If you have missing teeth, you’re probably interested in finding a great way to replace them. Luckily, dental implants are considered the best way to replace missing teeth because they look and work just like the real things. However, a patient will need to meet certain criteria to be able to receive dental implants. Here are a few of the qualities of an excellent dental implant candidate as well as what you can do to meet these criteria!
Dental Implants Need Healthy Gums to Be Successful
Dental implants are an excellent tooth replacement option in part because they can chew anything that real teeth can, but they need to heal properly to be able to do this. Successful dental implants require a strong foundation, and this comes in the form of healthy gums and jawbones. Before you can receive dental implants, you will have to have a consultation with your dentist. During this meeting, your dentist will thoroughly inspect your mouth to evaluate its health. If they find any gum disease, it will have to be resolved before you can move forward with the process.
Dental Implants Require Strong Jawbones to Heal Properly
Dental implants are surgically placed within the jawbone, where they will fuse to the surrounding bone structure through the natural process of osseointegration during the healing process. Once the implant and the jawbone have fused together, the artificial tooth will be ready to chew anything you can eat. However, the jawbones begin to atrophy and recede after tooth loss, meaning that some patients may not have enough bone structure to host implants.
Thankfully, many of these patients will be able to reinforce their jawbones through bone grafting treatments. During one of these procedures, donated bone tissue will be placed along the jawbones through small incisions in the gums. It can take several months to recover from these treatments, but they can make a compromised jawbone strong enough to host dental implants.
Smoking Is Terrible for Dental Implants
Tobacco is one of the leading causes of dental implant failure. Whether it is chewed or smoked, it contains nicotine that has the side effect of making blood vessels constrict, making it harder for the gums to heal and fight infections. To make matters worse, your gums can become exhausted when they are frequently trying to protect themselves from the harsh chemicals smoke contains, causing them to recede. Quitting smoking a few months before receiving dental implants is a great way to help them heal properly.
Dental implants boast a whopping 95% success rate. By making some changes, you can maximize your chances of having them placed successfully.
About the Practice
The Elegant Dentistry delivers comfortable and effective oral health treatments to the people of Oak Point, TX. Led by Drs. Pankti Patel and Jainisha Patel, the staff sees to each patient receiving personalized treatment in a friendly and welcoming environment. Areas of expertise include general, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry as well as dental implant services. To schedule a dental implant consultation, contact the office online or dial (469) 598-1023.