One of the most successful dental procedures of modern dentistry is dental implants. Dental Implants have a success rate as high as 95% to 98%. But, they do carry complications and side effects in a rare scenario. Most of the side effects are minor in nature like metallic taste in the mouth which a dentist can easily cure.
In case, you plan to do a dental implant instead of going for normal dentures, it is always wise to know its potential side effects and complications so that you can overcome them easily.
Minor side effects:
These side effects are very common and mild in nature. They also usually go away with time. These include:
1) Swelling of gums and face: They last for one or two days.
2) Bruises on the face and gum: Bruises occur on the facial skin and on the gums. This usually takes several days to clear off.
3) Minor bleeding for 24 hours.
4) Mild to severe pain that lasts for a few days.
Treatment: Pain killers and medicines to reduce fever are prescribed for these mild and common side effects.
Major complications:
Sometimes, apart from pain, there might other complications too. These include:
1) Infection in the implant region.
2) Injury of the teeth, gums and nearby areas.
3) Nerve damage which causes tingling and burning sensation near the mouth region.
4) Inflammation or swelling of sinuses.
Treatment: Pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs are given to counter the pain and swelling problems. You need to give Vitamin B12 for nerve regeneration.
Rare complications:
1) Metallic taste in the mouth: Sometimes, you feel like a taste of a coin when you eat food. This results in loose appetite and loss of hunger.
2) Loose implants: Sometimes screw may be loosely fitted inside the jawbone and this, therefore, requires the complete procedure to be reworked again.
3) Recurring of swelling of gums and teeth: Sometimes, swelling, pain, and redness reoccur again after the healing. It may also occur after many days of the treatment.
Treatment: You need to visit your dentist. He will advise you the best possible treatment for these complications as per their severity and occurrence.
Worst complications:
The worst outcome of any dental implant can be one of these three:
1) Total surgical failure: Sometimes, dental implants a total failure and you need to go with the entire procedure again after a few months. The job then becomes tedious and costly.
2) The bone doesn’t fuse with the implant: If the jawbone doesn’t fuse properly with the implant, then there is a total failure of the dental implant. People with habit of smoking or alcohol intake are prone to this type of complication.
3) Implant Fracture: Sometimes, due to undue stress and pressure, cracks and breaks happen in the implant. In this case, then the complete implant is replaced with the new one after a gap of few months. Fractures can also happen if the implant is done at the wrong position or else you have a jaw clenching habit or had severe tooth grinding.
