Can You Get Dental Implants if You Have Gum Disease?
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If you’ve lost one or more teeth or need to have a tooth extracted, you may be considering dental implants as a tooth replacement option. Dental implants can offer Bay City, MI patients a variety of oral health benefits, but they do rely on bone levels and a healthy oral environment in order to successfully replace missing teeth. When conditions, like gum (periodontal) disease, impact your oral health, they may interfere with your ability to receive dental implants. Read on as Dr. Matthew Ward of Bay City Dental Center explains how implants work and if you can get teeth implants when gum disease is impacting your smile.
What is periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease, commonly referred to as gum disease, is an inflammatory infection caused by bacteria that live within the plaque in your mouth. As the infection advances, the gums can become irritated and pull away from the teeth, creating pockets beneath the gumline where further plaque and bacteria can collect. Without treatment, gum disease can progressively destroy the gum tissues and underlying jawbone. Dr. Ward and our team offer gum disease treatments to help patients throughout Bay City, Saginaw, and Midland, MI improve their oral health and become better implant candidates.
Common symptoms of gum disease
Gum disease is often referred to as the “silent disease” since many people have it but are completely unaware of its presence. At Bay City Dental Center, Dr. Ward and our team routinely screen for this condition during comprehensive dental assessment visits. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of periodontal disease are:
- Gum recession
- Tender, swollen, or red gums
- Gums that bleed when you floss or brush
- A persistent bad taste or bad breath
- Shifting or loose teeth
- Changes in your bite
- Pus around the teeth and gums
- Bone loss in the jaw
- Periodontal pockets over 3 millimeters deep
If you are considering implants for your tooth replacement, it's important to first have a gum disease screening with an experienced Bay City Michigan dentist, such as Dr. Ward.
How implants work
Dental implants are screw-like structures that can replace anywhere from one to a whole arch of missing or damaged teeth. They are surgically placed within the jawbone to function as artificial tooth roots and fuse with the jaw over time, providing solid support for an implant-crown, bridge, or denture. In order for dental implants to effectively replace missing teeth, they must be surrounded by adequate bone levels and a disease-free environment. If gum disease is present, it's essential to get the condition treated and under control first before moving forward with implant placement.
Prepare your jaw for dental implants
If you have periodontal disease, yet want implants to replace missing teeth, Dr. Ward may recommend that you undergo gum disease treatments at Bay City Dental Center first to reduce the risk of peri-implantitis and improve your oral health. Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory condition, similar to gum disease, that impacts the bone and gums surrounding implants. If bone loss has occurred in the jaw, a bone grafting procedure may also be recommended to create the necessary foundation for your tooth replacement.
Increase your candidacy for dental implants
Dental implants are a viable tooth replacement option for a number of Bay City, MI patients. But they do work best when healthy bone is present and in the absence of periodontal disease. Find out if gum disease treatment can help increase your candidacy for dental implants by scheduling a visit at Bay City Dental Center today. Dr. Matthew Ward and our team want you to experience good oral health and look forward to helping you achieve and enjoy a beautiful, confident smile!