Not Everyone is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants: Do You Qualify

At California Dental Group we’ve found that many people who have lost teeth assume that the only damage that’s done is to their appearance. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. A missing tooth can make it difficult to chew properly, can lead to misalignment of other teeth, and can cause other issues. The good news is that there are many options today to fix these problems. One of the most popular is dental implants – but you may be surprised to know that they’re not for everyone.

Dental implants are a great long-term fix

One of the reasons that we often recommend dental implants is because they’re a great long-term solution that restores your smile. We’d go so far as to say that the development and improvement of dental implants is one of the biggest advances in the field of dentistry for 40 or more years.

These implants are made with materials that are compatible with the human body, such as titanium. Essentially, it begins with surgically placing a post into the jaw, which is then used as an anchor for the replacement tooth. Most people who get implants report that they’re stable, secure, and that they serve as a good replacement for natural teeth.

Missing teeth isn’t the only requirement for dental implants

While having one or more missing teeth is the first requirement for dental implants, it’s not the only one. Before California Dental Group recommends a dental implant or any other dental procedure, we need to get a close look at your teeth and know what we’re dealing with. There are a number of way we can do that, including using an intraoral camera.

This camera is very magnified and gives us images of your mouth. We’ll take a number of images from different angles. We may also use panoramic x-rays. This gives us a picture of your mouth as a whole – including your jaw, teeth, and the surrounding structures. These types of x-rays are a great way for us to find periodontal disease, TMJ, oral cancer, cysts, and other issues.

A review of your panoramic x-rays tells us what we need to know

We’ll take a look at the panoramic x-ray to make sure that the bone can handle the implant. We’ll need to consider both the width and height of the bone where we’d need to install the implant. If there isn’t enough bone there, or the quality isn’t good enough, there may be other options, including bone grafting.

Are you a good candidate? Consult with us today

If you’re missing teeth and want to improve your smile then we’d be happy to assess you for dental implants. Give us a call at California Dental Group and we’ll get you started!