During an initial consultation with the physician you’d like to conduct your implant surgery, he or she will determine your candidacy. For those that are physically healthy and currently have the natural teeth in place, dental implants are generally a workable solution. In order to determine candidacy, the dental office will look at two primary areas: overall medical health and the state of the bone in your mouth.
Medical Health for Dental Implants
We have a Medical FAQ sheet that is on the website that lists out specific questions that we have received. In many cases we can work around many medical situations by working with the patient’s physician.
If a patient is taking fosamax or boneva (bisphosponate) the rule of thumb for invasive dental surgery is that you must take a drug holiday. You will need to be off your medication for 8 weeks before surgery then wait another 8 weeks after surgery before starting your medication again. If you have ever been on I. V. medications for bone loss then you may not be a candidate for surgery. Blood work may also be ordered to see your bisphosponate medication level.
Substantial Bone In the Mouth
In order for the implant to secure to the mouth, there must be enough bone where the implants will be placed. If there is not enough bone, this can often times be fixed with bone grafting. What many patients don’t realize is that when a tooth comes out of the mouth, the bone begins to deteriorate. So in order for the dental implant to be placed in natural bone, the implant needs to be placed relatively soon. Click here to learn more about bone grafting.