More People Qualify Than Assume They Do

One of the most common things Dr. Hanson hears from patients who come in for an implant consultation is that they assumed they probably did not qualify. They had heard that bone loss was an issue. They had a health condition. They were older. They had been told somewhere along the way that implants might not work for them, without anyone actually evaluating whether that was true for their specific situation.

The reality is that the range of patients who are good candidates for dental implants, or who can be made into good candidates with preliminary treatment, is broader than most people realize. At Brownstown Dental Care in Woodhaven, the evaluation is the only reliable way to know. Assumptions made without one are usually less accurate than patients expect.

What Actually Makes Someone a Good Candidate

The foundational requirement for dental implants is adequate bone density in the jaw. The titanium implant post integrates with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration, and that integration requires enough bone to anchor the implant securely. Without it, the implant cannot achieve the stability it needs.

Beyond bone density, good candidates typically have healthy gum tissue. Active gum disease creates an environment that compromises implant success and must be addressed before placement. Patients who have had gum disease in the past but have it under control are often still good candidates.

General health plays a role as well. Conditions that affect healing, certain autoimmune disorders, some medications, and poorly controlled diabetes can complicate the implant process. None of these are automatic disqualifiers, but they are factors that Dr. Hanson evaluates and discusses during the consultation.

Conditions That Used to Disqualify and Now Often Do Not

Dental implant technology and technique have improved enough over the past two decades that some conditions that previously meant implants were not possible now have workable paths forward.

Bone loss is the most common example. Missing teeth cause the jawbone to shrink over time. A patient who has had missing teeth for years may have lost enough bone that an implant cannot be placed directly. Bone grafting can rebuild the necessary foundation before implant placement. Brownstown Dental Care performs bone grafting in-house, so this preliminary step does not require a separate specialist or practice.

Smoking significantly increases the risk of implant failure by slowing healing and reducing blood flow to the gum tissue. But smoking does not automatically rule out implants. Patients who quit, or who reduce significantly, before and after placement improve their outcomes substantially. Dr. Hanson discusses this directly with patients who smoke rather than categorically turning them away.

Controlled diabetes is another condition that formerly raised more concern than it does now. Patients with well-managed blood glucose levels have implant success rates that are comparable to patients without diabetes. The management of the condition matters more than its presence.

What About Age?

Patients sometimes assume that age limits their options for implants. In general, implants require that jaw growth be complete, which makes them appropriate for adults of virtually any age above that threshold. There is no upper age limit. Patients in their 70s and 80s who are in reasonable health and have adequate bone structure can be good candidates. The evaluation considers the full clinical picture, not the number on a birthday.

What Happens During the Evaluation

The candidacy evaluation at Brownstown Dental Care is not a quick glance and a guess. Dr. Hanson reviews X-rays and in many cases a 3D cone beam CT scan that shows bone density and structure in detail not visible on standard X-rays. He assesses the gum tissue, the bite, the condition of any remaining teeth, and the overall anatomy of the jaw.

From that information, he can tell a patient with accuracy whether they are a candidate as-is, whether they would be a candidate after preliminary treatment like a bone graft or gum disease management, or whether implants are genuinely not the right path for their situation. The answer is specific to the individual, not a generalization.

When Someone Is Not a Candidate Yet

There are cases where implants cannot proceed immediately. Active gum disease must be treated first. Insufficient bone may require grafting with a healing period of several months before implant placement. A medical condition may require management or consultation with a physician before surgery is advisable.

None of these necessarily mean implants are permanently off the table. They mean the path to implants is longer. A patient who comes in and learns they need bone grafting first may find the timeline adds six months to a year to the process. For some patients, that is a meaningful reason to act sooner rather than waiting longer, since bone loss continues and the preparation required tends to increase over time.

What Dr. Hanson Hears in These Consultations

“Most patients come in having talked themselves into expecting a no,” Dr. Hanson says. “They have researched enough to know that bone loss is an issue, and they have assumed the worst. The consultation usually goes better than they expected. We can either proceed directly, or we can show them a path that gets them there. Very rarely is the answer genuinely that implants are not possible.”

What One Patient Said After Getting an Unexpected Yes

One patient described coming in for the consultation after her previous dentist had told her she was “not a candidate” due to bone loss. She had accepted that answer and lived with dentures for three years before a friend encouraged her to get a second opinion at Brownstown Dental Care.

After the full evaluation, including a CT scan of her jaw structure, Dr. Hanson explained that bone grafting followed by implant placement was a realistic path. She completed the graft, waited the recommended healing period, and received her implants the following year.

“I wish I had come here first,” she said afterward. “Three years of dentures I did not have to have.”

Patient names are withheld to protect privacy. The above is a real experience shared by a Brownstown Dental Care patient.

The Best Way to Know for Sure

You deserve a clear answer based on your actual situation, not an assumption based on partial information. The only way to know if you are a good candidate for dental implants is to have the evaluation done by someone who can look at your specific bone structure, health history, and goals and give you a direct answer.

Call Brownstown Dental Care at (734) 479-1200, visit 23450 Allen Rd, Woodhaven, MI 48183, or learn more about dental implants at Brownstown Dental Care. The consultation is the answer to the question you have been asking.

About Dr. Ben Hanson, DDS

Dr. Benjamin Hanson earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of Michigan and completed an advanced residency in complex restorative dentistry, oral surgery, and IV sedation at the VA Hospital and University of Michigan Hospitals in Ann Arbor. He entered private practice in 2011 and has served the Woodhaven and Downriver community for over a decade. Dr. Hanson is the co-founder and co-owner of ESTEEM® Dental Implants, a proprietary certified full-arch implant system, and a founding partner of the Foundation For Surgical Excellence, an AGD-accredited continuing education program for dentists. He is a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.