Got Diabetes? 3 Things That Can Cause Dental Implants To Fail

A dental implant is a common procedure to replace teeth that have been lost due to injury, infection, etc. If you have diabetes and your dentist has told you that you need a dental implant, your diabetes may complicate things in different ways. As long as you have good control over your diabetes, you can be treated like everyone else. You do have to take into consideration the changes that can happen in your body because of your diabetes that could affect the implant, however. Below are three things that can cause your dental implant procedure to fail either soon after the surgery or over time.

Periodontal Disease

If you do not have good control over your diabetes, you have a higher risk of developing periodontal disease. This disease can also affect your dental implant. This can be due to bacteria that is a result of high glucose levels in your mouth. Some people with diabetes have problems with dry mouth syndrome. This means your mouth does not have as much saliva. Saliva is important, as it keeps bacteria away from your mouth and gums and helps prevent tooth decay.

Delayed Wound Healing

With some diabetics, it can take much longer to recover from a wound no matter where the wound is, and in some cases, the wound will become so infected that it cannot recover. Because you have a wound on your gums after dental implant surgery, if it does not heal properly, your dental implant will fail.

In some cases, a dentist will need to do a root canal before they place the dental implant, which results in even more wounds on the gums.

Altered Bone Formation

Your diabetes may alter bone formation. If this happens, the bone around your implant will have diminished growth and bone mineral density (BMD). If you have diminished BMD, your bones, including the jaw bones, have a higher risk of breaking.

The dentist may send you to a doctor to have your BMD checked. They do this using a type of x-ray that measures how much minerals you have in your bones. If your BMD is too low, the dentist will likely suggest you not have the dental implant and go over other treatment options with you.

If you are having problems keeping your diabetes under control, speak with your medical doctor to help you. This can ensure you will have no problems with your dental implants. Your dentist can also go over the problems above with you in much more detail so you can understand them better. For more about this topic, contact local professionals.