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Why Are Some Dental Implant Cases Considered Complicated?

25 April 2023 by Harold Coleman

Dental implants require minimally invasive and low-risk oral surgery. This involves a dentist making an incision in the gum tissues to reach the jawbone, creating an access point to insert the implant (which is a small titanium screw). The implant, now functioning as a tooth root, will have a natural-looking prosthetic tooth added (once your jawbone has healed). A routine case requires routine dental implant surgery. But what about when your own implant needs are more complex?

Complications for Eligibility 

Dental implantology becomes more complicated when the desired results (the restoration of your missing tooth) can't be achieved with routine implant surgery. This may be due to a previous jaw injury, certain genetic conditions which may affect the development of your jaw, aged and failing dental or orthodontic treatment, or even the effects of oral cancer. Under these circumstances, routine implantation would not deliver a functional prosthetic tooth.

Anchored in Your Jaw

Preparing your jaw for a dental implant may require a multi-pronged approach. Although you may experience more complexities than the average patient, your efforts will be rewarded. Other replacement options for a missing permanent tooth involve the prosthetic sitting above the gums, as is the case with dental bridges and partial dentures. These differ from the prosthetic tooth connected to a dental implant, which is anchored in your jaw, like a natural tooth. It looks and feels identical to a natural tooth, and delivers comparable bite force. How will your jaw be prepared to receive a dental implant?

Implant Placement

The implant can only be placed in a healthy jawbone, and there may not be much flexibility with the angle. Single-tooth implants typically must be placed as vertically as possible. As such, a fractionally misshapen jawbone (perhaps caused by bone tissues that healed after a fracture or similar accident) can present an obstacle. You may need a range of different procedures.

Bone Density

These procedures can include bone grafting. This helps to add density to the bone, giving it the necessary mass to hold the implant. Grafting material is usually synthetic and is applied during a brief procedure. It's added to the deficient site, where it integrates during the healing process. Other more serious complications, such as a misshapen jaw, may require corrective (maxillofacial) surgery. Your dentist will refer you to an oral surgeon. 

Although it may feel as though you need to bend over backward to become eligible for a dental implant, having a fully-functional set of teeth is worth the effort. 

For more information, contact a local oral surgeon. 

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