Dental Implant
Dental implant surgery is a procedure that replaces tooth roots with metal, screwlike posts and replaces damaged or missing teeth with artificial teeth that look and function much like real ones. Dental implant surgery can offer a welcome alternative to dentures or bridgework that doesn’t fit well and can offer an option when a lack of natural teeth roots don’t allow building denture or bridgework tooth replacements.
How dental implant surgery is performed depends on the type of implant and the condition of your jawbone. Dental implant surgery may involve several procedures. The major benefit of implants is solid support for your new teeth whitening — a process that requires the bone to heal tightly around the implant. Because this bone healing requires time, the process can take many months.
Risks Associated with Dental Implant Systems
- Damage to surrounding natural teeth during implant placement
- Injury to the surrounding tissues during surgery, such as sinus perforation
- Injury during surgery (for example, fracture of surrounding jawbone)
- Inadequate function, such as feeling like the teeth do not bite together normally
- A sensation that the tooth is loose or twisting in place resulting from an abutment screw loosening
- Difficulty cleaning the gums around the implant, resulting in poor oral hygiene
- Untreated periodontal disease
- Post-surgical numbness due to nerve impingement or damage
- Always notify health care providers and imaging technicians that you have dental implants before any magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or x-ray procedures. Dental implants can distort or interfere with these images. FDA is not aware of any adverse events reported for MRI or x-ray procedures with dental implants.
Benefits of Dental Implant Systems
- Restores the ability to chew
- Restores cosmetic appearance
- Helps keep the jawbone from shrinking due to bone loss
- Preserves the health of the surrounding bone and gums
- Helps keep adjacent (nearby) teeth stable
- Improves quality of life