How to Get a Great Smile

Posted on: 24 June 2019

There are few physical limitations that can prevent someone from being a suitable candidate for receiving dental implants. If a permanent tooth has been lost and a permanent replacement is desired, then the person can go through with the process. A large part of that process is simply waiting. This waiting is required for the site of the implant to heal. It's a multistage process that starts with the insertion of the actual implant into your jaw, which is a titanium bolt. The healing portion is necessary for osseointegration, which is when the bone in your jaw fuses itself to the implant, making it strong enough to hold a tooth. The implant is then topped with an abutment before a prosthetic tooth is attached. The success of this healing process can be problematic when someone has diabetes. Does this mean a person with diabetes isn't a suitable candidate for dental implants? 

Slow-Healing Wounds

A dentist making precise incisions in the tissues of your jaw in order to place an implant isn't the same as you accidentally cutting yourself, but it still creates a wound. With diabetes, your blood sugar can be elevated, which can result in a greater level of inflammation around aggravated tissues (the wound), as well as reducing the amount of oxygen and other nutrients necessary for healing to be adequately fed to the site via your blood. So, while someone with diabetes can heal their own wounds without medical intervention, it can take longer than someone who isn't affected by diabetes.

A Little Longer

You can still receive a dental implant when you have diabetes, but the timeframe can be somewhat different, as is it can take longer than you might have anticipated. The healing process is essential for successful osseointegration since without this, the implant will fail. It might be that the necessary time for osseointegration will be longer in your case. The process can still be finalised, but the crucial healing period will be prolonged, with regular monitoring of your progress. The precise time required can be difficult to estimate, as the type and severity of your diabetes will play a role.

Postoperative Monitoring

Regular monitoring will also be necessary once the implant has been finalised. The effect that diabetes has on your ability to heal can also make you more susceptible to postoperative infections, which can also jeopardise the implant. As such, your dentist might schedule a number of appointments in the months after the implant has been finished.

So while you can still receive a dental implant when you have diabetes, the whole process might take longer than you were expecting.