Who Is A Good Candidate For Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a great way to replace missing teeth. This is the best option going and it has many benefits over other options. They look more real than dentures or any other alternatives, and they're much more durable. It is a permanent solution which attaches to your jaw at the root. For those who qualify, it has an almost perfect success rate. How do you know if you're an ideal candidate? Here are some things to consider.

Your Overall Dental Health

For you to get the full benefits of dental implants, you should be in good oral health overall. If you have gum disease, it must be treated before you get them put in. If your gum disease is severe, it may be difficult to treat before having them put in, and this stops some people from getting them put in. Talk to your dentist and have them do a full examination first to determine if your gums are alright.

Another consideration here is how many teeth are missing. This option is more expensive than dentures or other alternatives, so getting a number of teeth replaced can be prohibitively expensive. Your dentist can give you a quote telling you how much you can expect to pay.

Your Body's Overall Health

Another factor is the overall health of your body. For your dental implants to be successful, you'll need for them to heal well. If you are in poor health, your immune system may not be up to par, and this puts you at risk of getting an infection. This is especially true for people who drink heavily, use drugs or have serious stress issues. Stress sometimes causes teeth grinding and this is another potential problem.

Diet and exercise are also factors. Eating a balanced diet gives your immune system the nutrients it needs to heal itself successfully. If you're not in good overall health, this may complicate the recovery period and you may not be a good candidate.

You're A Smoker

Smoking is very hard on your teeth and gums. Like alcohol and drugs, it also affects your body's ability to heal itself. Smokers recover a lot more slowly from all kinds of surgery than non-smokers. Because smoking causes damage to teeth and gums anyway, these may not be an option. Studies show that smokers have a much lower rate of success with this treatment.

Diabetes And Other Diseases

Any disease that affects the immune system may make it difficult to get dental implants. One of these is diabetes. With diabetes, there is a high risk of secondary infection, and for this reason it is not advisable for diabetics to get these put in.

Your Dental Hygiene

One more factor is how well you take care of your teeth. This is pretty subjective, but you should ask yourself if you're willing and committed to making sure your dental implants are properly taken care of. It can be a major challenge for someone who doesn't really take care of their teeth and gums so well.

The final determination should be made by your dentist. They'll talk to you and look at your teeth to help you determine if dental implants are right for you. Most people are good candidates.