While dental implants are a strong tool to use for many and can return their eating habits and confidence to how they were before tooth loss occurred, there are limitations to when dental implants can be used and what they can achieve. Limitations such as financial limits, lack of insurance coverage, low bone density, weakened immune system, and prior and current medical treatments affecting healing and bone density. Based on what a group of North York dental implants specialists claim, dental implants success rate depends on various factors such as gender, time of the implantation, age, and smoking.
Financial Limitations
Even where people have dental insurance in place, there are plans that do not pay for dental implants as they are not considered necessary, and will only pay for other alternatives, or pay towards them where the missing tooth or teeth is otherwise affecting health. If there is no insurance coverage available, the cost of dental implants can be restrictive and limits who can afford them.
Bone Density
Many things can cause a decrease in bone density, including medical treatments and medications, and age, though the result is still the same in that an implant will not be able to be placed where it is needed.
A natural part of the aging process includes a reduction in calcium and other nutrients that support the health of bones. Bones become weakened over time, and as osteoporosis and other health concerns occur this effect is increased. Other factors include medical treatments that include radiation, especially along or close to the jaw, and related oral medications. If the bone in the jaw is not dense enough to hold an implant there are limited options on making them work.
One options are to create a graft from bone in another area of the body, though if there is a low bone density throughout the body this may not be suitable. In cases of slow healing and high risk of infection a bone graft may not be possible. The risk that the bone will not be able to fuse and that the gums will be unable to heal well around them can limit who is able to receive dental implants without increased risk.
When considering bone density, the age and growth of the bones is also considered. Those who are young and have bones that are still growing and strengthening may not be suitable for dental implants as there will be too much change within the bone in coming years.
Weakened Immune System
There are many illnesses and medications that can damage the immune system and leave people susceptible to infection. If the potential for infection is high, especially when immune compromising medications and treatments are continuing, dental implants may not be a good solution for tooth loss. An infection that begins at the site of the installation can easily spread to the entire mouth and then to the blood and around the body if not controlled in time. This limits the ability of people who have a compromised immune system to receive dental implants due to the invasiveness of the procedure. Smoking also affects the healing of the mouth, and may deter some from dental implants.
Installing dental implants requires an insertion of a dental post, or more than one dental posts, can be invasive and requires there to be a bone in the jaw that is strong enough to hold the dental post permanently, and the body must be healthy enough to heal around the post. When there is a weakened bone density or an increased risk of infection dental implants may not be possible.
