Getting Dental Implants? Know About These Potential Complications
When you have missing teeth that cause trouble with speaking or eating, dental implants can be the answer to your problems. As with any surgical procedure, there can be complications that come with having them installed. Before you move forward with getting dental implants, know about these five complications that can happen.
You Have an Allergic Reaction to the Metal
Implants are made with titanium due to the protective coating called titanium dioxide. This coating is what will help protect the dental implant from all of the bacteria inside your mouth. Unfortunately, you could end up developing an allergic reaction to the titanium.
You may feel it initially as a headache, but it could eventually lead to swelling in the area where the implant was installed. The way to avoid this complication is to have allergy testing is done that will determine how you react to titanium before you have the procedure done.
You Experience Sinus Pressure
If you are getting a dental implant placed in your upper jaw, be aware that this will be near where your sinuses are located. Some people require additional work to be done on the upper jawbone to give it strength and hold the implant in place.
If procedures are done incorrectly, it could result in headaches, sinus congestion, or inflammation in the area. While this is a rare complication, the skill of your surgeon is what determines if the procedure will be successful.
Your Bite Is Misaligned
When you only need a single dental implant, you won’t notice alignment problems if the exact position of the tooth is slightly off from the old tooth. A misaligned bite is more noticeable in situations where multiple implants are installed and many teeth are new.
The result is that your jaw will rest in a way that is unnatural, resulting in headaches and a sore jaw. Thankfully, a misaligned jaw can be corrected by a dentist once the problem is identified.
You Experience an Infection
The technical name for an infection caused by dental implants is peri-implantitis. You can avoid it by visiting your dentist for checkups after the procedure is finished and continuing to brush your teeth to keep your mouth clean. Your new teeth may be fake, but you still need to practice proper oral hygiene at home.
Patients may skip the follow-up visits with their dentist for several reasons. They may have had the procedure done by a dentist that is far away, which makes follow up visits inconvenient. The patient may also feel as if their implants are fine and not think that a checkup will be necessary.
The only person that can tell if there is an infection early on is your dentist, which is why it is so important to follow up with them as requested.
Your Implants Fail to Integrate
Dental implants are great for replacing teeth because of how the titanium integrates with the jawbone. The two materials eventually fuse together, which may not happen with other materials. Once the tissue regenerates around the dental implant, it will be held in place with the necessary strength for it to function like a normal tooth.
A potential problem is that the integration process can fail. One reason is a lack of bone mass, so the titanium rod doesn’t have enough material to attach to. The best way to avoid this complication is to get a dental implant installed right after the tooth is removed. Delaying the procedure can cause bone loss in the area where the implant will be placed.
These complications can be avoided by working with a skilled dentist with plenty of experience installing dental implants. If you’re interested in dental implants, give us a call today.