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How Safe Are Dental Implants?

If you’re the type who likes to do a lot of internet research about any potential medical or dental procedure you’re considering, you’ve probably found some questions about dental implant safety in your searching. Here at Champagne Smiles, we place a high value on being honest with our patients, which means telling you that getting dental implants is a surgical procedure and, as with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. The good news is that most of the complications you read about online can be avoided by choosing a skilled dental implant specialist like Dr. Champagne.

Dental Implant Safety

So, how safe are dental implants? They’re safe enough that they have become the preferred replacement option for missing teeth and titanium implant posts have been in use for more than half a century. Dental implants have a 10-year success rate that ranges from 95 to 98 percent. Very rarely, a patient may have titanium hypersensitivity, but titanium is considered a biocompatible material, which means it is almost never rejected by the body. 

Some other concerns surrounding dental implants are headaches, jaw pain, and chronic low-level infection surrounding the implants. While you might see these mentioned online, there has been volumes of research on the topic of dental implants over the years and there are no studies indicating that implants can cause chronic health problems. 

Indeed, dentists recommend dental implants because of their ability to prevent the chronic health problems that result from tooth loss. Dental implants help maintain the bone density in the jaw, which is important for your oral health. When the jaw begins to break down, the bite gets weaker, and it’s more difficult to eat the well-balanced diet your body needs to thrive.

Risks of Dental Implants

Here are some of the most common complications and risks involved in getting dental implants:

Surgical Complications

There are complications involved with any surgery, including nerve injury, bleeding, infection, and damage to surrounding tissues. If you choose to have dental sedation during your appointment, this also has potential side effects. While some complications come down to chance, most risks are minimized when you see a dental implant specialist for your care.

Dental Implant Failure

Dental implant failure is disappointing for patients. Most cases of implant failure are either caused by a patient not following aftercare instructions or a dentist who hasn’t adequately screened their patients or has insufficient training or experience. Perhaps you traveled outside of the country to get dental implants at a deeply discounted price, but the procedure was not performed up to the standards of those in the United States.

Your dental implants might fail because:

  • You start smoking again after your dental implant surgery.
  • You have an underlying health condition, like diabetes, that affects your ability to heal after surgery or puts you at a greater risk of infection.
  • You develop gum disease.
  • You don’t see your dentist for regular preventive care.
  • You didn’t have the jawbone support needed for dental implants.
  • You take certain medications that interfere with the way your body absorbs calcium.
  • You needed to have chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

The best way to minimize the risks associated with dental implants is to choose one of the best dental implant specialists in your area to perform the procedure. While your general dentist may offer implants, if they only perform a handful of placements each month, they won’t have the same hands-on experience as a specialist who performs the procedure on a daily basis.

Learn More About Dental Implants in Monmouth County

Champagne Smiles is New Jersey’s Premier Dental Implant Team All Under One Roof. Contact us today at 732-972-0918 to schedule an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Champagne.