Who Is A Candidate
Although dentures and bridges are the two most common options for tooth replacement, dental implants can help you get prostheses which are closest to your natural teeth.
Most implants are made of titanium or titanium alloy, which is hypoallergenic, strong, and very lightweight. These implants are surgically embedded into your jawbone and topped with a dental crown made from porcelain, porcelain fused with metal, or an all-metal alloy.
DO DENTAL IMPLANTS WORK?
Dental implants are very beneficial to your oral health as they do not need to be supported by adjacent teeth and hence eliminate the need to remove tooth structure. Dental implants can strengthen your jawbone and provide increased stability.
Dental implants have been used successfully on hundreds of thousands of patients over the past three decades. They have a high success rate of over 90 percent, and in the rare instances in which they fail, they can be redone.
However, the success of dental implant depends on whether you are a good candidate.
AM I A DENTAL IMPLANT CANDIDATE?
Most people are dental implant candidates. Here are some of the factors which determine that:
- Healthy Bone Structure: The biggest factor which determines whether you can be a good candidate is whether you have enough healthy bones to support the implants. Excessive bone loss due to untreated, periodontal disease or chronic conditions, like osteoporosis, can make dental implant treatment difficult. However, even this can be overcome with bone grafts, which lead to bone regeneration. Once the jawbone has achieved the optimum density, it can support dental implants.
- Tobacco Use: Smoking or chewing tobacco is detrimental to your oral health. Using tobacco increases chances of gum disease, and also leads to implant failure. This happens because instead of creating bone tissues around the implant, our body creates fibrous tissues which are too soft to secure the implants. Moreover, chewing tobacco has been known to cause oral cancer.
- Oral Health and Hygiene: It is not possible to keep our implanted site healthy if you don’t provide proper oral care to neighboring teeth. Bacteria can attack your gums and teeth and collect around your implant as well, which can cause implant failure. Keeping your mouth clean and preventing periodontal diseases can give your mouth a better chance to accept dental implants.
- Heart Disorders and Sleep Apnea: There are several risks associated with people who have heart conditions or who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. These patients may suffer from complications of anesthesia used during the dental implant procedure. If you have these issues, you need to consult Dr. Emerson Rowley, DMD on how to improve your health.
- Uncontrolled Medical Conditions: Uncontrolled medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension also negatively affect dental implants. People with diabetes experience slow healing and are vulnerable to infections. They may also suffer from complications like tissue necrosis and interference with osseointegration.
- Pregnancy: During pregnancy, women undergo radical hormonal changes which can interfere with healing and result in bleeding gum, increased risk of infection and conditions like gingivitis.
- Age: The jaws of children and adolescents are still developing. This is why implant surgery typically isn’t recommended for boys under the age of 18 and girls under the age of 16.
At Tualatin Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Emerson Rowley, DMD will determine if you are a good candidate for a dental implant. Call us at (503) 878-7474 to schedule an appointment. If it is found that you are not qualified, there are other alternative options available to you, including dentures and dental bridges, both of which have become revolutionized over the years.