Depends on the type of defect. Dislocations can move around quite a bit and they do affect the structural integrity of the material. This is why if you bend a

Depends on the type of defect. Dislocations can move around quite a bit and they do affect the structural integrity of the material. This is why if you bend a fork, you will never be able to fully unbend it (without heat treatment), there will always be a S-shaped bend it it.