Are Dental Implants Safe for Diabetics?

Living with diabetes is a difficult situation on its own. Your life can even become harder when dealing with tooth loss. Your diet is limited, and your bite function can be greatly impaired. Fortunately, you can qualify for replacement procedures such as dental implants, bridges, and dentures. Wearing dentures and bridges can be uncomfortable and increase your risk of oral infections.

However, dental implants offer the most natural-looking, comfortable, and long-lasting options. If well installed and cared for, you won’t ever need to replace an implant – they should last forever. Unfortunately, getting a dental implant requires surgical intervention, and your diabetes can pose a problem to the healing process. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t qualify for the treatment. Your dentist will determine whether implants are safe for you.

Are Dental Implants Safe and Necessary for Diabetics?

Dental implants are safe for patients with controlled diabetes. They are also necessary to replace missing teeth, positively affecting your oral and overall wellness. For instance, missing teeth can affect your chewing ability, leading to malnutrition. Also, it can encourage teeth misalignments and increase the risk of plaque and bacteria buildup, leading to cavities, gum disease, and oral infections.

Apart from affecting your oral health, these oral issues can worsen diabetes. For this reason, replacing lost teeth with implants is essential to maintain a well-balanced diet, prevent misalignments, and eliminate inflammation and infections. However, it’s worth noting that people with diabetes require special pre and post-implant care to ensure successful treatment.

How Does Diabetes Affect My Ability to Get Dental Implants?

According to research, dental implants procedures are safe and predictable if the diabetes is under control. Fortunately, if you don’t qualify for implants, you can opt for alternatives such as dentures and bridges. Still, here are a few considerations for people with diabetes wondering whether implants are safe.

• Is your diabetes under control?

According to studies, patients with controlled diabetes have no more risk of developing after-surgery complications than non-diabetic counterparts. However, patients with uncontrolled diabetes are likely to experience post-procedure infections and implant failure.

Usually, implants are attached to the jawbone through surgery. The implant must heal and fuse with the jawbone using the body’s natural healing processes. The gums must also heal around the implant to give it a natural appearance. Because diabetes delays the healing process, patients with uncontrolled diabetes might experience difficulties healing.

• Type of diabetes

Generally, patients with type 1 diabetes have higher risks of getting dental implants than those with type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is more severe and hard to control than type 2 diabetes which is easier to manage. Working with the best oral surgeon and doctors will help you control your diabetes before placing the implant.

• General wellness

In addition to diabetes, patients with other health conditions and poor lifestyle habits have a higher risk of implant failure. These can include:

• Smoking. Tobacco delays the recovery process and increases the risk of after-surgery infections.
• Gum disease. Infected gums may be insufficient to heal and support the implants properly.
• Unhealthy jawbone. Even for non-diabetics, an unhealthy or insufficient jawbone can lead to implant failure. Your dentist can perform a bone graft to rebuild damaged bone and install the implant successfully.
• Poor oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene increases your risk of infection and implant failure.

Dental implants can help you maintain a diabetes-healthy diet.

When you’re diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor will change your diet. You’ll notice that healthier diets for people with diabetes require fresh and whole foods. Missing teeth and uncomfortable dentures might not offer sufficient chewing ability for such foods. Since implants offer the strength and stability of natural teeth, you’ll be able to enjoy a balanced diet without difficulty or limitations. It will help stabilize your blood sugars and help control your diabetes better.

Talk to your oral surgeon

Contact KK Dental – Somerset to speak with our dentist in Somerset for more information about dental implants near you.