According to experts, more than 26 million adults in America have been diagnosed with diabetes. Since tooth loss is one of the most common dental issues, many of these people are also missing teeth.
If you have diabetes and tooth loss, you may be wondering what your options are for tooth replacement. The good news is that dental implants are 100% safe for patients with diabetes- as long as their condition is under control. However, it is important to note that diabetic patients have a higher risk of implant failure compared to other patients.
At Arlington Dental Excellence, we have the experience and expertise to work with diabetic patients to find the best solution for their missing teeth.
All-on-4 Dental Implants for Diabetics
All-on-4 dental implants are a full-mouth tooth replacement solution. Other options, such as dentures and bridges, slip and slide around in the mouth and are not very stable. This instability makes it difficult to eat.
This is ideal for diabetic patients who are missing most or all of their teeth because it allows them to continue to eat a diabetic-friendly diet.
Is It Safe For Type 2 Diabetic Patients To Get Dental Implants?
According to researchers, as long as diabetic patients have their condition under control, dental implant surgery is safe and predictable. The complication and failure rate is very similar to healthy patients. This is wonderful news for diabetic patients who need to replace one or more teeth and want a safe, long-lasting alternative to traditional dentures.
However, there are some things you need to think about if you are considering getting dental implants, but also have diabetes.
Do you have your diabetes under control?
A review of several different studies revealed that the risk of complications and failures for patients who had control of their diabetes was about the same as for healthy patients.
On the other hand, patients with uncontrolled diabetes had a higher risk of developing an infection after surgery and experiencing implant failure.
Dental implants are inserted into the jawbone and depend on the natural healing process of the body. The jawbone should heal around and fuse to the implant. In addition, the gums require time to heal-which is what makes implants look, feel, and function more like natural teeth than dentures and/or bridges.
Typically, the healing process is slower for those who have diabetes than for those who are 100% clear. Therefore, we recommend you work with your medical provider to make sure that you have your diabetes under control before undergoing surgery to place dental implants.
Dental Implants Allow You to Maintain a Diabetes-Friendly Diet
Most of the healthy diabetic diets require you to eat a lot of fresh, whole foods. These foods require you to be able to bite/chew. Dental implants allow patients to eat these foods to make sure that they are healthy.
After all, dentures typically slip and slide around in the mouth. This can cause denture sores and gum tenderness, as well as make it hard to bite/chew certain foods. Fresh, whole foods can be almost impossible to eat. Therefore, patients tend to eat processed, high-carb foods, which makes it difficult to keep blood sugar levels under control.
Schedule Your Consultation Today with Arlington Dental Excellence
If you are a diabetic patient who is missing one or more teeth, you might be interested in exploring dental implants as an option. The team at Arlington Dental Excellence can work with you to determine whether or not you are a candidate for surgery. As long as you are healthy enough to undergo surgery, you can get dental implants.
Dental implants are the “gold standard” for replacing missing teeth. This option restores the natural look, feel, and function of your jaw. In addition, this option offers a variety of benefits.
We are conveniently located on Fairfax Road and our hours are Monday through Thursday 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM. On Friday, we are open 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Saturday, 8:00 and Sundays, we are available by appointment only.
