Restoring your smile after experiencing tooth loss is important to your long-term oral health, and in many cases, dental implants offer the most comprehensive benefits for doing so. That’s largely thanks to their ability to replace your lost teeth roots, which play several intricate roles in your oral health and bite function. However, there are several factors that might affect your ability to receive dental implants right away, many of which involve the health and integrity of your other oral tissues and structures.
The extent of your tooth loss
The first thing to consider when replacing your lost teeth is the extent of your tooth loss and how many of them you need to replace. This will determine the specific type of prosthesis you’ll require to rebuild your smile, such as a dental bridge or denture. Fortunately, an appropriate number of dental implant posts can be utilized to support any size restoration you require, whether you’ve lost a single tooth, several of your teeth, or all of the teeth on your upper or lower dental ridge. However, the extent of your tooth loss might be significant to the impact that the loss has had on your other oral structures, which may also be considerations in your dental implant placement procedure.
The state of your periodontal health
Dental implants work by being placed within your smile’s foundation to mimic the functions of your teeth roots. This means your smile’s foundation must be healthy and strong enough to receive them, beginning with the periodontal tissues and ligaments. Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is the leading cause of adult tooth loss due the way it erodes your gum tissues and the underlying jawbone structure that support your teeth roots. Because dental implants are designed to replace your lost teeth roots, it’s especially important to ensure that your gums are healthy and free of disease before you receive them.
The integrity of your jawbone structure
The health and integrity of your gums and periodontal ligaments are important to the level of support your dental ridge can offer your dental implants. Likewise, the integrity of your jawbone structure in the area where you’ve lost teeth can directly impact your immediate candidacy for dental implant placement. The process of your jawbone structure bonding to the implant posts requires ample bone structure. If you’ve experienced extensive tooth loss or severe periodontal disease, then you may require treatment to strengthen the bone structure before your dental implant posts can be placed.
Find out if you’re ready for dental implants
Dental implants offer several unique benefits for restoring your smile long-term, but there are a few factors that must be considered before you can receive them. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, call Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
