Dental Implant Statistics
Tooth loss is a common problem, especially as people get older. Years of wear and tear can cause people to be missing many or all of their teeth by the time they hit old age. Thankfully there are plenty of options to treat tooth loss. For many people in the Kansas City, MO area, the ideal treatment involves dental implants to support crowns, bridges, and dentures. These artificial tooth roots are safe, effective, and stable.
More people have dental implants than you may realize. Dr. John Goodman and his team would like to go over some statistics on tooth loss and implant dentistry. This should give you some perspective on the potential and benefits of dental implants.
Numbers on Tooth Loss
According to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 5 adults over the age of 65 are missing all of their teeth.
To understand the links between age and tooth loss, it might be helpful to consider some age brackets and numbers on missing teeth.
Roughly 13 percent of people age 65 to 74 are missing all of their teeth. At age 75 and older, the rate of complete tooth loss increases to 26 percent. By comparison, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) estimates that only 3.75 percent of adults between the ages of 20 to 64 are missing all of their teeth.
The Most Common Causes of Tooth Loss
A 2012 study published in the International Journal of Dentistry tracked the number of tooth extractions performed in a Brazilian dental clinic. The data also noted the reasons dentists needed to remove the teeth. The primary causes of tooth extraction in that clinic were as follows:
- Cavities/Tooth Decay - 38.4 percent
- Gum Disease - 32.3 percent
- Eruption Problems - 6.4 percent
- Orthodontic Issues - 5.7 percent
- Prosthetics - 3.6 percent
- Injury/Trauma - 2.6 percent
- Occlusal Problems - 1.1. percent
- Other - 9.9 percent
While Brazil and Kansas City are miles apart and culturally quite different, the reasons for tooth extraction are consistent with what we see at our practice. Cavities and gum disease in particular are common reasons why patients lose their teeth.
How Many People Have Dental Implants
The exact number of people with dental implant is growing. In fact, as we mentioned above, more people have dental implants in place than you think.
A Reuters story in 2015 estimated that 3 million people had dental implants at the time. The number has likely gone up since the Reuters story also estimated around 500,000 people get dental implants placed each year.
The Success Rates of Dental Implants
While the figures can vary from person to person, a survey conducted by The Journal of Oral Implantology found that the success rate for dental implants is approximately 98 percent. It’s quite a high number given the nature of treatment. It speaks to the many benefits that patients experience by having their dental appliance supported through implant dentistry.
Are Dental Implants Right for Me?
If you live in the Kansas City area and would like to learn more about implant dentistry, be sure to contact a skilled cosmetic and restorative dentist. Dr. John Goodman can be reached by phone at (816) 842-8585.
