It is a question that dentists in Ajax hear very frequently, and the short answer is yes, almost certainly. Generally, an adult who is missing one or more teeth will be a good candidate for dental implant surgery. Anyone thinking about this treatment will need an initial consultation with our implant dentist at Durham Dental Solutions.
Although Oshawa dental implants are a wonderful long-term solution for tooth loss, they are not right for everyone. We assess every person considering implant treatment very thoroughly and discuss the pros and cons of this procedure in some depth. Dental implant treatment has an extremely high success rate, typically 95% or higher, but it is a long-term invemstment in your dental health, which is why we take patient selection very seriously.
When you first see our Newcastle dentist, we conduct a thorough oral examination and review your dental history. We also need to carefully consider your medical history, as this procedure requires a small surgical procedure. The appointment is your opportunity to learn more about dental implant treatment and all the different options available. We always encourage questions beforehand as we want to make sure you feel comfortable in your final treatment choice.
Three main factors influence a person’s suitability for dental implants in Bowmanville.
Jawbone Health
A dental implant is a small post inserted into the jawbone where it must fuse with the bone around it, a process called Osseointegration. If there isn’t enough healthy bone, Osseointegration cannot occur properly, and there is a risk of implant failure. We assess your jawbone health using a cone beam CT scan that provides digital 3-D images allowing us to see the amount of bone and its quality. However, if you don’t have enough healthy bone, we can almost certainly increase it during a Clarington dental bone grafting procedure. Ideally, it’s better to have dental implants placed soon after tooth loss as your jawbone deteriorates gradually after natural teeth are removed.
Gum Disease
Gum disease is the main reason why teeth are lost, destroying not only the gum around your teeth but also the bone and ligaments surrounding your teeth and tooth roots. If you have signs of active gum disease in Whitby, we will need to treat this issue first before considering dental implants.
Overall Health
We need to assess your medical history carefully to make sure you are generally fit and healthy and that you aren’t taking any medications that could interfere with implant healing after surgery. If you have any disease affecting your immune system, which makes you less able to heal, you may be less suitable for dental implants. If you have diabetes and it is well controlled, you may still be suitable for dental implants, but we will need to assess you carefully. Smokers should consider quitting before surgery and preferably for good. Smoking is known to interfere with the healing process after implant surgery and can generally negatively impact oral health.
What about My Age?
Dental implants are usually suitable for anyone over age 18 and whose natural teeth and jaws have finished growing and developing. Some people may mistakenly think dental implants are only for the young, but this certainly isn’t the case. Provided you have good dental and general health, then there is probably very little reason why you couldn’t have dental implants. It’s a treatment that has already helped many older people enjoy their retirement years more fully, giving them smiles to be proud of and teeth that function properly and improving their biting strength.
