If your gums are currently suffering from periodontitis, there's a strong chance that you've experienced bone or even tooth loss. One possible solution for missing teeth is dental implants, which flawlessly and permanently replace a missing tooth. However, the health of your mouth will ultimately determine whether or not you can get dental implants. Read on to learn if you're a good candidate for dental implants, and if not, what you can do to become one.
Periodontitis and Candidacy for Dental Implants
Dental implants are replacement teeth that look, feel, and act like real teeth. Dentists permanently fasten them to your gumline by screwing the implant into your jawbone. This procedure requires you to have a healthy jawbone as well as healthy gums in order to properly secure the position of the dental implant.
Unfortunately, this means that most patients with periodontitis aren't initially good candidates for receiving dental implants. Periodontitis causes gums to recede and bleed, and often causes bone loss in the jaw. However, if you currently have periodontitis and need one or more teeth replaced, there's still hope.
How To Get Dental Implants
The good news is, with care from a dentist, periodontitis can be reversed. After a thorough cleaning, scaling, and possibly antibiotics depending on the severity of the infection, gum tissue will heal and grow back to its initial position.
Bone loss may take a bit longer to recover, as the body has to remineralize the bone that's become thin or brittle. However, with adequate nutrition and calcium, your jawbone will eventually strengthen to the point where it can support a dental implant.
Make A Plan With Your Dentist
If you currently have periodontitis, make an appointment with a dentist like those at Webster Cosmetic Dental LTD immediately. The sooner you begin, the sooner you can have your teeth replaced.
In addition to your initial exam and cleaning, to begin the process of recovering from periodontitis, talk to your dentist about your desire for dental implants. Your dentist will assess the condition of your gums and jaw to determine if you're an eligible candidate for an implant now. If the periodontitis has progressed too far and you're not currently eligible, your dentist will work with you to care for your mouth until your gums have healed and your jaw bone is strong enough for a dental implant.
Dental implants can restore the appearance of a smile, and once in place, can help to keep the jaw bone strong. Once your mouth is healthy enough for dental implants, make sure to maintain a regular appointment schedule with your dentist to prevent periodontitis from ever returning and causing more teeth to fall out.
Share30 December 2016
Hi, my name is Kevin Nelson and I want to tell you about my experience. I had a painful tooth so I went to see my dentist. After the examination, he said that I needed to have a root canal to save the tooth. I told the dentist to just pull the tooth instead and then he explained why that wasn't a good idea. He said that pulling the tooth would cause additional problems and then he told me what could happen. I didn't want any more problems, so the dentist did the root canal and I'm glad that he did. I wanted to write a blog to tell others about the benefits of a root canal and what to expect during the procedure. I hope that by getting the word out, other people won't make the same mistake that I almost did by getting a perfectly good tooth pulled.