Candidate Dental Implants

Dental implants are a popular, state-of-the-art alternative to more conventional methods of replacing missing teeth. Implants hold key advantages over traditional dentures in terms of convenience and comfort, and they look, feel and function like natural teeth.

Dental implants boast the highest success rate of all surgical implants – up to 98 per cent – with an established record of long-term efficiency and reliability. So, if you’ve lost one or more teeth – like millions of others in the U.S. – you’re probably wondering whether dental implants will work for you. It’s certainly a question that our prosthodontists in Plymouth MN are asked a lot.

The good news is that most individuals are suitable for dental implants. They’re not right for everyone, though. In this post, you can discover if you’re a good candidate for dental implants. A good starting point is to understand how dental implants replace teeth.

How Dental Implants Work

Dental implants – biocompatible rods, usually made of titanium – serve as the foundation on which to attach synthetic teeth. When inserted into the jaw – via the socket of a missing tooth – the implant fuses with bone to create an artificial tooth root. This process is unique in dentistry and promotes bone growth essential to preserve facial structure and appearance. Dental implants are placed after a local anesthetic to numb the area. The whole process takes several months including time for healing, although recovery typically takes only about a week.

When Dental Implants May Not Be an Option

Dental implants may not work for a minority of individuals. Factors that may raise questions over your suitability for dental implants at our Plymouth prosthodontic center include:

  • You suffer from bruxism – habitual teeth grinding of clenching.
  • You take a medication that suppresses the immune system.
  • You’re pregnant.
  • You’re a smoker.

Concerns about implant suitability may also revolve around:

• General Health Problems

Your overall health needs to be good to get implants because the process entails surgery. Poor health could also hinder healing after implant surgery and prevent the implant from fusing with jawbone properly. So, you won’t be an ideal dental implant candidate if you have a medical condition such as uncontrolled diabetes or cancer, for example. However, it’s important to note that medical conditions don’t necessarily preclude dental implant treatment. It depends on the extent and severity of the issue.

• Lack of Jawbone

General health concerns aside, you need to have sufficient bone in the jaw to support an implant. Jawbone can deteriorate over time if you haven’t replaced a missing tooth, or because of injury or gum disease. If you’re lacking enough quality jawbone for an implant, a bone graft could be the solution. Dental jawbone grafts are usually minimally invasive, taking 45 to 90 minutes.

Can I Make Myself a Better Candidate for Dental Implants?

Our Plymouth prosthodontists say that if you’re basically healthy, you’re likely to be suitable for dental implants, no matter how many teeth you’ve lost.

Implants can be used to:

  • Replace a single tooth with a crown fixed onto an abutment on the implant.
  • Replace several teeth or all the teeth by anchoring dentures or bridges.

However, some people make better implant candidates than others, even if they’re in good health. Considerations that may stand in your way of implant treatment include poor oral hygiene, lack of preventive dental care, and concerns over tobacco use.

Oral Hygiene

With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime, and good oral hygiene is key to implant maintenance. To be a good candidate for dental implants, therefore, you should ideally have an excellent record of oral healthcare at home.

You’ll certainly need to commit to a high standard of oral hygiene after getting implants:

  • Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and soft-bristled brush (hard bristles can damage gums and dental enamel).
  • Flossing daily to clean the areas between your teeth that your toothbrush can’t get to.
  • Using an antibacterial mouthwash to flush away food debris and keep harmful oral microbes at bay.
  • Brushing your tongue regularly – it attracts bacteria like a sponge. Or better still, use a tongue scraper.

Preventive Dentistry

Preventive dental measures – regular dental examinations and professional teeth cleanings – are essential to support your home oral healthcare efforts to keep the gum around your implants free from disease. These appointments are important because no matter how diligent your oral hygiene routine at home, plaque can still quickly build up on and around your teeth and your implants – although an implant tooth itself won’t become diseased, the area around it can. And if plaque hardens into tartar (calcified plaque), it can only be removed by a dental professional using special instruments.

Tobacco Use

If you’re a smoker and continue the habit after getting dental implants, it will put your replacement teeth at risk. Tobacco and nicotine can impair the healing process after implant treatment and prevent jawbone and the implant fusing properly. Smokers’ mouths get dry and lack of saliva to wash away bacteria can lead to decay and disease that weaken gum and bone supporting the implant. This means smoking can result in implant failure even if the area heals properly. Because smoking affects the healing process, it also poses a problem if you need a bone graft ahead of implant placement.

Dental Implant Alternatives

If for whatever reason you’re not able to have dental implants, you don’t have to continue to struggle without replacement teeth. If you’ve lost more than a few teeth, replacing them is imperative. Teeth play an important role in maintaining oral structure so we can speak clearly and chew food so it’s digestible. Alternatives to dental implants by our prosthodontist in Plymouth are:

Traditional Dentures

Today’s removable dentures are a big improvement on those of yesteryear. They offer greater reliability, look more natural, and fit more comfortably. If you’ve lost all your teeth, you’ll need a full set of dentures. If you have some teeth remaining, partial dentures will do the job.

Dental Bridge

If you’ve lost a single tooth or two consecutive teeth, a dental bridge can fill the unsightly gap in your smile. Instead of using implants as support, the bridge will be anchored on crowns placed on remaining teeth either side of the gap.

Dental Implant Consultations

The best person to tell you whether you’re a candidate for dental implants is a prosthodontist like Dr. Christopher Sasik. Prosthodontists like Metropolitan Prosthodontics in Plymouth are specialists in dental prosthetics – artificial teeth. We can perform a detailed oral and jaw examination to determine whether dental implants are your best option or if dentures or a bridge would be a better solution. It’s easy to contact our Plymouth prosthodontists to schedule a dental implant consultation.