5 Reasons Dental Implants Are Considered Safe

With breaking news and horror stories about botched medical procedures, it’s understandable if you’re a little hesitant at first to get dental implants, which involves minor surgery. You might worry if they’re dangerous and question if they are worthwhile. Although even minor surgery like dental implant placement does come with some degree of risk, implants are generally extremely safe. Here are some reasons you can put your concerns to rest and make a more informed decision about tooth replacement.

High Success Rates

Across the country, dental implants perform remarkably well. In fact, over 95 percent of them are still functional and in good condition a decade after placement! As a result of this success, more than 500,000 dental implants are placed every year in the US. You can’t argue with those numbers.

Long History of Trial and Error

Ancient peoples on nearly every continent experimented with different materials and methods for replacing missing teeth. Some tried using rocks, ivory, gold, and even teeth from cadavers with varying success, so humans continued to innovate, explore, and study for centuries. In 1965, the first titanium dental implants were placed and carefully documented and monitored. By 1978, their success, safety, and effectiveness became clear, and highly trained dentists and specialists around the world began using these more widely. Since then, the results have remained overwhelmingly positive.

All these historical facts should offer some comfort—dental implants have been studied and refined over the course of multiple millennia!

Biocompatibility

Although implant posts are made of metal, they are completely safe in the body. Titanium is biocompatible, which means it is non-toxic, does not impede living tissue, and has an extremely low risk of rejection from the patient’s immune system. In fact, this material has proven so effective in the mouth that researchers are now trying to develop cutting-edge applications for other areas of the body, namely improving prosthetics for lost appendages through titanium implants.

Jawbone Stimulation

Not only are the materials themselves non-toxic, but they also promote new bone tissue growth. In fact, through this stimulation, the posts become enveloped in the jawbone over time just like real tooth roots, which gives them nearly equal stability and strength for the patient’s bite.

In addition to providing better biting power, having a stimulated jawbone with implants prevents deterioration, facial structure collapse, and more tooth loss, outcomes that commonly occur with traditional dentures and bridges. In this aspect, you can view dental implants as more than just safe—they’re beneficial!

Longevity

Since the first dental implants were placed, experts in the dental field have found that implants can continue to be safe and effective for the long haul. In fact, with the right maintenance, implants can carry on throughout the rest of the patient’s life! Compare that to normal dentures that must be replaced every few years.

If you are still concerned about whether dental implants are safe and a good choice for you, don’t hesitate to talk to your dentist about it. After they examine you, they can answer your questions, explain the science further, and help you choose the replacement solution that will help you reach your smile goals.

About the Author

To Dr. Jayme Martinez at Kessler Park Dental, patient comfort is a top priority. In addition to amenities that can help you feel at ease, his chairside manner can help put any anxiety about dental implants to rest, especially through the use of dental sedation like nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. His continuing training and experience allow him to offer placement and restoration in the same office, so you don’t have to visit a different specialist’s office. To schedule your dental implant consultation, reach out to us online or call our Dallas office at 214-303-9969.