Can Diabetic Patients Get Dental Implants?
[M.D.S. (Ortho), Fellow ICOI]
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that occurs when your body cannot control blood sugar levels. Over time, diabetes is accompanied by various health problems followed by damaging the body’s organs. Moreover, diabetes is well-known for slowing down the body’s healing abilities.
As delayed healing can intrude in the treatments taken for various ailments, many complications will arise. It raises questions among people regarding the willingness of those treatments. Getting a dental implant is one of them.
Many people asked us, “Can I get dental implants even if I have diabetes?“
The elevated sugar levels do not obstruct diabetic patients from getting implants but they have limited implant success rates. We explained it in detail here.
How does diabetes affect one’s ability to get implants?
Fixing dental implants involves inserting a metallic post into the gums surgically. It integrates with the jawbone and acts as an artificial root for the implanted teeth. For a successful implant fixation, the gums around the inserted posts should heal properly.
Increased blood sugar levels intervene in the implant treatments to a certain extent but it does not mean that diabetic patients cannot get dental implants.
It is a common myth that diabetes hinders the healing process and there is a high chance of infection after implants.
Is it possible for a diabetic person to get implants?
Yes. Dental implant surgery is possible and safe for people with diabetes. But relies on some considerations as follows:
- Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes – Dentists would assess the medical records to detect whether a patient has type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. This is because type 1 diabetes is difficult to control and gives rise to various problems with implants.
- Is diabetes under control? – It is taken into account because people with controlled diabetes have higher implant success rates and have a low risk of complications.
It does not mean that people with type 1 diabetes or uncontrolled diabetes cannot get implant teeth. However, the advancements in dentistry have brought a wide variety of solutions for diabetic people to have successful dental implant surgical procedures.
What are the dental implant procedures available for people with diabetes?
Once we found if a patient is not an ideal candidate for getting implants, we prepare a customized pre-implant treatment plan to match his/her needs. Then, we choose the right type of implant as listed below that does not need to reach the bone.
- Mini Dental Implants
- Teeth in a Day
- All-on-4 dental implants
We insert the implant posts in a way causing less damage to the gum tissues.
Bottom line
Even though diabetes lessens the success rates of dental implant treatments, dentists try their best with proper pre-implant solutions to get the implant teeth fixed. However, the rest lies on how well the patients’ activities like maintaining a diabetes-healthy diet to keeping the blood sugar levels in control.
Do you want to know more about post-implant activities for diabetic patients? contact Lakshme Dental Hospital or book your appointment with us today.
