Am I A Candidate? - Gibsonia, PA

Are You a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

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No Need to Live Life with Missing Teeth

If you’re one of the 178 million people in the U.S. with a missing tooth, you may be considering dental implants for tooth replacement. The perfect candidate for a dental implant is in good oral and general health, with gum tissue free from periodontal disease, adequate bone, and a commitment to maintaining their oral health. But even if your case is more complex and you have multiple missing teeth and more extensive bone loss, we can help you become a good candidate for dental implants in Gibsonia, PA. In fact, due to the fantastic reputation of our implant dentist Dr. Jarrett Foust, we frequently get referrals for patients with more complex cases that were turned away by other dental practices. We encourage you to read our wonderful patient testimonials, because they speak volumes about what sets our practice apart.

We frequently get referrals for patients with more complex cases that were turned away by other dental practices.

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Why Dental Implant Experience Matters

While no other restorative treatment provides the advantages of dental implants, experience matters. Receiving dental implants is a complex treatment that requires greater skills than other restorative solutions. If you have many missing teeth and bone loss or are suffering from oral infection, this adds to the complexity and the need for a highly qualified and experienced clinician. A recent study found that 12% of implants failed when clinicians had less than five years of experience in the field. And the risk of failure doubled when the surgeon had performed less than 50 implantations in his career.

Dr. Foust has placed more than 1,500 dental implants and has advanced training and credentials to handle the most complex cases. He is a graduate of the prestigious Misch International Implant Institute, which has set the standards for dental implant education since its founding in 1984. He also attained Diplomate status from the esteemed International Congress of Oral Implantologists, the world’s largest dental implant organization and provider of continuing dental implant education.

Issues That Can Impact Implant Outcomes

The first step in determining if you’re a candidate for dental implants in Gibsonia, PA is to set up a complimentary consultation. During this consultation, we’ll discuss your smile goals, perform an oral exam, and use a CBCT scanner to evaluate the health of your underlying bone structure and surrounding soft tissues. We’ll also ask for your dental and medical records, in order to assess any systemic conditions or harmful lifestyle habits (such as smoking) that could impede dental implant success. Patient education is integral to our practice philosophy, so we go above and beyond to help you understand the steps needed to achieve optimal dental health. During your first visit, we’ll discuss potential issues that could impact dental implant outcomes, because we think it’s important for you to be informed ahead of time.

Factors That Can Negatively Affect Dental Implant Candidacy

Moderate to advanced gum disease can weaken and dissolve tissue and bone. Dental implants need a healthy oral environment in order to ensure long-term success. To prevent less optimal outcomes, active gum disease requires treatment before dental implants can be placed. Even after the infection is resolved, you may need bone or gum grafts to ensure that the dental implants fuse with your bone.

In order for dental implants to fully integrate with your bone, healthy jaw bone density is required. If diagnostic imaging reveals that your bones are insufficient to support a dental implant, bone grafting procedures can help you qualify for dental implants.

Multiple studies show smokers have a higher risk of dental implant failure. Smoking affects oral and general health, increasing your vulnerability to infections and delaying wound healing. If you smoke, we recommend quitting six months prior to implant surgery to increase the chance of dental implants properly fusing with your bone.
Diabetes makes it more difficult for your body to heal after surgery, and it raises the risk of postsurgical infection. If you have diabetes, this can prevent dental implant fusion with your jawbone or delay it considerably. A well-balanced diet, exercise and proper disease control can increase the likelihood of a successful dental implant outcome.

Medications such as steroids or immune-system depressants can impair dental implant fusion with the jawbone, while corticosteroid therapy may reduce bone density and increase tissue frailty. Chemotherapy and radiation can also impact dental implant outcomes. Taking these medications doesn’t exclude you from getting dental implants, but our team will modify your treatment plan to help ensure the most optimal results.

Peri-implantitis is an infectious inflammatory condition that impacts the integrity of a dental implant. It’s similar to gum disease in that it destroys bone around the natural tooth roots, but its progression is far more aggressive. In early stages, mild symptoms include swollen gums and mouth tenderness or sensitivity. Side effects worsen the longer the infection goes untreated, thereby raising the risk of implant failure. Prevention includes treating gum disease and infection prior to dental implant surgery and maintaining good oral hygiene after surgery.

  • Enjoy beautiful, natural-looking restorations
  • Laugh, smile and speak with confidence
  • Eat all your favorite foods again
  • Get a long-lasting smile for life
  • Protect your bone health and facial esthetics
  • Eliminate issues associated with traditional dentures
  • Live a happier life with ease and maximum comfort

Customized Solutions Designed for You

At Smile! Dental Center, we’ve helped countless patients restore incomplete smiles. When you entrust our practice with your smile, we’ll create a personalized dental implant treatment that reflects your individual health, functional and esthetic goals. Part of the process involves understanding what you want to accomplish, whether you’re missing just one tooth or you have more extensive tooth loss. Dental implants are the most versatile solution because they can restore one tooth, a segment of teeth, upper or lower arches, or provide full mouth rehabilitation. Our team is dedicated to providing a superb experience with outstanding esthetic and functional results that will inspire you to smile all the time! If another practice said you don’t qualify for dental implants, we can make your dream smile become a reality. Our team will help you become a good candidate for dental implants in Gibsonia, PA if we believe it’s the most clinically sound solution to fit your unique needs.

Dental implants restore millions of smiles a year.

Begin your journey to a new smile by scheduling a visit!

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Schedule a visit with our friendly dentist at Smile! Dental Center.