Recently a dental team confirmed that changing the dominant side of chewing can help identify early deterioration of dental implants. This change makes it difficult for patients to get accustomed to their new implants, leading to abnormalities of bone tissues. This new discovery could potentially assist dentists when planning a recovery process after dental implant surgery. The study and results were published in the European Journal of Dentistry, according to the team at EyeSmile, a dental implant practice in Twickenham.

Approximately two million dental implants with fixed dentures are installed throughout the world. This is the most effective way to restore lost or deformed teeth without negatively impacting the patients quality of life. Today, dental implants are made from titanium. They are exceptionally durable and take to the bone tissue in the jaw relatively quickly.

Up to six percent of patients do experience early deterioration that causes micro damage when the load on the implant is incorrectly calculated prior to surgery. Excessive loads impact the junction between the bone and the metal, allowing bacteria under the implant, resulting in inflammation. Additional load on the implant can also occur when patients change their chewing side in the first few months after the surgery.

The majority of people do not chew symmetrically on both sides of their jaw. They have a dominant side that is responsible for up to seventy five percent of the chewing movement. It's not uncommon to change the chewing side if you have tooth sensitivity. On average, patients can take up to four months to get used to a new dental implant. During this time, they may change how they chew. This means patients change sides for most of their chewing, resulting in the load calculations prior to surgery being invalid.

Neeru Korpal, the Owner of EyeSmile, said “This new study has brought to light new information that we were not aware of. The patients chewing habits and how it affects the dental implants Twickenham has not been studied until recently. The study involved sixty-four patients with dental implants on one side of their jaw. The team used x-ray images on the patient’s teeth, measuring the strength of their chewing muscles and CT images of the jaw. This was done prior to surgery and twice within the first-year post surgery.”

Neeru Korpal, went on to say “Forty of the patients taking part in the study had changes in the dominant side of their chewing after the dental implant surgery. A sign that changing the chewing side could result in early deterioration of dental implants in six percent of patients.”

About Us:

Eye Smile is a family owned and operated surgery that provides patients with professional and personalised optical, dental and facial services. This Whitton, United Kingdom based surgery is backed by years of experience. The doors opened in 2009 when Neeru and Vineet Korpal invested heavily to create a comfortable and relaxed surgery that offers a complete range of services under one roof. Eye Smile relies on the latest technologies and treatments to provide the best cosmetic and emergency dentistry, optical services and facial solutions, helping to remove the signs of ageing and improve appearance, helping to boost confidence. Find out more at https://www.eyesmile.com/.