Who Is A Candidate For Dental Implants?
Who Is A Candidate For Dental Implants?
Tinton Falls, NJ
At Premier Periodontics and Implant Dentistry, we offer dental implant treatments to help replace your missing teeth. Whether you are missing a single tooth, or several of them – even when missing all of your teeth – our dental implant solutions can help to restore your smile. However, dental implants cannot be offered to everyone. There are requirements that a dental implant candidate must meet to get the implant procedure. So, who is a candidate? Read on below to find out who can and cannot get dental implants.
What Are The Requirements For Getting Dental Implants?
To be a dental implant candidate, you must meet the following requirements:
• Have at least one missing or badly damaged (beyond repair) tooth - of course, to get dental implants, you need to have a tooth or more that needs to be replaced. This can be a missing tooth or a tooth that is badly damaged such that extraction is the only viable solution.
• Have health and sufficient jawbone - dental implants require adequate support, which comes from the jawbone. Therefore, your jawbone must be healthy and sufficient enough to anchor the dental implants.
• Have healthy gums - part of the support of the dental implants comes from the gums, so your gums must be healthy enough for the procedure. Healthy gums are also required during dental implant procedure to ensure that the surgical wounds (for inserting the implants) heal properly and without risk of infection
• Be committed to proper oral hygiene - while lack of proper oral hygiene will not necessarily disqualify you from getting implants, it is required that you practice proper oral hygiene to ensure that the implant site is not affected during the recovery period - which could lead to implant failure. The dental implants can also fail when your gums and jawbone becomes infected, so proper oral hygiene is required throughout to maintain the implants.
Factors That Can Disqualify You From Dental Implant Placement
Apart from not meeting the above requirements, there are several other reasons that can disqualify you from getting dental implants. These reasons include:
• If you have gum disease or an oral infection - implants must heal properly else, they will fail. Therefore, having gum disease or an oral infection increases the likelihood of the implants failing.
• If you are currently suffering from other dental conditions - some dental conditions such as bruxism, temporomandibular jaw (TMJ) problems, and some orthodontic problems might cause complications of the implants. Therefore, getting treatments for these conditions is advised before you can receive implants.
• If you are a heavy smoker (addict) - smoking after getting implants can lead to dry sockets, which can cause implant failure. Getting implants is thus not recommended if you are a heavy smoker - unless you are willing to quit instantly.
• If you are suffering from a serious medical condition - implant insertion is a surgical procedure. Complications can thus arise during and after the procedure if your immune system is compromised by a serious medical condition - for example, cancer, AIDs, autoimmune diseases, or even if you have undergone an organ transplant procedure
• If you are pregnant - implant placement, while you are pregnant, could lead to complications. Waiting until after giving birth is thus advised.
Not an ideal dental implant candidate? Do not worry. Premier Periodontics and Implant Dentistry can help to fix your dental problem, making you an ideal candidate, or offer other alternative teeth replacement solutions. Call us today at (732) 747-1766 and schedule an appointment.