Am I a candidate for dental implants?

There are some situations when a dental implant won’t work or might not be as effective:

• Patients who do not have healthy gums or sufficient bone structure will not be able to support an implant.
• The risk of dental implant failure is higher for heavy smokers.
• Patients suffering from uncontrolled diabetes also face higher risks of implant failure, although advances in technology may make dental implants a more attainable option for diabetics.
• Smokers have a severely decreased percentage of success (because of decrease blood flow, etc).  So if you’re a smoker and can’t stop during the 4 month osseointegration window, then a traditional bridge might be the best option.

In addition to the above contraindications, dental implants present a few drawbacks:

• The implant takes time to integrate with the bone. Only after this osseointegration period, which typically takes at least three months, can the crown be placed.
• Placing a dental implant requires surgery.   Sometimes people really don’t want to go through that process.  While this procedure is typically quick, it does require the use of local anesthetic and sometimes mild sedation.