Can You Get Dental Implants Years After a Tooth Extraction?

You had a tooth extracted years ago and are wondering whether it's too late to get a dental implants. To know whether you are a candidate for this procedure, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

Are you healthy?

Talk to your dental surgeon about any underlying health issues you may have.

Do you have diabetes, sinus or heart problems? Do you smoke?

These conditions do not necessarily disqualify your candidacy for implants but will help your dental surgeon to assess the risk and prepare adequately for the procedure.

Are your gums healthy?

To avoid complications, dental implants require healthy gums. Your dentist will examine your gums, teeth, and surrounding tissue and give a verdict. In case of infection, your dentist may recommend a treatment process before installing implants.

Do you have sufficient bone mass?

This is a critical question as dental implants are fixed into the jawbone. You, therefore, need sufficient bone mass around the area where the new tooth is to be implanted.

Unfortunately, when you lose a tooth, the bone mass around the extracted tooth begins to waste away. This means the longer you've been without a tooth, the less bone mass you are likely to have.

However, the situation varies from person to person. Your dentist may recommend a CT scan to ascertain the level of bone loss if any.

Fortunately, bone loss can be corrected to allow the installation of dental implants. You will first have to undergo a bone graft to restore the bone mass around the area of the extracted tooth. Once this has healed, the implant will be fixed normally.

Where is the tooth loss?

If it happens to be the upper molar, the sinus above the upper molar may have dropped with time. You may need an additional procedure called a sinus lift to create space for the implant in the sinus cavity.

Dental implants have a very high success rate. On rare occasions, failures and complications may occur. These are often due to the patient's failure to follow instructions. Take time to talk to your dentist and ask questions until you are satisfied, then follow the instructions to the letter. Remember to observe good oral hygiene and report any complications as soon as they occur.

Dental implants will not just replace your lost tooth; they will replace its beauty and restore its full functionality. They will also stop further bone loss and deterioration of your facial features. Don't wait any longer to get them. Contact a dentist near you, such as Kenneth Schweizer DDS PA, to start the process.