Dental implant surgery in Surrey BC is the procedure that dentists use to replace natural tooth roots with metal posts. Artificial teeth are then mounted on the posts to take the place of lost or damaged teeth. These look and function much like natural teeth and offer patients a welcome alternative to dentures or other replacement options. As with any surgical procedure, there are both risks and rewards associated with dental implant surgery. We’ve outlined those here so you can make an informed decision about your dental care.
Rewards of Getting Dental Implant Surgery
Most people would give their eye teeth (pun intended!) for a model smile. Fortunately, with the invention of tooth implants our Surrey patients no longer need to do so. After this simple and relatively discomfort-free procedure, you can enjoy the following rewards and benefits:
- Enhanced appearance. Dental implants look and feel just like natural teeth, but they are usually straighter, whiter, and more evenly spaced. These factors ensure that you present the best version of yourself, improving multiple aspects of your life, including your career and social relationships.
- Improved speech. Nobody speaks perfectly with missing, crooked, or painful teeth. Often, gum disease causes inflammation that hinders our speech, too. Dental implants enable wearers to speak effortlessly and clearly, just as you would with perfect, natural teeth in your mouth.
- More comfort. Even the best full or partial dentures can cause significant discomfort for patients, who feel as if they permanently have a mouthful of foreign objects (which they do!). These types of restorations might be the solution for someone with no other options, but dental implants offer a much brighter outlook.
- Better chewing ability. You can’t be at your best if you’re not eating healthily, and painful dental issues can play havoc with your ability to chew. One of the prime rewards of dental implants is that you can eat whatever you would with natural teeth—without the risk of cavities!
- Greater convenience. There are few things more inconvenient than having to remove and clean full or partial dentures, especially when you’re out and about. Dental implants work just like your natural teeth, and you clean them the same way.
Dental implant surgery in Surrey is done under a general anesthetic, so you won’t feel anything and will wake up after the procedure in great spirits. The surgery occurs in a registered medical facility and is typically performed by a qualified implant dentist in Surrey, who carries out these procedures daily.
Risks of Dental Implant Surgery
The risks associated with the actual surgical procedure are minimal. Any general anesthetic carries a slight risk for the patient, but since the surgery doesn’t affect any major organs, the stress on your body is lower than, say, a heart bypass.
Pre-surgery screening should identify any medications or other risk factors that could disqualify you as a candidate for implants, so by the time you go into the OR, your situation will have been carefully evaluated.
Your surgeon may discover you don’t have sufficient stable jawbone to support dental implants, but this is usually determined before the actual procedure. Your surgery might then include a bone graft using material from elsewhere on your body or from a donor. This naturally increases the length of the surgery and the risks of more prolonged anesthesia, and there’s a minor risk of your bone graft being rejected. However, there are few reports of this happening, but you will have to wait until the new bone integrates with your existing bone before having the implants inserted.
The final risk is that of developing an infection at the implant site after the surgery, resulting in dental implant failure. Smoking is a primary risk factor for failure, but this risk is minimal as long as patients avoid smoking and practice good oral hygiene.
To determine whether you’re a candidate for dental implant surgery in Surrey, please schedule an appointment to discuss your needs with our experienced and compassionate team.