Due to its effectiveness, dental implant treatment is now one of the most popular tooth restoration methods. The treatment is known to have a success rate of over 95%, and is generally considered to be very safe with low complication rates. However, there are a number of myths regarding dental implant treatment, which unfortunately, are often believed to be true. Below is a discussion of some of the common misconceptions regarding teeth implant treatment:
1. Dental implant treatment is very painful.
If performed by a highly skilled dental implantologist, the placement of dental implants should be pain free. Generally, before treatment, 3D computer imaging is used to locate sensitive nerves and plan the surgery. A local anaesthetic is usually enough during surgery, though in some cases, general anaesthesia may be recommended to make the patient more comfortable.
2. The surgery takes a long time.
Typically, a single dental implant can be surgically placed in less than an hour. It is the process of osseointegration, during which the bone adheres to the teeth implants, which takes around three to six months. Osseointegration is part of the post surgical healing process, and during it, temporary crowns or dentures can be placed in the mouth.
3. Dental implants are very expensive.
Though initially, teeth implants may cost more than other tooth restoration options, over the long-term, they can prove to be very cost-efficient. Dental implants can last for an entire lifetime, if properly cared for; unlike other tooth restoration treatments. Additionally, teeth implants are cheaper to maintain than other dental prostheses.
4. My body will reject the implants.
Like all types of surgery that involve transplantation of foreign material into the body, there is a small chance of a patient's body rejecting the dental implants. However, this happens in less than one percent of all cases. Today, teeth implants are usually crafted from biocompatible materials like titanium, which are prone to be accepted by the body.