Who is an Ideal Candidate for Dental Implants?

As with any procedure that requires surgery, generally good overall health is the first factor to be considered when determining one’s candidacy for a cosmetic dental implant procedure.

Typically, during the initial exam with the cosmetic dentist or dental surgeon, an evaluation as to the patient’s general health will be reviewed as well as an exam of the patient’s mouth to determine prospective efficacy of the dental implant procedure.

CT scans or x-rays are customarily taken to indicate how much bone is present since bone density is a critical factor when considering effective use of dental implants. Since the implants have to be physically adhered to the bone, adequate amounts of sufficient integrity need to be present.

As people age, their bone structure may sometimes become receded, and in cases such as this, the elderly are often less likely to be considered viable candidate s for the procedure opposed to their younger counterparts.

In the cases where there is not enough bone (either due to age, periodontal disease, infections, or trauma), but the procedure is still desired, dentists will often consider bone grafting to help increase the jaw line (both in height and width, as well as filling in anatomical voids) prior to the actual dental implant surgery.

Additionally, since the procedure is an actual surgery requiring general anesthesia, many dental professionals prefer that the patient be a non-smoker, not use drugs or abuse alcohol, not suffer from an immune deficiency disorder, and not be a hemophiliac or diabetic since some of these conditions can lead to the body’s rejection of the actual dental implant.

And, as with all surgeries, whether they are cosmetic in nature or otherwise, it is critically important that the patient have a full understanding and knowledge of the procedure to help manage expectations.

As an example, periodically in the midst of the actual dental implant surgery, the dentist may discover unexpectedly that bone grafting is necessary to complete the procedure (even though x-rays were taken), and in an instance such as this, the patient should have been prepared for the possibility through pre-surgery conversations with the dental professional.