The Benefits and Risks Associated with Dental Implants

Quick summary

Dental implants are surgery, so they carry benefits and risks worth weighing together. On the benefit side: a natural appearance, comfort, support for the jaw, no effect on the neighbouring teeth, clearer speech and less bone loss. On the risk side: infection, an implant that fails to integrate, sinus involvement at the back of the upper jaw, and rarely nerve or tissue damage.

As with any surgery, there are benefits and risks that come with getting dental implants. This procedure to replace missing teeth is becoming increasingly popular, so here are some things to know if you are considering this type of treatment.

What are the benefits?

Appearance – implants blend in with your smile and look very natural.
Comfort – they function and feel like natural teeth.
Support – implants support your jaw and avoid a “caved in” look to your face, preserving your youthful appearance.
Sensitivity – many patients have less tooth and gum sensitivity after getting implants.
Adjacent teeth – neighbouring teeth are not affected.
Durability – implants are usually there for life, not needing surgical replacement. Even if the artificial tooth needs replacing, it can be done without surgery.
Speech – dental implants allow you to speak clearly, as you would with your real teeth.
TMJ – replacing missing teeth helps prevent jaw disorders
Bone loss – titanium posts implanted into your jaw can help prevent bone loss and gum recession.

What are the risks?

Infection – gums and tissue may become infected without proper oral hygiene. It’s important to follow all recovery and maintenance instructions carefully.
Failed integration – sometimes implants do not integrate properly with the bone. If the implants do not fuse, they can be uncomfortable or loose. When this happens, implants must be removed and can be redone after the area has healed.
Sinus problems – your sinuses can be affected when implants are placed in the very back of your jaw, sometimes requiring sinus augmentation surgery.
Nerve or tissue damage – rarely, implants damage nerves or blood vessels. This can cause pain, tingling, swelling, or numbness. This typically is not a risk when a qualified dentist or oral surgeon performs your implant procedure.

Dental implants dentist in Kogarah

Questions patients ask us about this

What are the main risks of dental implant surgery?

The article lists four. Gums and tissue can become infected if oral hygiene slips during healing. An implant can fail to integrate with the bone and have to be removed and redone later. Implants at the very back of the upper jaw can affect the sinuses. Rarely, nerves or blood vessels are damaged, causing pain, tingling, swelling or numbness.

What can I do to lower the risk of infection?

Follow the recovery and maintenance instructions you are given, carefully and for the full period, not just while it feels sore. The healing site is more vulnerable than a natural tooth, and most infections trace back to hygiene during that window. If anything looks or feels wrong while you are healing, call us rather than waiting for your next scheduled visit.

If an implant does not integrate, is that the end of it?

Not necessarily. Where an implant fails to fuse it usually has to be removed, and the area is left to heal before the option of trying again is considered. Whether a second attempt makes sense depends on why the first one failed, so the cause is worth establishing rather than simply repeating the same treatment.

Where to read more on this at Village Dental Kogarah

Reading about it only gets you so far. These are the pages that explain how our dentists in Kogarah actually treat it, and what a visit involves.

Village Dental Kogarah is at Shop 5/23-26 Station St, Kogarah NSW 2217. Eight clinicians work across our two Sydney practices, including a dental prosthetist — meet the team. We look after patients from Kogarah, Kogarah Bay, Rockdale, Bexley, Bexley North, Carlton, Allawah, Banksia, Monterey and Sans Souci. If you would like to talk it through, call (02) 9281 0007 or book a time online.

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A note on this articleThis is general information written for patients, not dental advice for your own mouth. Teeth, gums and medical histories differ, and so does what suits them, so please have a dentist examine you before deciding on any treatment. If something in your mouth is painful, bleeding or has been knocked out, ring us on (02) 9281 0007 rather than waiting.