Can You Get Dental Implants If You…

Are you thinking about replacing your missing or damaged teeth with dental implants?

You may wonder whether you’re a suitable candidate for dental implant surgery. Hopefully, we can address your concerns in this article.

In most cases, the average healthy person will be eligible to get dental implants.

But if a person has specific underlying health issues or medical conditions, it may cause them to be ineligible for dental implants.

Either that or they may require additional oral treatment or surgery to become eligible for dental implants.

Let’s try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about dental implant eligibility.

Can you get dental implants if you have no teeth?

Yes, it is possible to get dental implants if you have no teeth. But don’t wait too long to replace your missing teeth with dental implants because of the risk of jawbone density loss.

People with missing teeth for extended periods will suffer degenerative bone loss in their jaw. When your mouth no longer has natural teeth roots, your jaw doesn’t receive nourishment or stimulation.

As a result, the jawbone slowly shrinks the longer you have missing teeth.

If your jawbone density is too low, you may not be eligible for dental implants.

On the other hand, bone grafting could help salvage this problem by replacing the missing bone density in your jaw, but it is not guaranteed. Talk to your dentist for more information.

Can you get dental implants if you have gum disease?

Yes, but you may need specific oral treatments first.

Strong jawbone and gums are needed to be eligible for dental implants. So if your mouth has developed a gum disease like gingivitis, you’ll need to treat it before you can receive dental implants.

Gum disease diminishes the strength of your jawbone and gum tissue.

If you wait too long to treat your gum disease, it could develop into the worst form of gum disease called periodontitis. Simple oral hygiene practices like brushing and flossing can prevent gum disease from escalating to periodontitis.

If you get periodontitis, you will likely need to undergo a bone grafting procedure before receiving dental implants.

Can you get dental implants if you have bone loss?

Yes, it is still possible to get dental implants if you have suffered minor or severe bone loss in your jaw.

First, your dentist will require you to undergo a bone grafting procedure to replace the missing bone.

A bone graft takes healthy bone from a different body part and surgically inserts it into the jawbone area with low bone density.

Bone grafting is a long process that requires you to wait months for your jawbone to heal after surgery. Once your dentist determines your jawbone is strong enough, the dental implant procedure can get scheduled.

Can you get dental implants if you have osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a significant bone disease that causes your bone mass and density to diminish. It affects more than just your jawbone, which makes it a severe bone disease on numerous levels.

If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, it is still possible to get dental implants. But you need to act fast before the disease reaches your jawbone.

Otherwise, a bone transplant or grafting procedure will be required.

In addition, you’ll need to take additional medical treatment to slow down the progression of the disease. Bisphosphonate therapies are one example of a treatment to prevent or slow down the progression of osteoporosis.

Can you get dental implants if you have diabetes?

Dental implants are primarily safe for anyone who has diabetes if their blood sugar levels are controlled with treatment.

The biggest concern for diabetics is the recovery time following dental implant surgery. Diabetes can delay the healing process of the jawbone by impacting the bone formation needed.

There is even an increased risk of infection after surgery.

Although, some research suggests improper blood sugar levels may not hinder the outcome of a dental implant procedure.

But it is still safer to control your blood sugar levels with proper diet and medication. If not for dental implant surgery, do it for your overall bodily health.

Can you get dental implants if you have dentures?

Most patients can get dental implants if they have been using dentures for many years.

But you may need bone grafting to restore the bone density in your jawbone because dentures don’t sustain it.

Since dentures are not permanent like implants, the jawbone will continue to shrink regardless.

It may even get to the point where your jawbone shrinks too much for your existing dentures to fit correctly. That is an excellent reason to switch to dental implants in the first place because the implants will keep your jawbone strong.

Can you get dental implants if you have receding gums?

Receding gums won’t automatically disqualify you from getting a dental implant procedure. You may still be eligible for dental implants if you have receding gums.

If you have minimal gum recession, your dentist will likely recommend you eat healthier and practice good oral hygiene.

But if the recession has progressed too much, a gum graft surgical procedure could be required to correct it first.

Gum grafting transplants tissue over the exposed teeth roots and increases gum line volume.

Once your gums heal, you should qualify for dental implant surgery.

Can you get dental implants if you smoke?

No dentist or health professional will ever recommend smoking for sustaining good oral health.

Smoking tobacco-based products will damage the oral tissues in your mouth and reduce your eligibility to undergo dental implant surgery. Furthermore, smoking hinders saliva production, which causes plaque and bacteria accumulation.

The simple solution is to stop smoking for at least one week before dental implant surgery. But if you can quit smoking altogether, that would be even better for sustaining your long-term oral health.

Can you get dental implants if you have periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is the worst form of gum disease. You may still qualify for dental implant surgery, but only after you get treatment for the disease.

Your dentist may require you to improve your oral health with periodontal maintenance.

Regular dental cleanings and good oral hygiene are things you must perform to slow down the progression of the disease.

In addition, you may need bone or gum grafting to restore jawbone density or gum lining tissue.

Conclusion

Now, you should have a better idea of who is eligible for dental implants. Of course, the best thing to do is to visit a qualified dentist for an oral health examination. Then you will know for sure if dental implants are right for you.