Are There Any Preventive Measures to Reduce the Chances of Bone Loss Following Dental Implants?

If you have osteoporosis or osteopenia and your Primary care physician prescribes these medications for you, that would be the only reason for taking them. There is no indication to take them for preventio of oral bone loss.  There are two main reasons for bone loss around dental implants: one is peri-implantitis and the other is extreme lateral bite forces on the tooth.  The first one can be avoided by regular dental visits and cleanings by your dentist.  The second one is actually caused by an incorrectly adjusted crown on the implant.  When a crown is placed on an implant the dentist adjusts the bite according to your chewing direction and forces, if this is not done correctly, bone loss can occur because the tooth and implant is beig "pushed" sideways, implants are not capable of enduring these forces

There are three determinative factors that could cause implant failure. One would be the improper placement of the implant itself by the periodontist, which you have no control over. Second, would be the overall health of your body and oral health before having this procedure and third, is the amount of force that is placed on the implant during the healing stages.  Make sure you go to a good periodontist who does and knows about implants and can do them in his sleep!  Prior to placing the implants, make sure you have no issues that inhibit the healing process in the body and bones.. Make sure you are in good health, take calcium, magneseum and Vitamin D supplements and avoid any medication like Foxomax, which have been shown to help with osteoporosis but long term use of this drug often causes an adverse reactions in the jaw area and prevents healing!  Make sure after placement of the implants your bite is checked to avoid  unwanted stress and pressure on this area. Also the health of your gums before the procedure and after the procedure needs to be maintained. Brush and floss regularly and check up and cleaning with the periodontist should be scheduled every three or four months. Periodontal disease is a huge factor in loosening of implants and causing faliure.  I recommend the use of a product called Rotadent to get in hard to reach places.  With all this said....good luck and always find out about the side effects of drugs like Fosomax.