Missing teeth can be extremely disruptive. You might struggle to chew or speak normally with lost teeth. And you might feel self-conscious about the way your smile appears with gaps. Tooth loss can leave you vulnerable to further oral health problems as well. But fortunately, a dentist can help you replace these missing teeth.
Dental implants offer the most comprehensive tooth replacement advantages, but not all patients will qualify for this treatment. A dentist will evaluate your dental structure to determine your eligibility for these fixtures, and your gums will play a role in whether you can support the implant or not.
Gum disease, an infection of the gum tissue, will severely harm the gums in a way that impacts the rest of your smile. Read on to learn more about how your gum health can affect your ability to receive dental implants to replace missing teeth.
How Gum Disease Leads to Tooth Loss?
One of the leading causes of tooth loss in American adults is advanced gum disease. With gingivitis, the early stage of this infection, the gums appear inflamed and might feel sore or bleed. But as bacteria spread, the infection reaches the teeth and jaw.
You can start to see gum recession and severe damage deteriorating the tooth root and jawbone. This could cause the tooth to fall out of its socket. And the damaged parts of your mouth will not regrow or heal on their own.
How Does Gum Health Affect Dental Implant Eligibility?
In the wake of tooth loss, you will look forward to tooth replacement treatment from your dentist. And dental implants can provide the maximum benefits to restore and protect your smile from further harm.
But major dental damage following gum disease can disqualify you from implant dentistry solutions in some cases, even after a dentist treats the infection. The implant relies on a surgically inserted anchor in the jaw to fuse with the jawbone to support the dental prosthetic.
If you lose too much bone in the jaw or do not have enough healthy gum tissue, the fusion process cannot occur successfully. Therefore, you will not sustain the implant.
A dentist will evaluate your oral health prior to pursuing this treatment to ensure you are eligible for implants. They can see your jaw structure with X-ray imaging done during a consultation appointment.
Can I Restore Gum Health to Qualify for Implant Dentistry?
Even after suffering from gum disease and sustaining severe dental damage, dental implants are not completely out of the question for you. A dentist will clean your smile to eradicate the infection in your gums. If they see significant damage in its wake, they may offer solutions to restore your gum health.
They may refer you to a specialist who can give you a gum graft to add tissue and strength to your gums. An expert might also perform a bone graft to build structure in the jaw. Once you heal from these surgeries, you might have enough stability to support an implant.