Are You a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Everyone wants to have a beautiful smile full of healthy teeth. Sometimes, whether due to injury, accident, or decay, your smile may not look the way you want. If you’re missing one or more teeth, it can affect your oral health as well as your aesthetic appearance. Dental implants near San Jose are a permanent way to replace missing teeth, and offer durability and a natural appearance that dentures can’t match. To find out if you might be a good candidate for dental implants, keep reading and schedule a consultation with your dentist.

Current Status

The first step in knowing whether you are a good candidate for dental implants is to have your current oral health evaluated. If you are missing at least one tooth, there is a good chance that you may be able to have it replaced with a dental implant. In order to get a dental implant, you must have healthy gums. Your dentist will evaluate your periodontal health, and give you a treatment plan to improve gum disease if it is present. You must also have sufficient jaw bone left to support the dental implant. If you have lost bone in your jaw, there are procedures that can be used to rebuild it to make you a candidate for dental implants.

Life Stages

There are certain reasons that some people might not be the best candidates for dental implants. For example, dental implants are only a good choice for adults whose jaws have stopped growing. A younger person missing a tooth is not a good candidate for dental implants, as his or her jaw is still growing, which will affect the placement of the implant. Pregnant women should also wait to get dental implants. If you are unwilling or unable to follow a dentist’s instructions in caring for dental implants, it may be a better idea to seek an alternative to implants. Proper care for dental implants includes not smoking, keeping up with dental hygiene, and making sure to follow up on a regular basis with your dentist.