Dental implants in Worthington have transformed restorative dentistry by providing a long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing replacement for lost teeth. By using a biocompatible material like titanium, the implant can fuse to your jawbone, offering a level of stability that no other dental restoration can.
That being said, not everyone qualifies for this process. Several factors can impact your eligibility for dental implants, so it’s important to be aware of these considerations before deciding on the procedure.
Why You May Not Be Eligible for a Dental Implant
The process of getting dental implants is complex and involves several steps over a long period. For example, after the initial implant placement, you must wait around three months for the jawbone around it to fuse.
Then, the gums are reopened to place the prosthetic crown of the dental restoration. Patients must also follow a strict care regimen to ensure this new wound heals properly.
All of these surgical procedures make it imperative for patients to enjoy full health before receiving a dental implant. Unfortunately, this factor leaves out many patients who suffer from different diseases or whose daily lifestyle habits make them a bad candidate for implants.
Let’s go over some of those cases.
1. Insufficient Bone Density
Bone density plays a crucial role in the success of dental implants.
Implants require a certain amount of healthy bone to anchor into, and this factor ensures their stability and longevity. So, if you lack the necessary bone density to support an implant in your jaw, undergoing this process can be challenging.
Most dentists will gauge your jawbone’s state and decide if it’s enough to support the insert. It is a waste of time, energy, and money to get an implant when you do not have enough jawbone because implant failure is more likely.
There are several reasons why someone may suffer from low bone density:
- Osteoporosis: This disorder weakens and increases the fragility of bones. Due to hormonal reasons, it’s very common among women after menopause.
- Gum Disease: Severe gum infection, or periodontitis, can cause the jawbone to erode, making a patient a bad candidate for a dental implant.
- Long-Term Tooth Loss: If a tooth is lost for a long time, the absence of stimulation it used to provide to the jawbone can cause it to deteriorate.
Still, lacking bone density shouldn’t be enough reason to forgo an implant. You can have a bone grafting procedure, in which additional bone is inserted into your jawbone to increase its density. Furthermore, while smaller implants have their uses, not all restoration types are suited for them.
2. Diabetes
Diabetes can have a big influence on your eligibility for dental implants, especially if it is not well controlled. The illness has an impact on the body's capacity to heal and fight infections, two functions that are essential to the implant procedure.
Elevated blood sugar levels can impede the healing process following implant surgery, thereby raising the risk of complications. Additionally, diabetes increases the risk of infections, which can result in implant failure.
Over time, poorly controlled diabetes also reduces the amount of bone available for implant placement by causing bone loss. For these reasons, diabetes patients may be bad candidates for implant restoration.
There are things you can do to become a better implant candidate while managing diabetes, such as:
- Appropriate Blood Sugar Control: By closely managing your diabetes with your healthcare provider, you can increase your chances of having an implant placed successfully.
- Frequent Monitoring: It is critical to have regular examinations with your physician and dentist to monitor your health before, during, and after the implant procedure.
3. Smoking
Another important factor that may have an impact on your eligibility for dental implants is smoking. It is more difficult to have a successful implant outcome when tobacco use is present because it has multiple detrimental effects on oral health.
Smoking reduces blood flow to the gums and bones, which is important for healing, and speeds up the loss of jawbone, reducing the bone density available for implant placement. Furthermore, smokers are more likely to get infections near the implant site, which can result in implant failure.
Giving up smoking is the best strategy to increase your chances of receiving an implant. This will benefit your oral health, and your entire body will thank you!
4. Autoimmune Disorders
Dental implants may also be affected by autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus. These illnesses trigger the immune system to target healthy tissues, which may complicate the healing process.
Autoimmune diseases have the potential to cause bone loss and slow down the healing process, which raises the risk of implant failure. Additionally, many people with autoimmune disorders take medications that suppress the immune system, further complicating healing and increasing infection risk.
If you are considering getting a dental implant, it is crucial to collaborate closely with your dentist and an expert in your autoimmune condition. They can help you weigh the possible risks and determine the best course of action.
5. Bruxism
Although it is frequently ignored, bruxism, or teeth grinding, can have a major effect on how well dental implants function. Your implants may experience excessive force from grinding, which could lead to implant failure.
The extra stress may cause the implant to loosen or break, even in cases where the original placement went well. Bruxism can also damage the surrounding teeth and bone structure, complicating the implant process.
Patients with bruxism can wear a custom-made mouthguard at night to protect their implants from the forces of grinding. Besides that, stress-reducing strategies like yoga and meditation may help reduce your teeth grinding in a natural way.
6. Playing Contact Sports Professionally
Although implants are generally considered safe for athletes, there are some risks involved for people who play contact sports such as football, basketball, and hockey.
A hard impact on the mouth or face can damage the implant and surrounding tissue, leading to implant failure or even knocking the implant out of your jawbone. Besides being extremely painful, this will permanently damage the bone and require bone grafting to restore it to normal.
However, no restorative dentistry method is free of risk. For example, patients with dental bridges risk damage to the adjacent tooth supporting the bridge if they get a blow to the mouth. The best method for preventing damage and ensuring the health of your new restoration as an athlete is by getting a custom-made mouthguard that can protect you during games.
7. Poor Oral Hygiene
For dental implants to be successful, good oral hygiene must be maintained. You might not be a good candidate for implants if you have bad dental hygiene habits.
Infections surrounding the implant and gum disease brought on by poor oral hygiene can result in implant failure. Among them is peri-implantitis, a disorder that resembles gum disease and affects the tissues surrounding an implant, resulting in implant failure and bone loss.
Thankfully, this issue is easier to solve. Brushing and flossing daily can help prevent infections and keep your mouth healthy. Couple that with regular check-ups and cleanings with your dentist, and you’ll be back on track for implant dentistry.
Find Out if You Can Get Dental implants in Worthington
Although dental implants are a great option for a lot of people, there are some things that can reduce your chances of getting them. Among the main causes of your potential ineligibility for dental implants are inadequate bone density, diabetes, smoking, and inadequate dental hygiene.
However, some of these issues can be lessened with the right care and management, which might make you a better candidate later on. Contact Spectrum Dental & Prosthodontics, and let’s explore all your options together so we can determine the best course of action for your oral health!
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