Studies show that 97% of dental implant placements happen without any complications. However, like any surgery, some risk is involved in the dental implant procedure. At Galleria Dental Aesthetics, our Northern Virginia implant dentists take great care to minimize any risk to your health and safety. Nonetheless, we believe patients should be fully aware of all potential complications prior to undergoing any surgical procedure.
Integration Risks
The biggest risk with dental implants is that they will not integrate into your jawbone. When placed, dental implants need to be accepted by your body as part of your jaw. This is a process known as osseointegration. If this process is unsuccessful, your dental implant may cause damage to surrounding tissue. It may also become loose and fall out. When this happens, most often a simple reinsertion is enough to solve the problem.
The risk of osseointegration failure is a major reason why dental implant candidates must be evaluated to ensure they have sufficient bone tissue to hold a dental implant. Other factors may also increase the risk of having dental implants, so talk to the Virginia implant dentists at Galleria Dental Aesthetics first to find out if you are a candidate for dental implants.
Tissue Damage and Infection
Dental implants may cause irritation to your gum tissue or blood vessels in your gums. This can lead to inflammation, infection, and damage to adjacent teeth. In addition, dental implants have, in very rare instances, caused sinus problems.
Some patients have also experienced nerve damage in the jaw. This damage can lead to pain or numbness in the teeth, lips, mouth, and chin. Again, this is an extremely rare complication and happens only in the most complicated cases.
Dental implants are a safe and effective way to replace missing teeth. While not without its risks and complications, implant placement remains the best option for many of our patients. If you still have concerns our Virginia implant dentists can answer any of your remaining questions about dental implants.
If you live near McLean or Tysons Corner, Virginia and would like to learn more about the benefits and risks of dental implants, please contact the implant dentists at Galleria Dental Aesthetics to schedule a consultation today.