3 Medical Conditions You Need To Resolve Before Dental Implant Surgery

Posted on: 12 February 2020

Dental implants can be a better option than dentures for people who have lost many or all of their teeth. For a successful implant, your overall health needs to be in order. There are several medical conditions that need to be resolved before you are a good candidate for implants.

Gum Disease

A common reason for significant tooth loss is gum disease. The condition not only causes tooth loss, but the gums become irritated and may recede to the point of revealing the jaw bone. You cannot have implants before gum disease is resolved, which can take many months of consistent periodontal treatments to fix the problem. If you have some remaining teeth, your dentist will want you to have regular deep cleanings to lessen periodontal pockets where tartar and inflammation occur. Some people also need procedures to remove unhealthy gum tissue and have to wait for it to grow back before any part of the implant procedure can begin.

Diabetes

Poorly-controlled diabetes can exclude you from the procedure. Your dentist will likely want to see evidence of having your diabetes under control before they begin implant surgery. Diabetics are at an increased risk for periodontal disease and tooth loss. Additionally, diabetes increases the risk of a failed implant because you may not heal properly and/or develop an infection. Fortunately, having diabetes does not exclude you from having implants, but your dentist might take extra precautions even if the disease is under control. For example, your dentist might prefer doing your implants over more sessions than normal to be sure the abutments have healed before starting the next procedure. Additionally, prophylactic antibiotics might also be used to reduce your infection risk.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis can be a silent problem because many people with the condition are not aware a problem exists until they suffer a fracture. Since the abutments for dental implants are drilled into the jaw bone, you will need sufficient bone for a successful surgery. Even conditions that do not reach osteoporosis, such as osteopenia, can cause problems with implants. Bone demineralization causes the bones to become thin and weak, meaning there may not be enough bone or the bone is not strong enough to support the implant. Taking medication and changing your diet may help remineralize bone, but certain areas of the jaw may need additional procedures, such as a bone graft, to generate healthy bone.

A successful dental implant requires healthy bone and gums. Controlling or resolving underlying medical problems will give you the best chance at a good outcome from implant surgery.

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