Are You Able To Get Dental Implants?
Do you have missing teeth that you want to fix with a dental implant? Know that it may not be as easy as it seems. You cannot simply get a dental implant if you want one because you must be a good candidate for the procedure. Here are some things that are considered to determine if you can get dental implants.
Your Jawbone
A dental implant requires that a titanium post is inserted into the jawbone. This means that your jawbone must be big enough to handle the post and integrate with it. Having a jawbone that is not very dense or very thin can complicate the implant installation process, which makes you not a good candidate for the procedure.
Your dentist can perform a bone graft procedure to help improve your jawbone and make it suitable for receiving a dental implant. This is often required for older patients where the upper jawbone deteriorates over the years from the pressure put on it from their sinuses.
Your Nerves
Another reason that can disqualify you for a dental implant is the location of the nerves running through your jawbone. A dentist will want to avoid placing the implant into an area with nerves, but sometimes it is unavoidable. This is more common in jawbones that are thin, which means that nerves have no other place to go other than next to where the implant post will be installed.
A bone graft does not make a jawbone taller to get around the nerves, but there are alternative solutions. If you are looking to replace multiple teeth, a dentist can use a few implants as anchors for dentures. It will essentially hold the entire upper or lower denture in place so that it will not move. This is sometimes referred to as all-on-four implants since each jaw can be secured with four dental implants.
Your Health
A dentist is also going to consider your health to decide if you will be a good candidate. It helps to not have diabetes, which can affect how quickly your body will heal after the implant is placed in your jawbone. Osseointegration can slow down for those that have diabetes.
Your overall oral health will also be considered. It is important to not have an existing issue with gum disease that can affect how successful the implant procedures will be. A dentist will want to avoid having you go through the procedure to get implants for it to fail soon afterward.
For more information, make an appointment with a dental implant dentistry office.
