Dental Implant Consent Information

The consent form includes but is not limited to the following risks:

Common risks and complications:

  • pain, bruising and swelling post procedure

  • infection

  • changes to the gum appearance and contour

Uncommon risks and complications include:

  • post procedure, biting of a numb lip which may cause damage

  • bleeding can occur; bleeding is more common if you have been taking blood thinning drugs

  • nerve damage causing pain or a tingling sensation and numbness in the lips, chin, teeth, gums and tongue; this is usually temporary, but can be permanent in some cases

  • damage to nearby teeth

  • for an implant placed in the upper jaw, if this is close to the sinus, this may cause a communication between the mouth and the sinus; this may need further surgery

  • although the success rate for dental implants is very high, there is a risk of failure of the implant, including implant migration, incorrect positioning, failure to be

  • integrated into the jaw bone. The risk of failure is higher, for example, in smokers, diabetics or patients with bone disorders. Further surgery or an alternative may need to be explored in this instance.

  • potential short or longer term worsening of temporo-mandibular joint symptoms

Rare risks and complications:

  • jaw weakness or bone loss; very rarely leading to jaw fracture during the procedure or during the healing period

  • aspiration (going into the airway/lungs) of tooth/bone fragments/crowns/foreign body as this is a shared airway procedure (procedure occurring near your airway)

  • very rarely jaw necrosis (the jaw bone dying) if you are taking certain medications (e.g.Bisphosphonates, Prolia) to prevent or slow down osteoporosis, or if you are receiving radiation to the head and/or neck.

If you are having your procedure under a general anaesthetic, there will be specific risks of this, which will be discussed by your anaesthetist.