What Your Dentist May Be Reluctant To Tell You by Dr Chan Joon Yee 1. All xrays are 2-dimensional and do not show a 100% accurate picture of the underlying bone. Deficient bone or poor quality bone is sometimes discovered only during surgery. 2. Bone grafting procedures do not guarantee the success of implant surgery. 3. Even with reasonable care, there is a small chance of nerve damage especially when implants are placed in the lower molar region. This causes numbness of the lip or tongue on the affected side. Most cases of numbness are temporary and last for about 6 months. There are rare cases of permanent numbness. 4. Patients who wish to have implants placed immediately after extraction are under increased risk of implant failure when conditions are not suitable. Immediate placement of implants after extraction is convenient and favourable in suitable cases. Case suitability can only be determined after the extraction. 5. Patients who opt for immediate placement of temporary crowns after surgery are also under increased risk of implant failure. 6. Even with reasonable care, implants placed in the upper molar region may end up in the maxillary sinus. Such implants will require additional surgery to remove. 7. Smoking can adversely affect the outcome of implant treatment. 8. Poor oral hygiene can lead to infection and cause implants to fail. 9. A small percentage of implants may fail for no apparent reason. 10. Highly aesthetic implant cases found in advertisements are not typical of implant treatment outcome. Most cases will be less than ideal. 11. Multiple additional surgeries may be required to achieve an aesthetic result. The outcome is not always predictable. 12. Natural front teeth are easier to restore aesthetically than implants. Consider and discuss options like root canal before you extract your front teeth. For consultation appointments on implant dentistry: call 62358316 or email or Be Our Facebook Fan