Major Health Risks Associated with Dental Implants
Dental implants have been in existence for a while. Although they have not been the most
expensive dental solution available, the benefits seem to have gone far beyond their cost. With
the right dentist, dental implants can be the solution to stubborn dental issues like cavities.
Similar to other medical procedures, installing dental implants has its own set of associated
risks. Top of the list is the risk to fall off when chewing.
In order to minimize chances of dental implant failures, it would be best to get a
comprehensive pre-installation dental evaluation.
Learning of any potential risks beforehand will also help you make informed decision as to
which kind of implant to go for.
This article discusses some of the common risks associated with dental implants.
Sinus Complications
Sinus complications are rare but often affect the upper jawbone (especially if you lose your
molars and premolars). Inherently, loosing upper teeth significantly reduces the mass of your
jawbone, exposing your sinus cavities to injuries.
For example, if you are getting a dental implant to replace lost upper premolars, the implant
may get into one of your sinus cavities and cause significant injuries.
Thus, it would be best if your dentist performs a sinus lift when installing your upper dental
implant(s).
Nerve Damage
When installing Rochester hills dental implants, your dentist will drill your jawbone to create
proper anchorage. As such, dental implant installation has been termed as a partially intrusive
dental procedure.
As the dentist removes the infected tooth remains and gum tissues, the tooth’s nerve endings
are usually destroyed to reduce sensitivity after installation.
However, the dentists need to be extra careful so as not to interfere with any facial nerves near
the jawbone. Although nerves interference rarely occurs, you need to be alert of any unusual
sensation around your neck and face.
There is a huge need to constantly keep your dentist on the loop especially on your teeth and
lips functionality after the dental implant procedure.
Implant Failure
Dental implants are made of metal alloys that are incompatible with some patients. As a result,
your body may reject the implant immediately or days after installation.
Dental implant failure occurs due to one or combination of the following factors:
Bad Habits
Parafunctional habits—things your body does by default—can cause dental implant
failure if they are not addressed.
For example, you may have a habit of grinding your teeth or biting your nails at night. As
such, you may induce gum swelling around the implant and cause a severe infection.
Nevertheless, if the habit is noticed in time, the dentist will prescribe the use of teeth
guards to help control teeth grinding as you sleep.
Peri-implantitis
Observing proper oral hygiene helps you avoid of most of destructive bacteria that in
turn damages your dental implant. Unfortunately, oral hygiene has not been
emphasized enough.
Peri-implantitis is a gum disease that consumes away the bone mass around a dental
implant. Peri-implantitis mainly occurs due to bacteria present in rotting food particles
in crevices between your teeth.
Just like you maintain good oral hygiene for your natural teeth, the same case should
apply to dental implants. You need to ensure proper brushing and flossing, and frequent
application of antibacterial mouthwash.
Additionally, it is highly advisable to stop smoking or consumption of any alcoholic
product.
Insufficient Jawbone
Dental implants require sufficient jawbone for proper support and load transfers
(transferring impact from the ‘tooth’ to the jawbone).
However, a lack of osseointegration may cause severe complications that may see your
dentist removing the dental implant.
Insufficient jawbone may be caused by inadequate calcium in your body or other dental
infections like peri-implantitis.
Thus, to help reduce the chances of dental implant failure, your dentist will test your
jawbone density and advise you accordingly.
Conclusion
Most dental implants patients give rave reviews to this dental solution. However, the dental
implant procedure requires an experienced dentist to properly pull it off.