Are Dental Implants Safe? All Your Dental Implant Surgery Questions Answered

To answer the question – Are Dental Implants Safe? Let’s look at a bit of the background for context. Epidemiological studies show that about 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth. You can lose your tooth as a result of an accident, gum disease or aging. When this happens, your natural teeth will not grow back.

However, you don’t have to worry because you can do a dental implant.

Are dental implants safe? Let’s see what the procedure entails before answering this question.

A dental implant is a surgical operation done to replace a lost natural tooth with an artificial one. The artificial tooth is placed into the jawbone, and almost appears like your natural teeth.

Dental surgery is not a joke and should be regarded as any other surgery. There are a lot of things you need to know before going through with it.

What Are The Reasons For A Dental Implant?

There are different reasons for getting a dental implant. You may have missing teeth that need to be replaced or have a speech impediment that can get better if one or more oral implants are done.

Before having the implant, your dentist should ensure you have a strong jawbone that can endure the procedure.

Are Dental Implants Safe?

Dental implants are very safe. There are almost zero reported cases of complications arising after the surgery. Doctors use anesthesia when performing the surgery to numb the area so that you don’t feel any pain.

Serious complications are rare, and if they happen, they are treated immediately hence nothing to worry about. One of the very few cases of complications may include infection in the incision site, nerve damage or sinus problems.

Are There Side Effects?

One common side effect of dental surgery is pain which you are likely to experience a few days after the surgery. Your doctor can prescribe some pain relief medications or instruct you to buy some over-the-counter painkillers.

Another common side effect is swelling, which occurs as a natural reaction to surgery. This will occur around the incision area and goes away on its own, or you can use ice to reduce it.

Bruising is another common side effect that can take place around the cheeks or the gums but it’s nothing serious.

What Should You Expect Before The Procedure?

Because dental implant surgeries are surgeries like any other, you need to prepare adequately with your doctor in a dental office. The doctor will check the condition of your mouth and jaw to ensure they are in a healthy state to withstand the implanting teeth procedure.

You may have to go through a serious evaluation process that involves a dental x-ray and have models made for your jaw. The doctor will also go through your medical history and come up with an appropriate treatment plan.

What Will Happen During The Surgery?

Are dental implants safe? This is where you will get the correct answer to your most burning questions. You first need to understand that dental implant surgery is an outpatient procedure. This means you won’t have to spend days in the hospital waiting for recovery.

The process is done in stages and takes some time for the jawbone to heal completely. The following are what to expect during dental surgery.

• The removal of the damaged teeth
• Preparing the jawbone for surgery— including bone grafting
• Bone growth and jawbone healing
• Inserting the implant in the gum line
• Attaching the artificial teeth

How Long Does Recovery Take?

Recovering from implants dental doesn’t take long. Whether you’re doing it for the first time or you’ve had it done multiple times, the recovery time is the same and very short. On average, people take about 5-7 days to recover completely.

The recovery period depends on how your body reacts to the dental implant process or how the implanting teeth procedure went. It will also depend on how well you take care of yourself and if you followed the advice given by your dentist.

What Should You Expect After the Surgery?

There are a lot of things you need to keep in mind after dental surgery. Your dentist may advise you to avoid tobacco to speed up the healing process. You also need to go back to the clinic for regular checkups and to ensure you recover properly.

Should You Worry About Your Diet?

You’re not going to starve. However, to speed up the recovery process, there are a few changes you will need in your diet.

First, you will need to avoid foods that are hard to chew, those that stick to your teeth or too spicy, and hot foods. Some of the foods you need to avoid are hard foods like nuts, apples; mushy foods like popcorns, crisps; and acidic foods like oranges, lemons, tomatoes, etc.

Ensure the foods you eat do not come into direct contact with the teeth. Chew food from the opposite part of the surgical area to avoid disturbing the implant.

You should also stay away from alcohol consumption for at least the period you’re recovering. Alcohol can cause swelling and bleeding, which slows down the recovery period.

Eat soft foods that are rich in fiber, protein, and energy to help you recover quickly. Some of the foods to eat after the surgery include eggs, baked beans, avocado, bananas, rice, fish, noodles, smoothies, and oatmeal.

What Can You Do to Speed up The Recovery?

Apart from watching your diet and following the dentist’s advice, there are several things you need to practice to speed up the recovery and minimize pain. Dental hygiene is still very important even as you recover.

• Take care of your mouth by brushing gently and rinsing with clean water
• Do not keep touching the surgical area
• Take as much rest as possible
• Gently rinse your mouth with salt water 2-3 times in a day
• You can stop exercising for some time until your oral implant heals
• Before resuming your exercise routine, get a go-ahead from your doctor and start with low impact ones

Choose Professionals to Guarantee Safety

Are dental implants safe? There you have the answer to your question. A dental implant may not be too risky and may take a very short time to heal than other surgeries. However, this is something that involves your body hence requires some due diligence.

You need to consult a dentist or get a doctor’s recommendation before going through with the procedure. If you still have some unaddressed issues or need help finding the perfect place for the implant procedure, please contact our Milton office or our Scarborough office, and we will do our best to answer all your queries.