As with any invasive surgery, there are risks associated with the procedure that lie outside the teeth and gum. Perhaps the greatest risk associated with any type of invasive surgery is infection. It's critical that you follow your surgeon's recovery directions because they will help thwart the onset of an infection.

In regards to risk to your teeth and gum, the next on the list for potential risks is that the implant will fail. The majority of implants that fail do so within the first year of the surgery. After that, the frequence rate of failure declines rapidaly (estimated about 1% per year after that).

The rear, upper part of the jaw seems to have the highest failure rate for implants, while the most successful area is the front, lower jaw. An implant failure can still be removed and the process can be attempted again.

Overall, success rates are betwen 90% and 95% for implant procedures.

Your candidacy for a dental implant direclty correlates with how much bone is available in your jaw. When you lose teeth, it could be a result of bone loss (or it could lead to bone loss). There needs to be enough bone in order for the implant screw to successfully go through the process of osseointegration, which means that the bone grafts to the implant, thereby permanently anchoring the implant screw into position.

Other than having enough bone, you should be in relatively good physical condition and be able to handle the surgery and the recovery process.

Only a Periodontist ultimately determine whether or not you're an ideal candidate for a dental implant.