Dental Implants and Diabetes
For patients with well-managed diabetes, dental implants can be an excellent option for replacing one or more teeth and can often help improve the overall health of their wearer. Dental implants help people enjoy a well-balanced diet while removing the risk of inflammation and irritation that can arise with removable dentures; together, this reduces the risk of complications and disease. In order for implants to be successful, it is important for the patient to have controlled diabetes and to otherwise be in overall good health. Type one diabetes can be more of a challenge to control than type two, which means that the risks associated with dental implants are somewhat increased for patients with this type of diabetes. With the proper assessment and care, however, even patients with type one diabetes can be good candidates for dental implants. Your dental practitioner will review your medical and dental records closely, determining an accurate timeline for healing and assessing any risks that may be associated with your specific treatment procedure in conjunction with your overall health. For older patients with diabetes, implants may be less likely to be recommended, as the speed of the body’s healing processes and resistance to infection diminish over time, a characteristic which is especially true for patients with diabetes.
While research indicates that patients with well-controlled diabetes can fare very well with dental implants, often facing no greater risk of complications than patients without diabetes, patients whose diabetes is poorly managed face a higher risk of infection following a dental implant procedure and a higher risk of implant failure. Dental implants are surgically placed into the bones of the jaw and emerge through the gums. One of the most appealing features of dental implants is the fact that the bones of the jaw heal around the implant, fusing directly to the implant, in a process called osseointegration. This fusion of the implant and the bone help make dental implants function more like natural teeth, with all the stability and durability of a healthy natural tooth. Due to the inflammatory nature of diabetes, when the disease is not managed or controlled, patients take longer to heal and face more complications in healing. A qualified oral surgeon will address diabetes management as part of the overall treatment plan, aiming to provide a healthier foundation and a higher likelihood of implant success, and will wait until the patient’s diabetes is under control before placing implants.
In general, patients should be in overall good health before dental implants are placed. Dental implants aren’t recommended for diabetic patients who have existing gum disease or periodontal disease. If the patient has particularly low bone density, implants may not be recommended, though in some cases, bone grafting options may be an option for these patients. Patients must also demonstrate the ability and the desire to diligently follow prescribed aftercare, observing dietary recommendations and care instructions throughout the healing process. Smokers are at a generally higher risk of implant failure, both because smokers heal less efficiently than non-smokers, and because the deep inhalation of smoking irritates the gum tissue, compromising healing and encouraging infection. Smoking while healing is strictly forbidden, and it can take many months to fully heal; patients must be committed to smoking cessation for the duration for osseointegration to succeed. Dental implants are not recommended for patients who have been treated for oral cancer, or patients who have taken medication for osteoporosis. Any conditions that compromise immunity or the ability to heal should be discussed with your oral surgeon before treatment can be planned. At the initial consultation, you and your dental health practitioners will discuss any possible complications or considerations, and patients will commit to a health plan that will allow them to receive dental implants once their condition has stabilized.
Dental implants can also play a significant and beneficial role in maintaining the health of diabetic patients. Removable dentures are often uncomfortable, slipping in the mouth and rubbing against the gums. This encourages inflammation and tenderness in the gum tissue and makes it difficult to eat a wide variety of food -- especially fibrous or crunchy foods, like fruits and vegetables. The stability of dental implants allows their wearers to chew all types of whole foods, encouraging the introduction of multiple vitamins and minerals to the diet, naturally managing the patient’s blood sugar, and leading to improved overall health for their wearers. Not only that, dental implants also eliminate the irritation and infection that often accompany removable dentures, reducing the risk of periodontal disease and improving the health of the oral cavity. The success of dental implants in patients with diabetes relies almost completely on the patient’s ability to control their disease, their oral hygiene, and their overall health. Different types of dental implants are recommended for different patients; you and your dentist will discuss these variations and decide on the type of implant that’s right for you.
All on Four dental implants are the type of implant that’s most popular among diabetic patients. All on Four implants use four implant fixtures -- the small cylinder that’s implanted in the jaw bone -- to support a full set of teeth. This allows patients with weaker or smaller jaws to maximize the amount of available bone, reducing the need for bone grafts. For patients with a single missing tooth, a mini dental implant is a common choice. Mini implants are not permanent, requiring continuous repair and periodic replacement. Because diabetic patients are more susceptible to infection, this may not be a great option for diabetic patients, as frequent procedures increase the likelihood of inflammation that may lead to infection. Single-tooth replacement with a bridge may be an effective solution in the short term, but this treatment often leads to decay in the teeth adjacent to the bridge and is therefore not an optimal solution for diabetics. Same-day dental implant procedures are procedures in which permanent implants are placed, with the dental crowns already attached, in one day. In a traditional dental implant procedure, implants are placed and allowed to heal fully before permanent crowns are attached; patients use a denture while the implants heal, and the dental crowns are affixed to the implants once osseointegration has completed. In diabetic patients, healing can take longer, so same-day implants are therefore not recommended. Your dentist can talk to you about the success and failure rates of the different types of dental implants, and you can weigh the pros and cons of the different types of single-tooth replacements. If you are diabetic and need a full upper or lower row of teeth, or if you are missing all of your natural teeth, All on Four implants are likely to be a good option for you.