Dental Implants - Who is a Candidate?
Portland, OR
 Dental implants are a treatment used to replace missing teeth. It is a unique treatment that involves placing small titanium posts into your jawbone. The posts function to provide support for your replacement teeth. Implants provide many significant benefits over traditional solutions. These benefits include providing you with a long-term solution, greater comfort, ease of care, and restoring a perfectly natural, beautiful smile. With dental implants, we can meet many different needs. Malmquist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery can determine if implants are the right option for you.
You Have Lost At Least One Tooth
Implants function to replace missing teeth. You can lose teeth for some reasons. Sometimes the teeth fall out on their own. Sometimes they need to be extracted. If you are missing at least one tooth, you may be a candidate for dental implants. There are implant solutions for just about every need. There are a great deal of benefits of dental implants.
You are in Good Overall Health
Placing implants requires a surgical procedure. To undergo surgery, you need to be in good health. During your consultation, we will examine your mouth. As part of this examination, we are also checking your mouth for other issues like cavities and gum disease. These issues will need to be treated before you can receive your implants.
Another part of your consultation involves going over your medical history. Certain types of health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, can factor into your candidacy for surgery. They do not automatically disqualify you though. Before you can receive surgery, these health conditions will need to be kept under control.
The Effects of Tobacco Use on Implants
If you smoke or use other tobacco products, you will be recommended to quit, or at least abstain until after you have healed. Tobacco products contain numerous chemicals that can interfere with your blood flow and your immune system. These chemicals slow your blood flow, which slows the delivery of oxygen and other essential nutrients to surgical sites. With your immune system compromised, your body also has a harder time effectively fighting off infections.
In addition to quitting tobacco products, you will also be recommended to abstain from alcohol use. Alcohol consumption can affect the ability of your blood to clot at surgical sites. This can cause issues with bleeding.
The Importance of Your Jawbone
The success of implants hinges on your jawbone. As you heal from surgery, your bone fuses gradually to the posts, integrating them into your jaw and turning them into strong roots that hold your teeth securely in place. Following tooth loss, however, your bone begins to lose mass. If you have lost too much bone mass, your jawbone may not be able to fuse properly, which can compromise the stability of your implants. If your jawbone is too weak, you may be recommended for a bone graft surgery to restore missing bone mass before you undergo implant surgery.
Is Age a Factor?
While you can be too young for implants, you are never too old. Younger individuals are still undergoing jawbone development, which can interfere with dental implants in the future. However, after your jawbone is finished growing and developing, you are never too old to get dental implants. Adults and seniors alike can enjoy the many benefits that this incredible treatment has to offer.
Dental implants can help to restore a beautiful, healthy smile and provide you with many significant benefits. Call Malmquist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery today at (503) 446-6776 to schedule your appointment and find out if you are a candidate for dental implants.
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