Dental implants are usually seen as an oral surgery that carries a low chance of serious risks. But as it's still a surgery, you may be wondering how you can reduce the risks even further.

What Are the Most Common Risks?

One of the most common issues with dental implants is the risk of infection. Although it's a fairly unusual occurrence for a serious infection to persist, dentists also tend to screen patients for autoimmune diseases and other conditions that may lead to a persistent infection.

Another potential complication is that the dental implant procedure causes damage to other teeth nearby. Nerve damage is another small risk. And in some cases, the length of a dental implant can press on the sinus cavity and cause issues. Having an experienced dentist will help you reduce the chances of having the surgery performed incorrectly. And the dentist performs certain checks after the surgery and on follow-up visits to make sure that everything went smoothly.

What Can You Do to Prevent Problems?

Dentists take a very measured approach to controlling risks for dental implant patients. The first part of that is screening out patients who may experience prolonged infection or gum instability. The next part is using a graded installation process, where the dentist installs the implant's post and checks for proper healing before putting the rest of the implant in place. Throughout the process, you will use antibiotics to control infection. The final layer of protection against complications is the follow-up appointment, where the dentist makes sure the dental implant is successful. There are also fallback options, such as installing a partial denture if the dental implant is not fully stable. A professional, like Family Dentistry Of Woodstock, can go over more preventative measures with you.

Why Take On the Risks of Dental Implants?

Despite dental implants being a more complicated procedure than other tooth replacement options, there are some distinct benefits of implants that make the time and energy worth it. The dental implant functions as closely to a natural tooth as you can hope for. There is a much lower incidence of issues with implants down the line, whether it be from the new tooth breaking or with other teeth being damaged. And its non-removable design means that you can treat the implant like any other tooth. If you are still concerned about the potential risks of dental implants, be sure to discuss the likelihood of complications and things you can do to prevent them.