Every day there are more people who decide to choose dental implants over dentures or bridges to fix their smiles. However, not everyone is a qualified candidate to get them. Here are some conditions to apply for a dental implant.
Oral Health
Oral health is one of the main aspects a dentist will check on the first appointment, where he or she will decide if you are a good candidate. A healthy and optimum mouth for dental implants is one with a strong jawbone and healthy gum tissue.
Since the metal posts are introduced in the jawbone, where they will blend, a thin or delicate jaw won’t give enough support and can end up with a loose implant. However, this doesn’t have to be a limitation. Given the case, your dentist can solve this with bone grafting, a procedure where the bone mass of the jaw is increased by taking bone from other areas of the body.
The age of the patient also has to be considered. People under age 18 can’t have dental implants because their jaw is still developing, and any future changes could make the implant fail. However, there is no limit to age, as long as you qualify.
Because the dental crown is posed over the gums tissue, it must be healthy. In case a patient suffers from periodontitis or other affection, it must be treated before starting the implant procedure.
Overall Health
Even though it might not seem necessary your dentist needs to know your medical history. This is due to the possibility of pre-existing medical conditions (such as diabetes, leukemia, osteoporosis) that could affect negatively the process. It doesn’t mean that people with those and other conditions can’t have dental implants, even some may not. Based on this condition the doctor will plan a treatment, if he or she considers the patient as a candidate.
Knowing if you take any medications will also help the dentist with the treatment plan. The surgery is done under general anesthesia or IV, that is why the doctor should be aware. If not, the medication could interfere with its effect.
Habits
There are certain habits that have great importance on the process. During the first appointment, the dentist will need to know if the patient smokes, drinks alcohol, and how much. Also if the patient suffers from bruxism.
Alcohol, such as smoking and other recreative drugs, can slow down the healing and osseointegration process. Smoking also dries the mouth which can lead to infections. That is why the dentist will have to analyze the particular situation of the patient and see if his or her mouth is healthy, the overall health, and other aspects to consider if applies as a qualified candidate.
Bruxism is a medical condition where the patient grinds their teeth asleep or awake. This could be due to stress or other reasons. But it can be really harmful to the implants since the applied pressure could affect the blending between the implant and the bone, and the healing might be affected too.
Oral hygiene is a matter that really concerns doctors since throughout the process this will help to avoid infections. But another benefit is that good oral hygiene will make your implants and crowns last longer and reduce the possibility of any complications.
Conclusion
There are a lot of conditions with the ones your dentist will have to analyze if you are a qualified candidate. However, the cases where the patient doesn’t qualify are the minority. That is why you should schedule a consultation with a local dentist to see if you are a candidate to get a dental implant in Brownstown, MI.