Tooth loss used to be a one-and-done sort of prospect. If you happened to unfortunately lose any of your permanent teeth, you would have to deal with that gap for the rest of your life. Naturally, this was quite the unwelcome prospect.
Enter – Dental Implants! These have revolutionized tooth replacement, offering a durable, natural-looking solution for missing teeth. An implant is quite effective in what it sets out to do. Unfortunately, not everyone is an ideal candidate for dental implants. This is a surgical procedure, and has certain prerequisites that must be met for a safe and successful implant. At Alpine Dental Center, dental experts stress on these requirements, thus championing a safer experience. Here’s how…
Healthy Gums
Healthy gums are a fundamental prerequisite for dental implants. Gum disease, which can cause inflammation and damage to the gums and bone, must be treated before implant placement. Healthy gums provide a stable foundation for the implants, ensuring they integrate well with the jawbone. If you have gum disease, dentists can recommend appropriate treatments to restore gum health before considering implants.
Good Oral Hygiene
Maintaining good oral hygiene is crucial for anyone considering dental implants. Proper brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits are necessary to prevent infections that can compromise the implant site. Plaque and bacteria can accumulate around implants just like natural teeth, leading to peri-implantitis, a condition similar to gum disease that can cause implant failure.
No Tobacco Use
Tobacco use, including smoking and chewing tobacco, significantly increases the risk of implant failure. Nicotine restricts blood flow to the gums, impairing healing and the integration of the implant with the bone. Smokers are more susceptible to infections and complications post-surgery. Quitting tobacco use is strongly recommended before undergoing dental implant surgery to enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes.
Adequate Bone Density
Adequate bone density in the jaw is critical for supporting dental implants. The implant needs a sufficient amount of bone to anchor securely. If the jawbone has deteriorated due to prolonged tooth loss or other factors, bone grafting procedures may be necessary to build up the bone before implant placement.
The idea behind prerequisites for dental implants is not to be exclusionary, but to ensure that the addition of an implant does not further deteriorate your health. Attempting to add implants into a poor environment will not only reduce the quality of implant, but open the entire zone up to infections. As such, any dental expert will prioritize your safety, over getting an implant added!