Dental implants feature unique and life-changing benefits that make them a top choice among patients and a frequent recommendation from dentists. While this treatment uses leading-edge technology and techniques to restore smiles to their natural look and feel, it does require candidates to have certain qualities in order for treatment success. Read on to learn four qualities that may make you a great candidate for dental implants and how you can find out if they’re the right choice for you.
Free From Chronic Disease
Being free of chronic conditions like gum disease, diabetes, and other immunocompromising diagnoses is an important qualification for patients looking to get dental implants. In many cases, simply having these issues routinely treated and under control is enough to make you a good candidate for dental implants; however, it could put you at a greater risk of developing peri-implantitis. This is an oral infection that can lead to implant failure, risking your smile’s restoration, function, and appearance.
A Commitment to Good Dental Habits
While dental implants are crafted from artificial, decay-proof materials like titanium and ceramic, it doesn’t mean that they can’t be affected by bad dental habits. Even with replacement teeth, a good hygiene routine, like brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing with antimicrobial mouthwash, is a necessity for the long-term success of your implants. Additionally, bad habits like smoking or using tobacco and consuming too much alcohol can also lead to implant failure and an increased risk of peri-implantitis.
Realistic Treatment Expectations
Dental implants offer some of the best aesthetic and functional results in the field of restorative dentistry, as they’re the only treatment that replaces both the visible and root structures of missing teeth. However, it’s still important to have realistic expectations of the process, or else you won’t be satisfied! Be sure to discuss your expectations and goals with your dentist and listen to their description of the treatment to get a better idea of the results you can anticipate.
Sufficient Jawbone Density
Lastly, and most importantly, is the fact that you’ll need to have a dense enough jawbone to support the osseointegration part of the treatment, which is when the implants fuse with the jawbone. This is absolutely crucial to the function of your dental implants. In cases where you don’t have a dense enough jawbone to support the implant placement and osseointegration part of the procedure, you may require a bone graft beforehand. This is a separate surgical treatment that will incur an additional cost.
About the Author
Dr. Arash Vahid earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from University of Michigan Ann Arbor and has completed an extensive two-year dental implant and restorative maxi-course at NYU. This makes him the ideal provider for patients looking into restoring their smiles with dental implants. With the ability to complete the entire procedure in-house, he’s a top choice among patients in Ramsey. For questions or to schedule a consultation, visit AV Dental Associates of Ramsey’s website or call 201-962-8452.