Understanding the Potential Risks of Dental Implant Surgery

Despite the high success rate of dental implant surgery, implant placement is unsuitable for many. The surgical procedure also has the risk of causing long-term complications.

This post outlines the potential risks and long-term problems of dental implant placement. We also provide information on the success rates and recovery time from dental implant placement.

How Do Dental Implants Function?

Dental implants are long-term replacements for lost teeth. A titanium screw represents the implant the dentist in Hamilton embeds in the jawbone to replace the missing tooth. After the osseointegration process, the implant integrates with the jawbone. After osseointegration, the implant supports an artificial tooth or dental crown.

Dental implants have several functional and aesthetic benefits because they help restore the appearance of missing teeth, improve biting and chewing function, stabilize the surrounding teeth and jaw tissue, and prevent bone loss.

Potential Risks of Dental Implant Surgery

During dental implant surgery, several potential risks can occur. Below are the risks outlined for your reference.

• Infection: infection at the implant site is the most familiar complication of dental implant placement. The treatment for the infection depends on the extent and the location of the implant. For example, bacterial gum infections will require antibiotics or tissue grafts. Unfortunately, a bacterial bone infection will require the removal of the infected bone tissue with the implant for a bone and soft tissue graft.
• Gum Recession: occasionally, patients may find receding gums around the implant. The recession can lead to inflammation and discomfort. A timely assessment from the Hamilton dentist is essential to prevent implant removal.
• Loose implant: in the weeks following dental implant placement, the titanium post will integrate with the jawbone. The process called osseointegration is vital for the long-term success of the arrangement. Osseointegration requires 3 to 6 months. Unfortunately, if osseointegration fails to be complete, the dental Surgeon must remove the implant, and the patient can re-attempt the implant procedure after healing.
• Nerve Or Tissue Damage: occasionally, dental surgeons may place implants too close to a nerve resulting in numbness, pain, and tingling. While short-term symptoms are familiar in implant placement surgery, occasionally, patients may experience long-term complications.

Unfamiliar Dental Implant Risks

Implant placement surgery may also result in unfamiliar risks like sinus issues and damage to the dental implant.

• Sinus Issues: implants in the upper jaw protrude into the sinus cavities, causing inflammation. The condition is called sinusitis. The potential symptoms of sinusitis include discomfort, tenderness, or swelling around the cheeks, eyes, or forehead, sinus headaches, toothache, bad breath, and a blocked nose.
• Damage from Impacts: dental implants become loose or cracked due to impacts or excessive force. Some people apply excessive force to dental implants without realizing it. In such cases, the Hamilton dentist suggests patients wear mouthguards to prevent damage to the implant and their natural teeth.

Long-Term Risks

A version of gum disease-causing jawbone loss supporting the implant is called peri-implantitis and can occur because of chronic inflammation at the implant site. Peri-implantitis can take five years to progress and cause symptoms like bleeding and swelling around the implant placement site.

Rarely can the body also reject the dental implant because some people have metal sensitivity causing their body to reject the implant.

Who Can Receive Dental Implants?

Dental implants in Hamilton, ON, are an excellent solution for people with missing teeth due to damage, decay, or trauma. However, the patients must satisfy the criteria for suitability and success rate before receiving dental implants.

If contemplating teeth implant service in Hamilton, patients must have good overall health with the gums and jawbone because the structure supports the dental implant throughout the patient’s lifetime. Dental implants are also unsuitable for children because their facial bones are in the developmental stages.

Occasionally dental implants fail, and the failure can occur early or late. Dental implants are incredibly successful, with a 90 to 95 percent success rate. Unfortunately, the success rate reduces among patients who smoke, have diabetes, or have gum disease and take certain medications.

Not everyone is suitable for dental implant surgery. Patients contemplating dental implants for replacing missing teeth must undergo a comprehensive dental exam by the Hamilton dentist to determine whether they satisfy the criteria for the process. Although dental implants are incredibly successful, some potential risks include infections, gum recession, and nerve or tissue damage. Therefore, patients should remain in contact with the Hamilton dentist if they develop any concerning symptoms after the dental implant is placed.

Patients with missing teeth and contemplating dental implants for replacing them will do well to consult Rymal Family Dentistry for the replacement teeth. The dental practice performs a comprehensive exam to determine the eligibility of the patient for implant placement surgery before performing the surgery on them to prevent complications later.