4 Things You Should Know About Rejected Dental Implants
Are you concerned that your dental implant may reject? With any implant, rejection can be a legitimate concern--but there are a few things that you should know about dental implant rejection in particular. Dental implants are extraordinarily safe, and discussing this situation with your dentist may be the best way to alleviate your concerns.
1. Dental Implants Rarely Reject
Rejection with dental implants is extremely rare; most patients will never need to worry about this. Though the dental process is somewhat invasive--it's an implant within your bone--the jaw tends to heal very well. This is why there are so many types of dental implants, from single teeth to entire dentures.
2. Implant Rejection Isn't Usually Dangerous
An implant rejection simply means that the bone fails to grow around the dental implant, so the implant will not be secured. An implant rejection usually isn't painful or dangerous. There may be some discomfort or swelling associated with the movement of the implant, but otherwise you should not be in significant pain. In more serious cases, the body may act against the foreign material more severely, and infections and other complications may occur--but these issues can usually be caught early to avoid serious medical problems.
3. Most Implants Will Simply Be Replaced
On the off chance that your dental implant does reject, all is not lost. Usually, your jaw will be given some time to heal and then another implant will be placed. No permanent damage is usually done. The jaw bone itself may erode or suffer from some bone loss, but this can be healed. If you aren't interested in trying another implant, there are other alternatives available, such as bridges.
4. People With Titanium Allergies Are More Likely to Reject
Because titanium is used in dental implants, those with allergies to titanium are more likely to reject. If you aren't certain whether you are allergic to titanium, you may want to get an allergy test beforehand. There are other materials that dental implants can be made out of, but titanium is optimal because it is durable and because it does not harbor bacteria.
In short, there are very few reasons why a dental implant would reject--and most of the risk factors will be obvious from the very start. That being said, there are some people who may be more likely to reject implants than others, so all options must be discussed with your dentist and you should give them your full medical history.
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