Risk Factors of the Dental Implant Procedure

According to the American Dental Association, dental implants have recorded a 95.4% survival after ten years of placement. Implants can improve the aesthetic results of a severely damaged dental formula, superior even to dentures.

Today, many people prefer dental implants in Enfield, CT, because they are an optimal solution to tooth loss. Besides, it’s easy to maintain and care for a tooth implant, as it is just like your normal tooth; even better because it doesn’t stain. They effectively restore the chewing ability of your jaws and also improve your smile.

However, one needs to understand the risk factors involved with implants when used to replace missing teeth. Similar to other oral surgeries, the dental implant procedure, too, is associated with certain complications.

Being aware of the risk factors associated with a full mouth dental implant can help you get prepared if things go haywire. This way, the dentist in Enfield, CT, will know the right course of action to take to prevent a severe complication.

Below are risk factors associated with an implant procedure.

Bone Health and Quantity

For an implant to be stable and survive for an extended period, it needs a strong and healthy jawbone that will heal faster around the implant post. Patients with low bone quality are at a higher risk of dental implant failure.

If a patient has excessive bone loss, it can impair the healing process. You might not know when your bone quality deteriorates, as an underlying condition can wear down your jawbone over the years.

A dental implant failure is imminent when there is a 1.5mm bone loss within the first year of placement.

However, if you lack enough bone to place the implant, you can have a bone grafting process to give you enough bone mass for bone-implant osseointegration. Bone grafting can be done during or before the treatment.

Smoking

After getting a dental implant in Enfield, CT, it requires some ample healing time. It means that sufficient nutrients are needed to the oral microbiome area and are supplied through blood flow.

When one smokes after getting an implant, there is decreased blood flow to the implant site. This consequently interrupts the healing process. Carbon Monoxide found in tobacco smoke has a high affinity for hemoglobin, which lessens the healing tissue’s oxidation.

Oral bacteria then start to colonize the implant site and will soon penetrate the bone that’s supposed to heal around the implant, and this is not good.

Periodontal Diseases

Peri-implantitis is among the main risk factors associated with dental implants. The American Dental Association states that it has an estimated 10% – 40% prevalence in all implant cases.

Peri-implantitis is a condition that arises when the implant site gets affected by the surrounding gum tissue. The result is inflammation of the gums and eventually receding gums, which later expose the bone tissue underneath.

The bone supporting the implant might also be affected, and when it starts deteriorating, you risk losing your implants. Visit our Enfield Family Dental office immediately you notice an exposure of the underlying implant.

Bruxism

Bruxism is a more technical term for tooth grinding. Some people have this habit of clenching or grinding their teeth. Note that this is a powerful tool to weaken a dental implant and also your natural teeth.

The pressure repeatedly applied on the tooth when clenching slowly causes the implant to lose its strength. The chances of losing your implant are higher if you begin clenching before the implant heals completely.

Surgical Errors

Surgical errors are another relatively common risk factor for dental implant failure. When your hygienist makes a mistake during the implant placement, you might risk losing it after a short while.

An error such as overheating of the bone due to the friction between the dental tools and the bone can cause implant failure. It damages the bed-bone of the implant, which makes it weaker.

There are also cases when the implant is not well placed. The effect or poor implant positioning is the loss of the axial loading during mastication, leading to peri-implant bone fractures. It mostly occurs in the back oral cavity because of the much load in the region.

Implant failure due to surgical execution can easily be avoided through proper treatment planning. We emphasize the need for dental practitioners to have appropriate surgical training or refer patients to well-trained specialists for implant treatment.