With the vast success of dental implants, we would love to say that they are for everyone. Unfortunately, they are not. Lots of things go into consideration when accessing someone’s implant success chances, including health, age, and overall dental care success. The guidelines we will be discussing today are not rules. We consider each individual as an individual and are able to provide dental implants to most of the patients seeking them. The following list is to show what might cause us concern before we place your dental implants.
1) Uncontrolled Chronic Health Problems
Diabetes and heart disease are two of the most common chronic health problems that we see in patients here in Southern Indiana. Generally, a dental implant can be placed in anyone who is healthy enough for a routine dental procedure, like an extraction. Someone whose health problem is out of control, however, is not healthy enough to undergo oral surgery. We generally want to wait until the problem is under control before completing the procedure.
2) Poor Oral Hygiene
Someone with poor oral hygiene is generally a poor candidate for dental implants. There are a few things going on here: an unhealthy mouth to begin with, and a lack of commitment to the restoration. If a patient has never cared for their mouth well, we will probably have trouble placing the implants because of probable gum or bone infections. On top of that, dental implants need to be cared for in the same way as your natural teeth needed to be cared for, so a good oral hygiene routine is paramount.
3) Young Age
We said that this list was just guidelines and not rules, but this one is actually a guideline that we won’t bend. Before we can place a dental implant, you jaw bone must be completely developed. As you age, your teeth shift and move with your bones to create your adult smile. If we place an implant too soon, we will throw off the natural movement of your smile, leaving you with more problems than when you came to us. We can, however, place a temporary piece and watch your jaw grow so that we can place the dental implant at the best time for your growing smile.
Receiving a dental implant is oral surgery. Not everyone is able to undergo this procedure. When you come to our office, we will talk with you to figure out how to best proceed for your smile. As we mentioned before, most of our patients can receive dental implants with no problem! Contact us today to set up your consultation, and we’ll work with you to find a dental solution that you’ll be happy with!
