Are Dental Implants Safe? Understand What Makes a Good Candidate

Tooth loss due to decay, illness, or injury leads to numerous oral health issues. You can lose bone in your jaw, which changes the structure of your face. Your remaining teeth can shift into the space, creating alignment issues. Your risk of gum disease increases because shifted teeth can be more challenging to clean. Restorative dentistry prevents these problems when you lose a tooth. Bridges, dentures, and dental implants are all forms of restorative dentistry. You should consider dental implant surgery if you are looking for a permanent and natural-looking missing tooth solution.

Dental implants offer a comfortable, convenient alternative to dentures and bridges. However, some patients wonder, are dental implants safe? Yes, dental implants are perfectly safe when you undergo a thorough pre-surgery oral examination and medical history check-up. 

For the best outcome, the implants should be placed by an experienced dentist using high-quality dental implants by brands like Nobel, Osstem and TRI and using cutting-edge dental technology for flapless implant placement surgery.   

Dental Implants are Safe for Good Candidates

Dental implants have been used successfully for over 30 years and are considered extremely safe. Most healthy patients have a very low risk of experiencing any significant complications.

One study found that over 96% of implants last longer than ten years. Another study showed 94% implant survival 15 years after the surgery. These demonstrate that dental implants are not only safe but effective, too. They provide an excellent long-term solution for tooth loss.

Are dental implants safe? The procedures used to place the dental implant, abutment, crown, bridge, or denture are all very safe and can be performed under a local anaesthetic. Your dentist provides specific aftercare instructions that you should follow to speed up your recovery and prevent infection.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants offer benefits other types of restorative dentistry don’t. They offer the closest feel to your natural teeth and don’t affect your ability to chew or speak. They don’t pinch or rely on adhesive like mucosal dentures. 

You don’t have to modify healthy teeth like a bridge. A dental implant procedure prevents bone loss and preserves your facial structure.

Dental implants look more like your original teeth than any other type of restoration. When you take care of them, they can last for the rest of your life. So who can take advantage of these benefits?

What Makes a Good Candidate?

In general, people who are in good health, have good dental hygiene practices, and don’t abuse alcohol or use tobacco or recreational drugs make the best candidates for dental implant surgery.

If you have a chronic illness, are dental implants safe? Chronic diseases that slow healing increase the risk of a bad outcome. Discuss these conditions with your dentist and physician to determine if it is safe to get dental implants. Conditions that can affect your ability to heal include:

• Diabetes
• Autoimmune conditions
• Gum disease
• Osteoporosis or osteopenia
• Chemotherapy and head or neck radiation
• Taking some types of medication

You can receive treatment for some of these conditions, such as gum disease, to improve the likelihood of a successful dental implant procedure.

Find Out if You’re a Candidate

Contact Gordon Family Dental at (02) 9159 6163 to schedule your consultation. We provide family-centred preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatment and services at affordable prices. 

Our well-equipped clinic is conveniently located in the heart of Gordon, less than a two-minute walk from the train station. Our compassionate team uses the latest technology in our warm and welcoming surgery to provide high-quality care. Our three experienced dentists have been providing safe, premium services to our community for more than 40 years combined.

Begin your journey to a fully restored smile today!

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

References

Long-term (10-year) dental implant survival: A systematic review and sensitivity meta-analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30904559/

Long term clinical performance of 10 871 dental implants with up to 22 years of follow-up: A cohort study in 4247 patients
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cid.12994

Dental implant procedure
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dental-implant

Everything to Know About a Dental Implant Procedure
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/dental-implant-procedure