You know you should have put your old tools away when you finished working in the garden, but it slips your mind in the moment. After several rainstorms, you remember that they’ve been outside and exposed to moisture. Unfortunately, rust has started to develop on your tools.
Seeing your metal tools corrode can make you hesitant to consider getting dental implants to replace your missing teeth. Will the metal in your implants rust over time? Learn the answer and how to make your implants last as long as possible here.
What Causes Rust?
Metals most often rust because of the combination between iron and oxygen. In other words, metals that have iron in them are at a higher risk of corrosion with oxidation. Fortunately, not all metals have this reaction.
What Are Dental Implants Made of?
In the past and even in some cases now, metals have been utilized within the mouth. For instance, some children require a stainless-steel crown on a decayed or injured tooth. Another example is amalgam fillings, which consist of silver, tin, copper, and mercury. For implants, various materials, such as zirconia, can be used for the post underneath the gums, but by far the most common material is titanium, which is very durable and has no iron in it.
Can My Dental Implants Rust?
Titanium is a biocompatible material, meaning it doesn’t negatively affect the living tissue surrounding it. Because of their composition, it is extremely rare for dental implants to rust or corrode in any way—even with exposure to moisture. In fact, that’s why titanium is used in the medical field throughout the body, such as for hip replacement and broken bone repair.
The very rare exception when an implant does corrode results from a reaction with the metal implant, the jawbone, and saliva. Overall, dental implants are perfectly safe for use in the human body.
How Can I Make Sure My Dental Implants Don’t Rust?
Although your dental implants are highly unlikely to rust, there is a possibility that they will come loose and fail—unless you properly maintain them. To keep them stable and your mouth free from infections that could jeopardize your new teeth, you need to brush and floss every day, focusing especially on areas near the gums.
Visiting your dentist every six months for checkups and cleanings ensures that plaque doesn’t have a chance to endanger your implants. In addition, choosing to have less sugar in your diet and drinking more water can help keep oral bacteria under control.
In the end, you may not need to worry about rust in your mouth, but you still must take care of your dental implants if you want your new smile to stay in perfect working condition.
About the Practice
Carlisle Family & Cosmetic Dentistry is proud to offer comprehensive dental implant treatment for patients interested in this solution. Dr. Thomas Neslund and Dr. Alex Benner have a CBCT scanner, which uses the latest technology to create a 3D model of your oral cavity and plan the procedure with less risk of complications. If you would like to learn more about dental implant, reach out to our office in Carlisle by phone at 717-258-5455 or online.