When New Teeth “Suit” You: 4 Qualities of a Good Dental Implant Candidate

Dental implants are the most effective tooth replacements, to the point US dentists place 500,000 of them yearly. Still, the truth is that only a select few can get these metal posts. Implants only work well when the person who gets them has certain qualities; they’ll otherwise fail early. As for which people are suited for treatment, your Fort Worth dental practice can share the details. Here are four major qualities of a good dental implant candidate.

A Commitment to Oral Care

While dental implants aren’t “real” teeth, good candidates for them need a commitment to oral care. The replacements just won’t work if a patient lacks that trait.

You see, dental implants depend on regular oral hygiene. They only remain secure and stable when your nearby teeth and gums are strong and healthy. If you develop cavities or gum disease, there’s a good chance your implants will loosen and fail. You’ll need to brush twice daily and floss once daily to avoid that outcome.

Decently Healthy Gums

If you want to get dental implants, you’ll need to have decently healthy gums first. These tissues must be strong for treatment to succeed in the long run.

The underlying reason boils down to how dental implants work. Since they fuse with your mouth, they rely on your gum tissues to stay in place like natural teeth do. That means infected or inflamed gums would put the metal posts at risk, as they could detach from the implants over time.

Sufficiently Dense Jaw Tissue

Aside from healthy gums, good dental implant candidates also need strong and dense jaws. The new teeth won’t stay in place without them.

Remember, dental implants must anchor to the jawbone. They rely on the jaw’s bone tissue to remain secure and stable over time. However, that anchoring won’t occur if the jawbone is weak and lacks enough density. The patient will instead find that their implants lack support and can’t stay in place.

Little-to-No Drinking or Smoking

Lastly, a good dental implant candidate mustn’t drink or smoke a lot. These habits would put your treatment results at high risk of failure.

The truth is that both alcohol and tobacco disrupt dental implant fusion. If you have a lot of alcoholic drinks, the blood clot that helps you heal from implant surgery won’t develop. The alcohol could also cause bone loss, which makes your implants hard to place. Similarly, smoking increases your risk of gum disease – an issue that often slows recovery and causes implant failure.

Of course, you can always learn more about the qualities of a good dental implant candidate. Just talk to your dental provider for the relevant details!

About the Practice

Drennan Family Dentistry is based in Fort Worth, TX. Led by Drs. Terry Drennan and Jade Carlson, our practice offers quality dental care for patients of all ages. That means you can rely on us for preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, as well as emergency oral treatments. In fact, our team even works with local specialists to place excellent dental implants! For more details or to book a visit, please reach us on our website or by phone at (817)-732-5522.