We love dental implants! We place about 500 implants each year, and we would love to see that number grow! However, not every patient is able to get a dental implant. To help you get an idea of what we are looking for, we have put together a list of troublesome circumstances that might delay your ability to get the dental restoration of your dreams.
1) Your age can determine whether or not you are able to get an implant. You are never too old for an implant, but you can be too young! Children whose teeth are still moving and growing should not get a permanent implant placed in their jaw. It could affect the rest of the smile. We will place a temporary space holder and wait for the adult teeth to settle into place, which normally occurs during the late-teen years.
2) Uncontrolled conditions or illnesses compromise your immune system. Diabetes is a condition we deal with a lot. If you have uncontrolled diabetes, it will make your recovery more difficult. We will wait to place an implant until you are able to maintain consistent levels so that you have a better chance of keeping your implant.
3) Another issue we run into is with heavy smokers. Heavy smoking makes dental work very difficult because the recovery time is much longer. Before receiving dental implants, we would ask you to quit or drastically cut back on your smoking habit to improve the health of your mouth before we get to work.
We would love to place an implant for every patient who wanted one, but sometimes we have to wait before we can do our work. If you have questions or concerns about your likelihood of receiving an implant, we would ask you to set up an appointment! Contact us today, and we can discuss ways to make sure you get the best dental work available!
