placing upwards of 1 million implants a year.  The ability to give patients a viable option for missing teeth is incredible.  However, we as clinicians need to make sure that the procedure is going to yield a positive outcome with long-term success.  Unfortunately, many dental implants are merely surviving and not considered fully successful.  Oftentimes we read studies that will say something like, “these implants have a survival rate of 97%”.  That sounds like a positive outcome, doesn’t it?  But realistically, surviving doesn’t mean success.  But what is the difference between the two?  

In order for a dental implant to be considered successful, it has to meet many requirements:  be in clinical function, have good esthetics, minimal bone loss radiographically, stable prosthetics, absence of soft-tissue infection, lack any pain, and the patient must be satisfied.

In order for a dental implant to be considered a surviving implant, it simply has to still be present in the mouth.  I don’t know about you, but if I have a medical device placed in my body, I hope that it does more than just survives! 

So how can we help our patients’ dental implants be successful?  Well, here at TePe, we believe the patient’s home care routine is vital to their success.  Finding products that align with their level of motivation, capabilities, and also factor in their limitations, is key.  TePe has created a variety of products that are easy to use and can be tailored to an individual.  I encourage you to watch the educational videos on maintaining dental implants so you can see each product in action.  All patients are different and their home care routine will need to be tailored to the individual.  Let TePe help your patients have more than just surviving dental implants. 

Let’s aim for success! 

Check out how to clean dental implants with TePe interdental brushes: