Does Diabetes Mean You Can't Receive A Dental Implant?

Provided your diabetes is being properly managed, it does not greatly impact your quality of life. Sure, there are certain restrictions (largely dietary), but these become a minor inconvenience. To put it simply, you learn to live with your condition. It is a little different when you have diabetes and require medical treatment or dental care. When you've lost a permanent tooth (or one is about to be extracted), dental implants offer the best permanent replacement option. But can diabetics actually safely receive a dental implant?

Blood Circulation

Diabetes and dental implants are not always compatible. It is largely due to compromised blood circulation. For some diabetics, their blood circulation slows down, which means that your body is not able to deliver nutrients to where they need to go, and these nutrients are essential as part of the healing process. Since receiving a dental implant involves surgery, adequate healing is a mandatory part of the process.

Healing and Integration

The surgery itself involves the insertion of a titanium alloy bolt into the part of the jaw (the alveolar ridge) that holds the dental sockets. This bolt integrates with the bone and neighboring tissues (in a process known as osseointegration). Once the implant is sufficiently sturdy, the implant is finished with an abutment and a prosthetic tooth. When the site is unable to heal properly, the patient is at risk of an infection known as peri-implantitis, which can result in total implant failure. So what should a diabetic do when they need a dental implant?

Proper Management

The potential complications that a diabetic can face after receiving a dental implant are only applicable when a person's diabetes is poorly managed. If your diabetes is being properly managed, dental implants are not any more complicated than they would be for someone unaffected by the condition. It's crucial to tell your dentist that you have diabetes, but as long as you've been appropriately cautious about your health, then implants shouldn't be a problem. Dentists may decline to fit a dental implant in someone whose diabetes is poorly managed, but this is just a matter of taking the necessary steps to control your condition (talk to your physician if you're having difficulties). Once your diabetes management is satisfactory, you can receive a dental implant.

It's really quite simple. Diabetes only poses a problem with dental implants if the condition is not being properly managed.