Dental Implant Problems
When it comes to replacing your missing tooth with a dental implant, it is important to remember it is a surgery with potential short-term and long-term complications.
The most common potential complications from dental implant surgery include:
- Infection – Even if you take care to follow the dental surgeon’s aftercare instructions, it is possible to contract an infection. Only the dentist can diagnosis and treat the infection which will vary based on the severity of the infection and the location of the infection in your mouth. It may be as simple as an oral antibiotic or it may require a bone or tissue graft.
- Gum recession – After the implant is set in place below the gum, you may find your gums starting to recede around the area of the implant. The dentist can help manage the pain and inflammation while assessing the viability of the implant.
- Loose implant – Once the implant is placed below the gum line, the implant will start to grow into the bone and fuse with it. Osseointegration is essential for the implant to be successful long-term and without it, the dentist may need to remove the implant.
- Nerve or tissue damage – With any surgery, there is potential for the surgeon to come too close to a nerve leaving you with a painful, numb or tingly sensation. With immediate attention, you will not have to worry about a decrease in your quality of life from pain or discomfort.
The rarer potential complications from dental implant surgery are:
- Sinus issues – When the implant is in your upper jaw, the implant can irritate the sinuses. Sinusitis results from the swelling of the sinus cavities.
- Damage from excessive force – If you struggle with grinding your teeth or unknowingly put too much force on your implant, you can crack and damage it as well as your natural teeth.
- Long-term issues – If you have a sensitivity to the implant materials or you experience chronic irritation at the implant site, you may have peri-implantitis. This specific gum disease causes bone loss after about five years with the implant.
Suitability
Prior to surgery, you will talk with the dentist to see if you are a suitable candidate for dental implant surgery. Not everyone is healthy enough for surgery and a healthy jawbone and healthy gums are crucial to long-term implant success. Children are not candidates for dental implants because their bones are still growing.
Success rate
Even though the success rate for dental implant surgeries is about 95%, there are still failures which can be categorized as either early failure of late failure. The dentist will screen you to ensure you have good health overall, but some people are more likely to have dental implant failures. If you are a smoker, a diabetic, have gum disease, have had your jaw area treated with radiation therapy or take certain medications, you are more likely to have problems.
Taking care of implants
Just like your natural teeth, your dental implants will need the regular care of dental exams and professional cleaning with at home daily care. If you are a smoker, you may want to pursue quitting to minimize your risk of complications. Immediately following surgery, the dentist will provide after care instructions to help you heal. You may find that your mouth is sore where the dentist placed the implant or you have minor bleeding, but as you heal these should subside.