Dental Implants and Diabetes
Do you have diabetes and have recently been told you may need dental implants? If so, you may be wondering how dental implants impact people with diabetes and what, if any, risks or benefits dental implants may have on you. Rest assured, not only is it safe for diabetics to get dental implants, it is also beneficial to their overall health.
Dental Implants and Dentures in Diabetics
Patients missing one or more of their teeth need to consider their options for tooth replacement. Missing teeth pose numerous health risks and in general negatively impact your overall quality of life. Dental implants represent a more permanent option for tooth replacement than dentures. Although more expensive, implants lead to improved patient outcomes. Because they are not removable like dentures, they are just as solid as natural teeth. This translates to the best possible eating and speaking outcomes. This is especially important with diabetics because it helps to promote a well-balanced diet. As you may know, the healthiest diets for people living with diabetes is a diet that includes fresh, whole foods. This tends to lead to chewing firmer foods. Because of the permanent nature of implants, they do not move around like dentures. This makes it easier for you to eat the foods you need to maintain your overall health as a diabetic.
Dentures tend to be more prone to movement, which can lead to soreness and tender gums. Dental implants on the other hand stay in place. This reduces inflammation, irritation, and infection which all cause you to be more prone to eating less or less healthy foods, which can in turn create complications with managing your diabetes.
Does diabetes affect my ability to get implants?
Researchers have concluded that in patients who have their diabetes under control, implants are safe. Additionally, in those patients, researchers saw a complication rate similar to patients without diabetes. This is great news if you are a diabetic and you’re your diabetes under control. Here are some factors to consider when determining what is right for you.
What type of Diabetes do you have?
There is a difference in dental implant outcomes for patients with type 1 versus type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is often harder to control. This translates to a slightly higher rate of complication in patients with type 1 diabetes when getting dental implants. This does not mean that if you have type 1 diabetes you should not get dental implants, however. It just means that you and your oral surgeon should be more thorough in evaluating your overall medical and dental history. Your oral surgeon will need to examine your body’s overall risks of infections based on prior procedures to determine what a typical timeline for healing may be.
Additionally, research suggests that age may play a larger role in diabetic patients than their non-diabetic counterparts. This is because the longer you’ve had diabetes, the more susceptible you are to infections and slower healing processes. With this information, you and your oral surgeon will be able to better assess your overall complication risks to make an informed determination on if dental implants are right for you.
Is your diabetes under control?
It is true that in patients with controlled diabetes, researchers have determined that there is no more inherent risk of complication than in non-diabetic patients when it comes to dental implants. The same cannot be said for patients with diabetes that is not well controlled. In those patients, researchers found an increased risk of complications than non-diabetic patients. Researchers also found that these patients had a higher risk for infections as well as implant failure. This is because dental implants are embedded into the bones of the jaw and gums. Following the procedure, your body will rely on its natural healing processes to rebuild and repair tissues in the jawbone. This rebuilding is what allows the bone to fuse to the posts that are installed for the implants. Additionally, your gums will have to heal. It is the fusing of jaw, gum, and implant that makes dental implants look and function like real teeth. In people with diabetes however, the healing process can be slower. This is especially true in diabetic patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Therefore, it is important for you and your oral surgeon to consider the degree to which your diabetes is under control prior to getting implants. If your diabetes is not under control and you want to get implants, you, your doctor, and your oral surgeon can work together to get your diabetes under control and then move forward with the implant procedure.
What is your general health like?
General health is a more important factor in determining if you are a good candidate for dental implants than age is. This is especially true for patients with diabetes because any general health issues can combine with risks associated with diabetes to amplify the risk of complication associated with dental implants. In general, there are several overall health factors to consider before determining if you are a good candidate for implants. You may not be a good candidate if you have periodontal disease, have low bone density, have been treated for oral cancer, or have an additional condition that can impact your ability to heal. Additionally, if you are a smoker, you are not a good candidate for implants because smoking decreases your body’s ability to heal which compounds any healing issues associated with diabetes. Similarly, if you are unwilling or uninterested in following the post procedure guidelines for healing, implants may not be right for you.
Overall, dental implants are a safe, healthy choice for patients with diabetes who require teeth replacement. Implants can help ensure a healthy mouth, which in turn can allow you to manage a healthy diet, which is good for people who have diabetes. There are several factors to consider however if you have diabetes and need teeth replacement. Talk to your oral surgeon and discuss your overall risks to determine if dental implants are right for you.
