Are dental implants safe? The short answer is yes, dental implants are considered to be medically safe when they are performed by an experienced dental practitioner and the patient’s risk factors have been taken into account. However, some patients may not be candidates for dental implant surgery. There are risks associated with the dental implant procedure that your dental practitioner will manage. By visiting a dentist that offers a consultation before you commit to this type of tooth replacement, you can find out what the risks are and make an informed decision for your oral health.
Are Dental Implants Safe?
A Track Record Of Successful Implant Dentistry
The first dental implant procedure was performed back in 1965. Over the years the procedure has been refined and improved – even though this patient’s dental implant lasted for 40 years. As a result, countless numbers of patients have benefitted from implants.
Materials Used For Dental Implants
Titanium is widely used as the material of choice for dental implants. It is a biocompatible material that is both strong and flexible so you can bite and chew your food. It also reduces your risk of pain and irritation. Zirconia dental implants are also becoming more popular. Zirconia is also biocompatible and integrates successfully with the jaw. Both materials are strong and lightweight.
Patient Suitability
One of the biggest factors associated with dental implant success and safety is the screening that you must have before dental implant surgery. You will have an assessment done where your dental practitioner will evaluate the health of your gums and the strength and thickness of your jaw as a precursor to a dental implant procedure. If you have gum disease, you would not be considered a candidate for a dental implant procedure.
In the event that your jaw is too soft or you have bone loss, you would need to have a bone graft in order to order to support the implant because the risk of implant failure would be too great. If you are a smoker, you won’t be able to move forward with a dental implant because your risk of infection is increased and smoking interferes with your body’s ability to heal.
Patients who have unmanaged chronic health conditions that affect their body’s ability to heal, would also not be able to have dental implants. During your assessment, your dental practitioner will take a full medical history to find out about any pre-existing health conditions and medications you might be taking. By booking a dental consultation near you, you can have a risk assessment done to find out if this is the right tooth-replacement procedure for your needs.
Patient risks
Even though dental implant surgery is considered safe, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any risks. All surgical procedures have some degree of associated risk, and these need to be weighed up against the benefits of the procedure in order to make an informed decision about a tooth replacement.
Fortunately, the majority of these risks can be managed simply by selecting a skilled and experienced dental practitioner and making sure your surgery is well planned. As a patient, your role is to follow your dentist’s pre and postoperative instructions to ensure you heal correctly.
On the positive side, side effects are generally uncommon and if they do occur, most of them can be treated easily.
Some of the possible risks of dental implant surgery include
An infection at the surgical site
An infection is typified by swelling, bruising or fluid at the implant site. If you notice these symptoms, contact your dentist immediately.
Damage during the procedure, that can affect the surrounding blood vessels and your other natural teeth
This is a complication that can be avoided by thorough planning and x-rays before the procedure. A skilled dental practitioner is less likely to make this error during your procedure
Damage to your sinus cavity if the implant perforates the cavity
Damage to the sinuses could occur if the implants in the upper jaw are placed too close to the sinus. Again this can be managed with good planning.
What About Dental Implant Failure?
In rare cases, a dental implant can fail. This is usually due to the implant not integrating with your jaw bone.
If this occurs, the implant will loosen and fall out. Not placing the implant in the correct position or at the wrong angle may also result in implant failure.
What About Dental Implant Pain?
If you lost a tooth due to decay you may have concerns about implant pain. Remember that the purpose of having implant surgery is to restore your mouth to full function, and this includes the absence of pain. Local anaesthetic is used so that you do not feel pain during the procedure and taking painkillers post-operatively will manage any discomfort once the anaesthetic has worn off.
Now that you’ve read the article above, the next question to answer is are dental implants safe for you? The only way to find out is to get a consultation at your local dental clinic. For more insight into this life-changing procedure please contact us: (03) 9626 9581.
