The placement of dental implants requires a studied and planned surgical procedure that allows their correct location in the mouth with a view to the future prosthetic planning, that is to say, the adequate positioning of the teeth.
Implant surgery should be performed under aseptic conditions in order to avoid contamination of the implants and the consequent infection that this would entail.
Once the osseointegration period has passed, during which the implant in the mouth is structurally and functionally attached to the surrounding bone, and the prosthetic phase (the placement of the dental crown on the implant) has been successfully completed, its long-term maintenance depends mainly on the patient’s care of the implant.
Implant care should be based on two fundamental aspects: correct hygiene and adequate follow-up by the dentist, i.e. the patient should attend the periodic check-ups scheduled at the clinic. In these check-ups the dentist should verify that the hygiene techniques are optimal, that the occlusion is as indicated, and that there are no factors that threaten the durability of the implant.
The periodicity of these revisions can vary according to the case, but we could say that they are usually at 3, 6 and 12 months after the surgery, and then they will be annual or biannual.
If the care and follow-up of the implant is not adequate, infections can appear that generate aggressions and/or bone losses that consequently lead to its destruction.