Who is a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Spokane, WA
 Having a full set of teeth is something everyone wants to have. Whether their tooth loss is indicative of poor oral health, disease, or trauma, it can have an impact on their overall sense of self. Dental implants provide a permanent artificial tooth solution for those individuals. Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate. There are certain risk factors that can preclude them from dental implant candidacy.
Patients need to be in good general health and also have a high level of oral health as well. There needs to be enough bone structure available to provide a good foundation for dental implants. Implants are utilized in many different dental applications. Used to support dental crowns and [[[page:43417|dentures, they can also be used with dentures. To find out if dental implants are a good solution for you, please contact us at Smile More Spokane Family Dentistry today.
Who is not Recommended for Dental Implants?
The risk factors associated with dental implants include the patient’s age. Those over the age of 60 can have decreased bone mass available to support the implant. This is also true for those patients who have gone through radiation treatments.
Some prescription medications can also hinder bone growth. Those dealing with lowered estrogen levels or who are post-menopausal are not considered a good candidate. Anyone with severe gum disease and those who abuse alcohol or who smoke are not in consideration either, as these habits greatly slow the healing process.
Although those factors do increase the likelihood that a patient might not be considered, it does not remove them from consideration completely. It simply means those are factors that come into play and complicate the procedure.
Dental Implant Alternatives
While patients might not be good candidates for traditional dental implants, they may be good candidates for other alternative processes. One such alternative is mini-implants which are just as they sound, a smaller version of a normal implant. They require much less bone structure because of their smaller size. Also, the All-on-4® Treatment Concept is an option as well. It requires only four implants and much less bone mass.
Noninvasive Tooth Supported Options
There are a few non-invasive options to consider as well. One is called a tooth-supported dental bridge. Instead of utilizing denta implants to support the dental appliance, this option uses the existing teeth. Although this is a viable solution, it is important to note they can cause significant erosion to the teeth used to anchor the appliance. This puts those teeth under greater pressure and stress than normal which can cause them to wear faster than normal teeth and also create the potential for other dental issues.
For anyone who is considering dental implants as an option, why not come see us at Smile More Spokane Family Dentistry to get the details and appropriate information. We can help you with assessing your needs and answering the questions you may have. You can always call us too at this number (509) 505-6303.
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