As a dental office, it would seem that we are only concerned with your dental health. This couldn’t be further from the truth. At New Albany Implants, we understand that your overall health is connected. If you are struggling in another area of your health, it can directly affect the health of your smile. This is especially important when we are talking about dental implants and other dental procedures that require oral surgery or anesthesia. We have to be very cautious that we don’t jeopardize your health during your procedure.
This is why we look for any underlying risk factors that could hinder your recovery. With implants, we are looking especially at uncontrolled diabetes, hemophilia, pregnancy, and heavy smoking. These factors aren’t show-stoppers, but they might cause us to take an intermission to try to sort things out before proceeding.
Risky Conditions
Hemophilia and diabetes are medical conditions that cause problems during oral surgery. Luckily, each condition can be treated with medication and lifestyle plans from your physician. However, if you come to us with a condition that is not being monitored and controlled, we will pause to let you get things under control before proceeding.
Heavy smoking is an issue because it affects recovery time. Decreased blood flow to the mouth is not what we want to see when evaluating candidates for surgery. You don’t have to completely quit smoking, but in order to achieve a successful surgery, you will have to cut back quite a bit. A little bit of smoking is manageable, but a huge habit is not.
Pregnancy is something we look for, not because pregnancy will cause problems during surgery, but because surgery can cause problems for pregnancy! The last thing we want to do is put baby in harm’s way with radiation imaging, pain meds, and anesthesia. It’s just best to wait until after you have your bundle of joy before we start placing your new smile.
The Last Word
Regardless of the risk factors mentioned, most people who come through our doors are going to walk out with a better smile thanks to implants. Our office has a 97+% success rate for patients who experience our implant procedure, so chances are pretty great that we can help you get your smile back! Contact us today! We look forward to meeting you soon!
