Are You a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Dental implants offer a durable and permanent solution to missing teeth. They are more comfortable and natural-looking than dentures, more hygienic than food-particle-trapping bridges, and, of course, more attractive and healthier than simply not replacing missing teeth at all. However, dental implants are not the right choice for everyone. Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself to help determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants.

What is your bone health like?
One of the big benefits of dental implants in La Lolla is that they can actually arrest bone loss in the cavities left by missing teeth. The core of a dental implant is a titanium peg that will be surgically implanted into your jaw. Due to the fact that bone can bond with titanium, as you recover from surgery, the bone in your jaw will actually begin to regenerate around the implant, forming a very stable, durable, and natural bond. However, if you already have excessive bone loss in your jaw, or if your overall bone health is poor, you will have to get a bone graft before receiving the implant. Then the question becomes whether or not you are a good candidate for a bone graft.

Do you smoke?
Smokers do not make good candidates for dental implants because smoking can inhibit your ability to recover from oral surgery and even cause complications like bleeding. Dentists already tell patients not to smoke after root canals, and dental implant surgery is much more invasive than that. Hence, it is even more important to avoid exposing your mouth to smoke after dental implant surgery.

How many teeth are you missing?
Patients missing just a few teeth make ideal candidates for dental implants, but if you have lost almost all your teeth, you will probably be end up with dentures. Even though multiple teeth can be replaced by attaching several crowns to a single titanium peg, for many patients it simply won’t be cost-effective to replace all of the teeth with implants.

Are you willing to undergo multiple procedures?
Getting dental implants typically involves multiple surgical and dental procedures separated by healing time, plus follow-up visits with the dentist and the surgeon to make sure the implants are working correctly. If you are too unhealthy to withstand surgery, your gums are too inflamed, or you simply want the process over faster, you might not be a good candidate for dental implants.

Can you afford implants?
Cost is a serious concern with dental implants. Replacing all of your teeth can costs tens of thousands of dollars, depending on what type of insurance you have and what it covers. Plus, depending on how well you care for your dental implants, the crowns may need to be replaced every 15 years or so at an additional cost.

Ultimately, the best way to find out for sure if you are a good candidate for dental implants is to ask your dentist in La Jolla. They can refer you to an oral surgeon for further evaluation.