Dental implants are one of the most reliable options when it comes to tooth replacement.

However, because dental implants are, well, implanted into the gum tissue and the jawbone, many are concerned about its reliability and just how safe the actual procedure is in terms of being successful.

You can be reassured that dental implant surgery is in fact safe and reliable and has been performed on thousands, giving each patient a renewed smile.

The current dental implant success rate is at 98%.

Those apart of the slim 2% group do not have successful procedures or healing processes typically because of an infection, lack of oral care, weak gums and/or jawbone, or because their mouth for some reason decided to reject it.

Many of these complications can easily be corrected.

In severe cases, the implant has to be removed.

It’s very rare, in fact, that a dental implant is not accurately placed in the mouth. Oral surgeons are highly trained, and those with dental implant experience know the exact placement and overall procedure of the implant.

The surgery is sterile, and patients are given some sort of anesthesia and/or sedative to keep relaxed and pain-free during the process. Pain, of course, will be felt after the procedure, but various pain-relieving medications can be used in addition to other means of pain relief (ice packs, saltwater soaks, etc.).

After the procedure is when the patient will want to pay extra attention to their general oral health. With the cost and procedure of having a dental implant placed in the mouth, one should not take recovery lightly if they plan on having a successful healing process and keeping their implant in the first place.

In fact, many of those who have complications after dental implant placement fail to correctly care for their oral health. Even failing to care for their oral health long after the procedure has been completed, a dental implant (just like any other natural tooth in the mouth) cannot thrive in an unhealthy, oral bacteria-filled environment without proper, twice-a-day cleaning.

Keeping your dental implant healthy is a must; otherwise, this will easily make you a part of that 2% group we were talking about earlier. It’s vital to follow directions post-surgery of what and what not to eat and drink and how to care for your implant in general.

While Dr. Brittany Dickinson can let you know if you’re a good candidate for a dental implant, it’s primarily up to you to take control of your oral health before, right after, and long after having dental implant surgery if you want to be apart of the success group and have a full, beautiful smile. The last thing one would want is having to have their implant removed or having to have more expensive procedures in the future because they failed to comply with post-surgery instructions or neglected their oral health.

If you’re ready to talk through dental implants, call the Sugar Squad at Sugar Fix Dental today at 773-883-1818.