Losing teeth is a serious concern, but fortunately, recovering from tooth loss isn’t as difficult as it used to be. With today’s highly lifelike dental restorations, including custom-designed dental bridges and dentures, most people can recover their healthy bite function and confidence in their smiles after experiencing tooth loss. With the addition of dental implants, the process of recovering from tooth loss and preserving the health of your smile is even more successful, and qualifying for dental implants can often be easier than you might expect.
What qualifying for implants means
With traditional dental restorations, qualifying for the right option is largely based on the number of teeth that you’ve lost and the restoration needs to replace. As long as you don’t exhibit any existing chronic oral health concerns, or all concerns are treated and managed, then you can qualify for the placement of a custom dental bridge, partial denture, or full denture. However, qualifying for a dental implant restoration is slightly more involved, mainly because the implant posts have to be surgically placed within your jawbone. To be able to receive an appropriate number of implants to support your restoration, your smile’s foundation must be healthy and strong enough.
What your specialist will check for first
The placement of your dental implant posts involves a surgical procedure to implant the posts into the bone structure of your dental ridge. Before recommending this procedure, your oral health specialist will check to ensure that the bone structure consists of enough mass and density to accept the posts, fuse to their surfaces, and support them as they absorb your bite’s pressure. In addition to the health and integrity of your jawbone, your periodontal health is also an important factor in qualifying for dental implants. If you exhibit periodontal disease (or gum disease), then the condition could erode your dental ridge after your implants have been placed, and you may require periodontal treatment before receiving them.
How to address any existing concerns
Checking the status of your dental ridges, periodontal tissues, and overall oral health is an important step in qualifying for dental implants. If any issues do exist, then your oral health specialist can work with you to address them successfully before recommending dental implant posts. For example, personalized periodontal treatment may help you get gum disease under control and stop it from damaging your dental ridge. Or, you may require jawbone grafting to strengthen the area of your dental ridge that’s to receive the implant posts.
Learn if you qualify for dental implants
Dental implants can be the most lifelike solution to rebuilding your smile after tooth loss, and qualifying for them may be simpler than you think. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.