Understanding Root Canal Procedures

Understanding Your Dental Implants: Potential Complications Of Dental Implant Surgery

17 February 2017

Diane Mason

Once you decide that you want to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant, it's important to know how to take care of the implant as it heals in your mouth. Whether the implant is for a new tooth, a partial bridge, or a complete set of dentures, the first step is for the implant to integrate into your jaw bone. If the bone density in your jaw is not high enough, if you are a smoker, or if the implanted area becomes infected, the implant is likely to fail. In addition, your implant may not be set properly into your jaw, resulting in the implant falling out or becoming loose.

Infection After Dental Implant Surgery

While it is not a complicated surgery, dental implant surgery still comes with the risk of infection. If bacteria is present while your surgery is taking place, this can cause an infection to settle in to the area. The gums surrounding the implant can become inflamed, and bone loss can occur. While some implants that become infected can be treated successfully, many have to be removed for the overall health of the patient. Infection can also occur when the dental cement used to attach the crown to the implants gets into the gum line.

Complications with the One Step Procedure

Your dentist may decide to place the crown on your implant on the same day the implant is put into your jaw. This is considered a one step procedure, and allows the process to go much faster for those with missing teeth. While this may mean shorter healing times and less dental visits, it also means that the implant is not firmly embedded into the jaw yet. With a tooth that isn't really solidly in place, many people accidentally bite down too hard on food, causing the implant to fail. For those that don't have complications during the one step procedure process, this is an effective way to get a replacement tooth faster.

Dental implants can also fail if your body rejects the foreign implant placed into your jaw. Your body may see the implant as a foreign object, and much like an organ rejection, the implant won't be tolerated in your body. Implants may also fail if your body is allergic to any of the substances used, or if the titanium rod itself bends or breaks.

As you prepare for dental implants, talk with your dentist about any of your concerns. For more information, contact companies like Summit Oral Surgery.

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