If you’re considering full arch dental implants to replace your missing teeth, you may be wondering if you’re a good candidate for the procedure. Full arch dental implants can be an excellent option for those who are missing most or all of their teeth, but not everyone is a good fit for this type of treatment. Here are some factors to consider when determining if you’re a good candidate for full arch dental implants.
1. Overall Health
Your overall health is an important factor to consider when it comes to full arch dental implants. You should be in good health and free from any conditions that could interfere with the healing process, such as diabetes or an autoimmune disorder. Additionally, it’s important to maintain good oral hygiene habits to prevent any potential complications after the procedure.
2. Bone Density
In order for full arch dental implants to be successful, there must be enough bone density in the jaw to support the implants. Your dentist will perform a CT scan to evaluate the density of your jawbone and determine if you may or may not have enough bone in order to support the dental implants. In case Dr. Hanookai diagnose that you don’t have the necessary bone density, she may recommend bone grafting for dental implants before she can start the implant procedure.
3. Age
While full arch dental implants can be an excellent option for seniors, age is still a factor to consider. The ideal candidate for full arch dental implants is in good overall health and has adequate bone density, regardless of their age. However, if you are older and have been without teeth for an extended period of time, you may have experienced significant bone loss that could affect your candidacy for this procedure.
4. Lifestyle
Your lifestyle can also play a role in determining if you’re a good candidate for full arch dental implants. If you smoke, have poor oral hygiene habits, or have a history of teeth grinding or clenching, you may not be an ideal candidate for this procedure. Smoking and poor oral hygiene can both increase the risk of complications and implant failure, while teeth grinding and clenching can put excessive pressure on the implants and damage them over time.
5. Expectations
Finally, it’s important to consider your expectations for the outcome of the procedure. While full arch dental implants can provide excellent results, they may not be suitable for everyone. Your dentist can help you determine if your expectations are realistic and if this procedure is the best option for you. Additionally, it’s important to have a realistic timeline in mind for the implant procedure, as it can take several months to complete from start to finish.
In conclusion, full arch dental implants can be an excellent option for those who are missing most or all of their teeth. However, it’s important to consider factors such as overall health, bone density, age, lifestyle, and expectations before deciding if this procedure is right for you. If you’re interested in full arch dental implants, talk to your dentist to determine if you’re a good candidate for the procedure.
At Southland Dental Care, we specialize in full arch dental implants and dental implants for seniors. Our experienced team can evaluate your unique needs and determine if full arch dental implants are the right choice for you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
See Our Full Arch Dental Implants Before and Afters
Recognizing Early Signs of Tooth Loss
There are a number of early signs that tooth loss is coming. Knowing and watching for these important things will help you prepare or take steps to avoid tooth loss. They include the following:
- Chronic Gum Swelling
- Gum Recession
- Persistent Tooth Pain
- Loose Teeth in Adults
- Bad Breath
- Advanced Tooth Decay
- Chronic Gum DIsease
- Excessive Tooth Sensitivity
- Broken or Cracked Teeth
If you have one or more of these ongoing issues, then there is a good chance you may be on the road to slow progression or sudden tooth loss.
Common Causes and Risk Factors
The number one common cause of tooth loss is gum disease. In fact almost three quarters of tooth loss patients suffered their problems from this chronic illness. Other tooth loss causes can include injury, cavities, diabetes, and other diseases. The risk of developing the problem is higher due to the following risk factors: poor dental hygiene, poor nutrition, smoking, diabetes, chronic high blood pressure, and being born male.
Psychological and Physical Implications
The implications that come along with tooth loss can affect you in a number of ways. Mentally, it can cause frustration, embarrassment, anxiety and even depression. After all, we are always taught that our smile is our best foot forward. The physical implications of tooth loss can include bacteria entering the gums and causing further gum disease or even a painful gum abscess. You could end up losing bone and tissue, and if you lose much, then it can even change the look of your face. Changes to tooth alignment can lead to problems eating and even ongoing pain from improper bite. You can also experience ongoing jaw pain and toothache.
As you can see, catching tooth loss early can avoid quite a bit of pain for yourself. However, if you are experiencing tooth loss already, you do have options that we could help you with.
Evaluating Candidacy for Dental Implants
Before you can move forward with a dental implant procedure, we will need to do a full assessment to evaluate your candidacy for this option. The good news is we do offer a complimentary evaluation along with x-rays and a CT-scan.
Dental Health Prerequisites
There are a few things we will need to evaluate before we can determine if you meet dental implant candidacy. In order to improve the dental implant success rate, we want to make sure you are a good candidate. Otherwise, we may wish to speak with you about other options. We will need to look at your jaw and assess your bone density for implants. We will also need to consider your overall health and any ongoing habits that could cause issues in the future.
Basically, you have to be old enough that your jaw has stopped growing. You must have generally healthy gums. And, you must have enough bone to support the implants.
Assessing Bone Density and Volume
First, we will assess bone density and volume. You must have enough healthy bone to support the implants. If we identify issues with bone density, this may not completely end your candidacy, but we may need to look at doing bone graft procedures to build up the healthy bone in the area.
Health and Lifestyle Considerations
Certain health and lifestyle conditions may make you a poor candidate for dental implants. Any of the following would fall into this category.
- Uncontrolled Diabetes
- Cancer Patients
- Patients Who’ve Received Radiation to the Jaw
- Uncontrolled Gum Disease
Additionally, if you smoke or are an alcoholic, this could also eliminate your candidacy. Other issues to note include people who take immunosuppressants, people who grind their teeth at night, or people who chronically clench their jaws.
Age-Related Considerations
Dental implants can be safe for older patients, but elderly individuals may be more at risk to complications due to age related issues. These issues may include uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke risk and heart disease. Also, elderly individuals may not have enough bone mass for the procedure. Age is a consideration, but is certainly not an automatic disqualification.
When Dental Implants Might Not Be Suitable
There are times when dental implants simply are not suitable. That doesn’t mean you have no options though. If the potential risk factors are too high compared to the reward or you do not meet the prerequisites, then we will discuss dental implant alternatives available to you.
Potential Risk Factors
You do need to know the risk factors associated with dental implants and we will evaluate those carefully before moving forward with your procedure Here is a list of those factors for you to consider in advance:
Bacteria build up due to poor dental hygiene could lead to gum recession, exposing the implants.
Any medical procedure could pose a risk of infection. Again, poor dental hygiene could lead to infection after the procedure.
Implants could be rejected by the body’s immune system. This risk factor is aggravated by smoking and teeth grinding.
If you smoke, you will need to take steps toward cessation. If you grind your teeth, then we will need to discuss a therapy for that before going forward with dental implants. If you are on immunosuppressant medications, your risk for infection increases. Finally, you must be willing to practice good oral hygiene in the future in order to avoid risk of implant loss.
Exploring Alternative Solutions
Dental implants are not the only missing teeth solutions, and if they are not suitable for you, then we can discuss other options and dental implant options. In addition to medical or physical reasons that a person may not be eligible, the cost of dental implants may also be a factor.
Depending on the extent of your tooth loss or damage, other options available to you may include: bridges, crowns, dentures, or flippers. Even if you decide to not move forward with implants, either because you don’t qualify or you are not interested in dental implant risks, then we would still like to discuss your options and alternatives with you.
Financial Aspects of Opting for Dental Implants
The financial aspects of dental implants can be a deciding factor for some patients. Let’s take a look at the breakdown of costs you can expect from dental implant procedures. We will also discuss insurance discounts and payment options.
Cost Breakdown and Analysis
Here is a breakdown of full mouth dental implants cost:
A complimentary exam, consultation, x-rays and CT scan. We want to get started on the right foot and help you determine if you will qualify for dental implants. To start with, if you only need a single tooth replaced, the cost will be around $2500 and $3200 depending on the tooth placement and integrity of surrounding teeth and bone. If you need full mouth dental implants, the cost will be around $13,900.
There are a number of other associated procedures that may be needed in addition to the implant cost.
- X-rays and CT scans. These are fully complementary with us.
- Bone graft. This may be needed and will start at $250 depending on extensiveness.
- Teeth extraction. Depending on extensiveness, this could cost from $75 to $250
The costs of dental implants can become quite high. Understanding these expenses is vital to helping you make a decision for your own dental needs.
Insurance Discounts and Payment Plans
While for the most part, dental insurance will not fully cover implants, there are some parts of the procedure that can be covered. Additionally, some medical insurance may even cover some of the procedures. It can be a hard area to navigate, though. So here are some things to consider about dental insurance for implants.
Insurance may cover medically necessary areas, like tooth extraction and crown placement. It generally will not cover bone graft and placement of the implants because this part is considered purely cosmetic and not medically necessary.
Be sure to contact both your dental and medical insurance companies to discuss your plan and coverage.
Here at Southland Dental Care, we offer payment plans so that you can afford implants even if your insurance will not cover them. Single tooth implants start at just $69 a month and full mouth dental implants start at just $350 a month. We want to help you get the smile you deserve, so our goal is to help you afford dental implants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now that you have a very good understanding of dental implants, what to expect, the risks and the rewards, here are some dental implant FAQs to answer any lingering questions you may have.
1. How long will dental implants last?
If they are properly cared for, they can last a lifetime.
2. What kind of cost will there be if something needs to be fixed?
Many times, there is no cost. We will be glad to evaluate and repair any damage to your implants in the future. If there is a cost, we will discuss it with you first.
3. Are dental implants removable?
No. Unlike dentures, implants are designed to be permanent and are not removable.
4. Will the treatment be painful?
As with any surgical procedure, there will be discomfort. We help to minimize that by providing local or general anesthetic during the implant surgery and we will help manage the pain during recovery as well through post-surgery dental care and follow up appointments.
5. How long will the procedure take?
Depending on the depth of the surgery, this can vary. To do a single tooth implant, you can expect around an hour. For whole mouth implants, the time can be somewhere between 2-4 hours.
What May Make You an Unlikely Candidate
Some conditions that may affect candidacy include:
- Jawbone still growing (young patients)
- Expectant mothers
- Heavy smoking or alcohol abuse
- Uncontrolled chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, radiation treatments)
- Teeth grinding or jaw clenching
- Use of steroids or immunosuppressants
Many of these may be temporary or manageable, so a consultation is always recommended.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7518499/
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/dental-devices/dental-implants-what-you-should-know
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/dental-implant-surgery/about/pac-20384622
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