Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a popular oral procedure used for replacing missing teeth. Implants are surgically placed into the jawbone.

If you’re a good candidate for dental implants, they could be a worthwhile substitute for procedures such as bridges or partial dentures.

When you have extractions or your teeth fall out, the tooth root is no longer present within the jaw to support the bone. As a result, the bone may deteriorate. Dental implants provide a reliable replacement for lost teeth while also protecting your jaw. Using artificial tooth roots made of biocompatible metal titanium, dental implants mimic natural tooth roots and deter bone loss.

Implants can also prevent teeth from shifting which helps to avoid bite problems later. Implants function the same as regular teeth which means cleaning and care remain the same. You can also keep eating all the foods you enjoyed with natural teeth!

Before placing an implant, we will investigate issues such as periodontal disease, which can severely inhibit the success rate of dental implants. Other factors include the health of your jawbone. X-rays may be taken to help create an overall picture, but before we place your implants we will use a CT scan to get a 3D image of your bone density. Your jaw needs enough bone in order to hold the implants in place. If you lack bone, we might be able to use special implant placement techniques to help you qualify for implants. Otherwise, a bone graft might be necessary.

If your oral health is not up to standard, we will need to help your mouth return to full health. Otherwise, your implants are at risk for failure.

A dental implant patient must be healthy enough to undergo surgery. Any untreated conditions which may complicate the procedure might disqualify you. A patient’s medication could also interfere with healing or the implant procedure. For example, cancer drugs or medications used to prevent blood clotting would be of concern.

To find out if you have any conditions that could interfere with the healing of your dental implants, Dr. Green or Dr. Van Tassell will ask you a series of questions during your consultation.

If you visit us for a dental implants consultation in Wichita Falls and our doctors tell you that you’re not a good candidate for dental implants, they will offer you alternative options. For instance, you might not be a good candidate initially, but there are treatments available that could help you qualify, like a bone graft or periodontal treatment. You might also need to break certain habits, like smoking, to qualify.

If there are absolutely no lifestyle changes or procedures that could make you eligible for dental implants, our doctors will recommend a different tooth replacement option. We offer a lot of different options for dentures and dental bridges that can provide you with beautiful results.