Although dental implants are supposed to replace your missing teeth and restore your natural smile permanently, sometimes they can develop complications, exposing you to the risk of developing more serious oral problems. Therefore, you need to be aware of the potential complications from dental implants and how to prevent them. This article shows you how to avoid complications after dental implants.
Potential Complications from Dental Implants
As you go for dental implants, it is important to remember that several complications can arise from the surgery. Here are some of the most common problems that may arise from this type of oral surgery.
- Infections: Since dental implants are made of titanium, which is supposed to bond with your jawbone, sometimes the metal will fail to integrate with your bone, causing an infection. The open gum will develop infections in other cases, especially if you do not follow the doctor’s instructions during the recovery process.
- Gum recession: Sometimes, you might find that the gum around your dental implant starts to recede, which causes inflammation and pain.
- Loose dental implants: After the dental implant surgery, the implant will continue to integrate with your jawbone through a process called osseointegration. This process is very important to the overall success of your implants. Unfortunately, sometimes this process doesn’t go on as expected, leaving the implants loose.
- Nerve or tissue damage: If the dental surgeon places the implant too close to your nerve, it might cause long-term numbness, pain, and tingling in your jaw.
How to Prevent Complications After Dental Implant Surgery
First of all, you need to understand what to expect during and after the procedure to know what is expected and what is not. If you experience anything unexpected, report it to your doctor immediately. Even if you doubt the complication, always speak up instead of keeping quiet, waiting for the problem to worsen. Your surgeon should give you instructions for taking care of your dental implants and surgical wounds throughout the recovery process. Ensure that you follow these instructions devotedly to avoid complications.
You should also monitor your implants and surgical wounds closely, watching for signs of trouble, including strange redness, swelling, pus, pain, and other unexpected problems. You also need to watch out for signs of an infection on the surgical site. Report any of these complications to your doctor immediately.
For more information on how to prevent dental implant surgery complications, contact STL Oral Surgery today.
