At some point in everybody’s life a tooth or several teeth might be lost. For the unfortunate, all of their teeth will go missing. Despite this issue, it’s not as tragic as it once was considering the great solutions available from your dentist concerning the replacement of teeth, one of which is dental implants. However, as awesome of a replacement dental implants may seem for some, they aren’t for everybody and require specific conditions to be met, such as relatively good oral hygiene and complete adulthood for starters.
Knowing just what a dental implant involves and the surgery it requires makes it absolutely important for you to understand the full implications of this type of treatment. For starters, dental implants aren’t the same thing as dentures. They’re actually threaded metal cylinders that are implanted into the jawbone to serve as the roots of missing teeth. Likewise, in order to be installed correctly dental implants require that you have healthy oral tissue and adequate bone present in order to host the implants properly. A lot of people are interested in receiving these types of prosthetic teeth but they either require extensive treatment to prepare for them or are just not qualified altogether.
What are the basic requirements for receiving dental implants?
Generally speaking, dental implants might be the right choice for you if you’re missing one or more teeth, have a jawbone that has reached full growth, have adequate bone present to secure the implants, or are able to receive bone grafting procedures. You’re also required to have healthy gums and not to have any kind of health conditions that will impair bone healing. Those things being said, it is very important to recognize that one of the greatest requirements is a sense of responsibility to oneself. You must be willing to commit at least several months to the process and may even have to compromise when it comes to some “pleasure” food or extensive hobbies such as sports. You’ll need to give your body the adequate time to heal and will have to adapt your behavior to suit the process.
Some people simply won’t be good candidates to receive dental implants. Pregnant women, heavy smokers, and alcohol and substance abusers are some of the types of people who should consider pursuing the other options available or should improve their circumstances to see if they can become eligible. The problems involved here are that pregnant women will need to have their needs assessed after giving birth considering the volatility of their bone structure during the time of pregnancy. Smoking impedes healing in the mouth and can continue to damage tissue after the surgery is completed, thus reducing the likelihood that the implants will be successful. Alcoholism and drug use both impact the immune system negatively and can cause severe problems with the body’s adaptation of the implants, also contributing negatively to a dental implant’s chances of success.
I don’t think I’m totally qualified for dental implants; does this mean I can’t get the treatment?
While the requirements for receiving dental implants might seem strict, the issues present should be considered by your dentist to ensure how the treatment can be adjusted to your needs. Depending on the extent and severity of your conditions, you might be able to get dental implants anyways, but it will come only by complete adherence to what your doctor instructs you to do. You might need to improve your habits or even remove some from your life, or take medication to ensure that the implants heal into place correctly, or even receive a bone graft if you require additional support for the implants. People with chronic diseases or systemic problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, hemophilia, or connective-tissue diseases will have to be evaluated by their doctors to ensure that dental implants will be the right choice for them.
While the considerations and issues that come with getting dental implants seem overwhelming at first, your dentist will be more than glad to assist you with making the right decision and will help you decide what’s right for you and your smile.