I Have Missing Teeth; Can I Safely Receive Dental Implants?

Dental implants are the name of the game when it comes to replacing missing teeth, having assisted countless patients with restoring their smiles and in turn, boosting their quality of life. The implant process is fairly straightforward; titanium posts are surgically embedded into the patient’s jawbone to serve as the root structure for the future replacement teeth. Nonetheless, this can seem daunting to patients, even to the point where some are dissuaded from seeking out this life-changing treatment! But fear not; keep reading to learn more about why it’s perfectly safe, and often encouraged, to replace your missing teeth with dental implants.

Is It Safe to Receive Dental Implants?

The short answer here is yes, dental implants are considered safe to receive—in fact, roughly half a million implants are successfully placed each year, meaning it isn’t just a safe option, but a popular one as well. Since dental implant posts are made from titanium, which is biocompatible, they’re able to safely fuse with your jawbone; the bone matter can grow around the post, ensuring that it provides a rock-solid foundation for your replacement teeth.

And if you’re worried about the surgical aspect of the procedure, don’t fret. As with any type of oral surgery, your dentist will take every single necessary precaution to ensure your absolute safety and comfort, as well as the success of the implants. This includes numbing the mouth, sedating the patient, monitoring their vitals throughout the procedure, and of course, providing them with everything they’ll need afterwards to ensure a smooth, stress-free recovery. While all surgery does carry a small inherent risk of bleeding disorders, infections, and undesirable allergic reactions, rest assured, these can be addressed in the event of their occurrence.

What Causes Dental Implant Failure?

Dental implants have an outstanding success rate of over 95%, but unfortunately, there are still things out there that threaten their lifespan. Here are a few notable causes of dental implant failure:

• Chronically poor oral hygiene is a surefire way to end up with gum disease or some other nasty oral health issue that poses a threat to your implants.
• Bad oral habits, like smoking, using tobacco, or biting into hard objects can damage your implants, as durable as they may be.
• Certain autoimmune diseases and conditions like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the body’s healing factor, preventing your implants from fusing with your jaw.
• Insufficient jawbone density can lead to a weaker jawbone that’s simply unable to support your implants.
• Skipping dental checkups, whichmeans that your implants aren’t being regularly inspected by the person who’s most qualified to ensure they’re in great shape!

If you’re on the fence about dental implants, take solace in the fact that although there’s a small chance of failure, the treatment is still completely safe, and it will provide you with unparalleled oral functionality and beauty for many years to come!

About the Practice

The talented team at Care 32 Dental of Grand Prairie has proudly served families in the Grand Prairie, TX community for several years under the leadership of Dr. Heliben Desai and Dr. Krunal Desai. Their practice is excited to offer patients various preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatment options, including dental implants. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to arrange an appointment for you or a loved one, you can contact the practice online or over the phone for additional information: (469) 837-8351.