Frequently Asked Questions - Dental Implant

What are the risks of implants?

All procedures have a small amount of risk. Unfortunately, things can go wrong although this only happens in a tiny minority of cases.

Generally, there is very little that can go wrong with a dental implant. Any problems are likely to be those of rejection – when the implant refuses to fuse with the jawbone, fracture and a problem with the implant and the replacement teeth.

Other complications include infection in the soft tissue of the gum, nerve damage and sinus or nasal cavity damage.

Another problem which can occur over a period of time is that of ‘overloading’: this is where there are not enough implants in the jaw which leads to undue pressure on the existing implants and replacement teeth.

As you bite down this places pressure on your natural and replacement teeth. If there are insufficient implants then this pressure will weaken those implants over time. Some patients opt for a single implant and several replacement teeth but this can be problematic.

Ideally, you should aim for a ratio of one implant to one replacement tooth.

These and other cases are rare and tend to happen in less than 5% of cases.

Your dentist will advise you about these risks during the consultation.