Dental implants are a natural-looking, permanent replacement for missing teeth. In order to determine if you are a good candidate for implants, your dentist must take into consideration your current health, the strength of your jawbone, and any existing medical conditions you may have. Some medical conditions can slow your healing process and make it more likely that your body will reject the implants.

What Conditions Affect Implant Success?

Several health conditions can make it less likely for your dental implants to succeed. Your implant dentist should be made aware of any conditions you might have in order to determine whether you are a good candidate for implants. These conditions include: [pullquote]Several health conditions can make it less likely for your dental implants to succeed. Your implant dentist should be made aware of any conditions you might have in order to determine whether you are a good candidate for implants.[/pullquote]

•    Diabetes
•    Gum disease
•    Osteoporosis

Your healing rate and risk of rejection also increases if you are a smoker, since smoking affects blood flow and can make it difficult for your body to heal after an implant procedure.

If you have one of these conditions, you still might be a good candidate for implants. Gum disease can be treated before an implant procedure in order to increase the likelihood of success. If you have osteoporosis, your jawbones might still be strong enough to support implants. However, certain medications prescribed for osteoporosis can cause bone tissue to die after an implant, so be sure to discuss your options with your dentist before deciding on an implant procedure.

Deciding if Implants are Right for You

The first step in deciding whether implants are right for you is a consultation with your dentist. He will determine if any of these conditions apply to you, or if you have any other concerns or problems that could interfere with your healing process or increase the likelihood of an implant rejection. You and your dentist will then decide if implants are right for you. You might need preliminary treatment, such as bone grafts or treatment for gum disease. You might also benefit from a different type of implant procedure that will require a shorter time to heal.

For more information about dental implants, please contact the office of the doctor Family Dentistry to schedule a consultation.