Pros and Cons of Dental Implant

Dental implant is basically a surgical procedure which fuses with jaw bone or skull bone to support the dental prosthesis like crown, bridge, denture, facial prosthesis or orthodontic anchor. They form a base for supporting one or more artificial teeth known as crowns, and a connector known as Abutment which is placed on the top of Dental implant to hold and support crowns. Dental implant usually supports false teeth which are made up of titanium that can replace the root of a tooth when it fails.

There are many advantages of dental implants some of them are as follows:

• Dental implants don’t really rely on the neighboring teeth for support. By this, the quality of the remaining teeth is protected from potential damage.
• Bone loss can usually be avoided as implants can actually replace the tooth at its root.
• They appear as natural and real teeth with no “clicking” noises and no more difficulties in chewing of food or speaking while eating.
• Maintenance of dental implants is quiet easy as cleaning is like cleaning your own natural teeth.
• Dental implants have a high success rate of about 90 percent, making them safe and reliable option.
• Once implanted, dental implants can also protect the remaining teeth from damage.
• Maintaining good health will help you to have a better chance at success with implants.
• Dental implants are very long lasting once implanted and require same care as the regular teeth with good oral hygiene and regular dentist visits.
• Dental implants usually improve quality of life with no difficulty in speaking and chewing.
• Dental implants usually do not have the metal hooks which are mainly used to keep the dentures in place.
• They come with strong bite strength that is similar to the bite strength of natural teeth and will not erode the bone over time.
• One of the biggest advantage or benefit of dental implants are the aesthetics, they look and feel as natural teeth, creating beautiful smiles.
• Dental implants mainly restores appropriate oral functioning through replacing the missing or damaged teeth by maintaining the surrounding gums, teeth and the jaw function in a healthy manner.
• They are very comfortable when compared to the other options.
• There are many types of restoration options available to choose when you decide to go for the dental implants like dental crowns, dentures, and bridges. Dental crowns are most commonly used restoration method when compared to dentures and bridges.
• Permanence of dental implants is also a plus point as it results in semi-permanent or permanent restorations. On completion of procedure, the tooth is fixed permanently to a post implanted in the jaw and does not get loosen or have to be removed.
• They are very convenient and eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing dentures.

Dental implants usually have many disadvantages as well, when compare to other methods of replacing lost teeth. Some of them are discussed below:

• Cost of dental implant is a major disadvantage which is more than a dental bridge or denture. Single implant costs up to $ 5000.
• Dental implant can cause complications; although complications may be quite minor but would require a visit to the dentist.
• Completion timing can be longer and may require a big commitment as from the first day of visit it can take up to nine months for the completion.
• Main disadvantage is also a risk of surgery which may carry risk of infections, bleeding, nerve, sinus or nasal cavities injury and many anesthesia related problems.
• When dental implants are aesthetically important, it can make it difficult to blend the soft tissues naturally.
• At some time, dental implants can even get rejected with about not more than 2 percent of chances.
• High risk of dental implant failure mainly happens for the persons who are smokers and diabetic patients where failure can rise up to 8-12 percent.¹
• Dental implants are not usually quick; you may have to wait for about six months for the implant to fuse with your jaw bone.
• Patients may also need additional dental work like if the jawbone is weakened, the surgeon will graft a bone onto the weak portion. Sinus elevation might be required if it is enlarged and pushes into the area which needs the bone grafting to be done.
• Dental insurance is also a major drawback for the dental implants as dental insurance will not cover the implants procedure and may extend only partial coverage for this process.
• Teeth or tooth may have to be replaced someday and in case if you have an over denture with full arch fixed implant bridge with plastic teeth then they will need to be replaced.
• Dental implants over time can cause loss of bone around the teeth. In case, if you lose too much bone then the whole dental implant needs to be replaced.
• Integration time is much higher when compared to others and in case of bone grafting, treatment may cause up to 3-6months of the completion time.
• Though, dental implants may have a risk of surgery but in some cases bone may not accept the implant.
• People who have had chemotherapy or radiation therapy, blood disorders, parathyroid disorders, osteoporosis or bone marrow cancer are not suitable for implants and can cause implant failure.
• The gum in and around the implant can also be infected by bacteria and can lead to Periimplantitis, which is mainly a gum disease and can result in loss of bone around the implant and can even cause implant failure.
• Insufficient or poor quality bone and patients with poor oral hygiene can leads to dental implant failure.
• If someone a have a problem of grinding your teeth at night then the implants are not suitable for you.

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