To be a dental implant candidate, you need to be in good general health and missing some teeth. And you need to be motivated to take care of them after you get them. So most likely, if you are missing teeth, you qualify.
In order for dental implants to be able to be placed in your jawbone, there needs to be enough bone present. However, if you are lacking bone, there are bone grafting procedures that may be able to take care of that.
Health Conditions That Could Contraindicate Dental Implants
Here is a list of some of the most common health conditions that could cause problems with dental implants:
- Certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, hemophilia, or immune-deficiency disorders would cause you to be at high risk for dental implant failure. You would be more susceptible to infections around the fixtures. The amount of risk depends on the severity of your problem.
- Smoking increases the risk of failure. Studies have shown that a smoker is two-and-a-half times more likely to have implant failure than a non-smoker. And clearly, the more you smoke, the more likely you would be to have a problem. If you are a heavy enough smoker, it may be wise not to attempt the treatment.
- It is not advisable to get dental implants while you are pregnant.
- Alcohol or substance abuse not only causes health problems that could compromise treatment, but they would likely affect your motivation to care for them after treatment.
This content was written by Dr. David Hall