Thinking About Dental Implants? 3 Health Issues You Should Discuss with Your Dentist

It used to be that dentures were the only way to replace missing teeth. Today, dental implants have replaced dentures as the preferred way to replace teeth. If you've suffered premature tooth loss, you may be considering dental implants. Before you make your decision, it's important to note that there are some health concerns that you might need to take care of. Here are some issues that you might need to discuss with your dentist.

Smoking

Smoking is a major concern when it comes to dental implants. In fact, if you smoke, you might not be an acceptable candidate for the procedure. Your dentist will most likely recommend that you quit smoking before you have the dental implant surgery. Failure to quit smoking before the surgery can lead to the following complications.

Delayed Healing Time

When you smoke, your body doesn't heal as quickly as it should after surgeries. As a result, you may experience a delayed healing time following the procedure. Unfortunately, a delayed healing time can actually lead to another complication; post-operative infection.

Post-Operative Infection

If your implants don't heal on time, the wound remains open for too long. This can lead to a serious post-operative infection. In addition, cigarette smoke can enter the wound site and cause an infection. You can prevent infection by participating in a smoking-cessation program before your dental surgery.

Bone Loss

Dental diseases like periodontitis, a severe gum disease, is a common cause of premature tooth loss in adults. It can also cause bone loss in the jaw. Significant bone loss can make it difficult for the dental implant to properly attach to your jaw bone.

If you have suffered from bone loss, your dentist may be able to perform a bone graft prior to installing the dental implants. With a bone graft, synthetic bone material, or bone shavings from your own body, will be implanted into your jaw bone. Once new bone begins to develop, your dentist will perform the dental implant procedure.

Type II Diabetes

Type II diabetes is a debilitating disease that makes it difficult to fight infections. If you have type II diabetes, your dentist will want to ensure that it's under controlled before the surgery is performed. Your dentist may want to discuss your condition with your primary care physician before proceeding with your dental treatment.

If you're considering dental implants as a way to replace your missing teeth, you should discuss potential health issues with your dentist, one like Dr. Andres Maeso.

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