Are Bad Dental Implants Common? Here’s How We Assure Quality

What Are Dental Implants & The Importance of Their Quality

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are surgically placed into the jawbone to replace missing teeth, and can last many years when properly cared for. They provide a stable and durable foundation for dental crowns, bridges, or dentures, as well as restore the function and appearance of your smile. Additionally, dental implants have many other benefits, such as improving your chewing and speaking abilities, preventing bone loss and facial sagging, and enhancing your self-confidence and quality of life.

However, not all dental implants are created equal, and there are a number of characteristics to consider that affect their overall quality:

• The quality of the materials. Low quality materials are less durable and more susceptible to wear and tear. This makes them less able to withstand the force of your chewing, and thus more prone to cracking and breaking.
• The design of the implant. Higher quality materials are more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, better matching the look of natural teeth and reducing irritation and inflammation.
• The skill and experience of the dentist. High quality implants have a higher success rate, especially when used by an experienced dentist. This reduces the risk of complications and the need for additional procedures.
• The aftercare and maintenance of the implant. Less maintenance and repairs are needed for high quality implants, meaning they’ll last longer with less effort on your part.

While a cheaper price tag may appear more tempting and appealing, it’s important to consider the long-term implications and costs associated with low quality dental implants. Despite saving money in the short-term, the overall consequences you’ll face far outweigh the immediate benefit.

Bad Dental Implants: What Are The Potential Complications?

Despite the chance of complications being exceedingly low, there are times when something unexpected happens. It’s important to keep an eye out for these conditions listed below to have them corrected as quickly as possible.

• Infection. Developing an infection is the most common complication of bad dental implants, which can occur at the site of the implant or in the surrounding gums or bone tissue. Infection can develop during surgery or after, and the symptoms include pain, swelling, inflammation, fever, and pus. It can interfere with your recovery, prevent the surgical site from healing, and can even prevent the integration of the implant with your jawbone. In severe cases, infection can lead to implant failure, bone loss, or system illness and is treated with antibiotics.
• Peri-implantitis. This is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the gum tissue around the implant, causing it to pull away and expose the metal post and abutment of the implant. It can cause aesthetic and functional problems, such as sensitivity, discomfort, and difficulty cleaning the implant. It can also increase the risk of infection and implant failure. An implant can become a bad dental implant if peri-implantitis goes untreated, as the inflammation, bone loss, and infection within the gums can cause the implant to loosen.
• Loose implant. This is when the implant fails to fuse with the bone properly, resulting in a loose or wobbly implant. This can happen due to poor bone quality or quantity, improper implant placement, excessive force on the implant, or infection. A loose implant can cause pain, discomfort, and difficulty chewing, as well as, implant failure. A loose implant is a bad implant, and should be removed and replaced with a new one after you’ve healed from the extraction surgery.
• Nerve or tissue damage. If a dental implant is placed too close to a nerve, it’s a bad dental implant because it causes nerve damage, resulting in numbness, tingling, pain, or bleeding in the affected area. In some cases, nerve damage can be permanent and alter the ability to speak, eat, or smile.
  With careful planning using advanced technology, and precise surgical skills, nerve damage can be avoided completely. If it does occur, it can be treated with medication, surgery, or nerve repair.
• Possible sinus complications. When the upper jaw receives dental implants, they may sometimes impact the sinuses. This may occur if the implant extends into the sinus space, or if the bone is too thin to hold the implant. Sinus complications can lead to headaches, congestion, pressure, or infection. Proper implant methods and a sinus lift can help avoid sinus complications.
• Implant failure: Implant failure is the ultimate negative consequence of bad dental implants. It means that the implant hasn’t integrated with the bone, or that the implant has become loose or fractured over time. Implant failure can be caused by infection, nerve damage, sinus issues, peri-implantitis, poor implant quality or placement, excessive force or trauma, smoking, diabetes, osteoporosis, or other medical conditions. Implant failure can result in pain, discomfort, difficulty chewing or speaking, and loss of self-confidence. Implant failure may require removal of the implant and additional surgery to repair the damage.

How Family, Implant, and Cosmetic Dentistry Ensures Perfect Implants

To avoid bad dental implants and the complications that develop from them, Family, Implant, and Cosmetic Dentistry takes every precaution necessary, from start to finish, to ensure that your implants are the perfect fit for you and your oral health.

1. The Role of Consultation & Candidacy Screenings – Getting to Know You & Your Oral Health

At Family, Implant, and Cosmetic Dentistry, we always begin with a thorough consultation and candidacy screening. This is our opportunity to get to know you and your dental history—how you care for your teeth, any medical conditions that could affect bone health and healing ability, any lifestyle habits that could potentially cause complications such as smoking or drug use. By getting to know you in this way, we are able to accurately assess whether a dental implant is an appropriate solution for you. By taking these extra steps before beginning the implant process, we are able to ensure the stability and longevity of your implant by understanding how it will interact with the unique nuances of your oral health.

2. Using Advanced Technology & Comprehensive Care to Find the Perfect Fit.

Once our team has determined that dental implants are a suitable solution for you, we begin by taking meticulous measurements of aspects like the thickness of your jawbone, how your teeth move over time, and what the curvature of your gums are, to help us determine where the implant should be placed for maximum stability. We use advanced 3D scanning technology; cone-beam computed tomography and computer-aided design software, and digital x-rays to map out and create virtual models of your jawbone to give us a thorough understanding of your jaw’s architecture and composition. We also use this technology to ensure that every component of the implant fits together within this virtual jaw model.

We also take extensive notes on the locations of important anatomical structures like your oral nerves, sinus cavities, and maxillary/mandibular bone quality to ensure that we have all the information we need to avoid complications like nerve/tissue damage, poor bone density, or improper placement. Our goal is to give you the best possible outcome, and this level of detail ensures that no step is overlooked, and that the implant will fit into the space, perfectly.

3. Implant Placement & Recovery – Delivering a Smile You Can Be Proud Of

Our team is trained in the latest implant placement techniques and technologies to ensure that we can guarantee a safe, effective, and successful implant placement. During the surgery, our doctors will carefully place the dental implant into your jawbone while preserving the surrounding delicate structures. We use 2D & 3D imaging technology to guide us through the entire process and ensure that the implant is placed in the optimal location. Once the implant is placed, it will need time to heal and integrate with your jawbone. During this time, we will work closely with you to ensure that you are comfortable and healing properly.

We may recommend a soft food diet during the first few days after the procedure and advise you to avoid any strenuous physical activity that could disrupt the healing process. We will also provide with detailed aftercare instructions, and request that you attend all follow-up visits with us, as these are crucial for your long-term success. Once we confirm that the implant has fully integrated, we will attach an abutment and a dental crown to the implant, giving you a fully functional and natural-looking replacement tooth.