Risks and Complications of Dental Implants

There is a small failure rate with implants. Generally, the success rate is more than 90% and may reduce to 80% if bone grafts are done, or if there is low bone density. There is a risk that implants may not “take” or fuse to your bone. This is disappointing for everyone, but there is often the ability to try again after the bone has had time to heal. Sometimes, bone may need to be augmented when the implant is removed to improve the situation prior to another attempt 3 to 6 months later. Most of the time, implant failure will be noted early, and within the 3 to 6 months healing period.

Implants may become infected as they are placed in the oral environment. This  is fortunately a rare occurrence.

An implant may fail months or years later. This often occurs due to gum disease called peri-implantitis . You will need to maintain the implant with a high level of oral hygiene and regular check-ups with your dentist avoid this complication.

Apart from implant failure, other risks may include: infection, gum recession around the implants, and nerve injury. There is a small risk of lower lip numbness from lower jaw implants and care is taken to assess the nerve position with 3D scans to minimise this risk. Dr Lim will discuss these risks with you as it relates to your particular situation at your consultation appointment.