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Rockwall Oral Surgery

Am I Eligible for a Full Mouth Dental Implant Procedure?

You may be qualified for a full mouth dental implant operation if you are losing or have lost nearly half of your teeth or if you have extensive periodontal disease. Your remaining teeth will be pulled, and four or more implants will be put across your jaw to support full arches. Individual implants and crowns may be a better option if you are losing or have lost only a few teeth. Those with healthy teeth who want a more appealing smile may be advised to choose braces or veneers rather than dental implants.

Even though dental implants closely mimic natural teeth in appearance and function, an oral surgeon will not consider them a better option than healthy teeth.

Complications of Dental Implant Eligibility

There may be issues that necessitate additional conversation with your doctor to determine whether a whole mouth dental implant operation is good for you. None of the following variables will immediately rule you out as a candidate for dental implants. Still, they may have an impact on the location, timing, or success rate of your treatment.

Pregnancy: During whole mouth dental implant operations, general anesthesia is frequently used. 

Tobacco use: Tobacco use can injure or clog salivary glands. Saliva is necessary for fighting bacteria, and a lack of it raises your risk of infection in the jawbone or gums that support the implants. Nicotine impairs the immune system by restricting the supply of oxygen and blood to the bones.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy can cause jawbone density loss. Implants implanted in bone with insufficient density are more likely to fail. Suppose you’ve had chemotherapy in the jaw, neck, or maxillofacial region. In that case, you’ll need a CT scan from an oral surgeon or your oncologist to analyze your bone density and determine your eligibility.

Medical Conditions: Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and auto-immune illnesses can limit the capacity of the jawbone to fuse with the implant and protect it from infection.

Bone Loss: For full-mouth dental implant treatments, moderate bone loss in the jaw is usually not an issue. Because full arches of prosthetic teeth only require four or more implants to sustain them, this is the case.

Seeing if You’re a Good Candidate for Full Mouth Dental Implants

In the end, a board-certified oral surgeon should decide your candidacy for dental implants. As a result, don’t be afraid to seek out multiple views from different doctors.

Overall, full mouth dental implant operations have a success record of over 99 percent, making them one of the safest and most predictable procedures in dentistry. Dental implants improve a patient’s health, self-esteem, and quality of life. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Pollock today to find out if an oral surgeon is right for you. They most likely are!