HEALTHY, CONFIDENT, BEAUTIFUL SMILE
Dental Implants FAQs
Dental implants have been dentist’s go-to procedure to replace missing teeth due to their numerous advantages and high success rate. Still, you may be wondering, are dental implants safe? While they are considered very safe, there are some scenarios where dental implants may not be the best immediate solution.
Factors That May Cause Complications
Some conditions can prevent patients from immediately getting implants. These conditions include active periodontal disease, pre-existing chronic conditions such as diabetes, or lack of adequate bone tissue in the jaw. While these may prevent patients from immediately getting them, it doesn’t necessarily rule out their qualification for getting implants. For example, we can treat periodontal disease to restore gum health, do a bone tissue graft to build up the inadequate bone structure, or approve patients who properly controlled their diabetes.
While these types of conditions can still allow for implants, there are some rare instances where we would advise patients not to get implants. The procedure involved setting titanium implants into the jawbone, which is biocompatible for most people. However, we may recommend using an alternative solution for someone sensitive to lead, zinc, copper, or nickel. The second scenario where we may rule out dental implants is if you have other metal fillings in your mouth. These may negatively interact with the titanium implant. Lastly, dental implants may not work for a heavy smoker who does not want to stop. Poor oral hygiene can cause tartar to build on the artificial tooth and affect the surrounding gums and teeth, possibly triggering an infection.
Is The Procedure Safe?
Since the implant process does involve oral surgery, you may be wondering how safe the procedure is. Luckily, we’re happy to tell you that dental implants have a success rate of over 90-95% for healthy individuals with good oral hygiene! We allow a few months in between each step to give the jawbone time to heal fully. Throughout the entire process, we closely monitor our patients to make sure they are comfortable and have no complications.
What’s Our Answer?
To answer your question, “are dental implants safe,” we’re happy to say, “yes, they are!” Doctors have trusted dental implants for over 50 years because of their excellent reputation for being safe and successful. Millions of Americans trust implants as a solution for missing teeth every year. While some rare situations don’t allow for dental implants, we make sure to consider every patient’s unique circumstances to determine if implants are the best course of action. If you have one or more missing teeth, schedule a consultation to determine if implants are right for you. You can reach us by phone at (707) 741-6090 or click here to contact us on our website.
