Are You a Candidate For Dental Implants?

What makes dental implants unique among other teeth restoration treatments is the way that they are integrated into your oral anatomy through a process called osseointegration. It is thanks to this process that your implant fixture is able to function as an artificial tooth root as well as hold the weight of your replacement teeth. Naturally, in order for this process to succeed, there are some standards that you will need to meet before Dr. K. Ashraf is able to provide this treatment for you. Should you not meet some of these requirements, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will not be able to move forward with dental implants. You may simply need a supplemental procedure such as bone grafting first.

In order to find out if you qualify for treatment with dental implants, you will first need to attend a consultation with Dr. K. Ashraf at his Waterloo, ON office. We encourage you to read on to learn more about what the doctor looks at in order to properly determine your implant candidacy.

What Makes a Good Candidate for Dental Implants

The best candidates for treatment with dental implants fall under certain categories which Dr. K. Ashraf will check you for during your consultation. Some of these categories include:

• Missing Teeth: Dr. K. Ashraf is not in the practice of removing teeth that are perfectly healthy just to replace them with dental implants. In order to qualify for treatment with implants, you will need to already have missing teeth or be suffering from a condition that has damaged one or more of your teeth to the point where they will need to be removed.
• Good Oral Health: In order to qualify for treatment with implants, your mouth will need to be free of dangerous oral conditions such as gum disease or tooth decay. The reason for this is the fact that these conditions can interfere with the process of osseointegration, causing your implants to fail.
• Sufficient Jawbone and Gum Density: In order for your mouth to properly support dental implants, you will need sufficient jawbone and gum density. If you lack either of these, bone grafting and soft tissue augmentation can be used to reverse any jaw structure damage.
• Understanding of the Process: Our patients need to understand that dental implants do not provide an instant solution to missing teeth. In fact, implants require three to six months to complete. While this is longer than other teeth restoration treatments, the results possible with implants make them well worth the extra time.

Less Than Ideal Candidates

Some patients do not make a good candidate for treatment with dental implants because of habits they may have or for other reasons. Some of these types of patients include:

• Alcoholics and Smokers: Patients who abuse alcohol or smoke are actually making it harder for their bodies to heal. And, if your body can’t properly heal itself, osseointegration may fail.
• Young Patients: When we are young, our jaw structure is in a state of growth and change. Until this process is complete, these patients will not be able to pursue treatment with dental implants.

Find Out If You Are a Candidate for Dental Implants

The only way to find out if you qualify for treatment with dental implants is to attend a no-obligation consultation with Dr. K. Ashraf. During your consultation, the doctor will perform a thorough examination of your oral health. This consultation will determine the state of your oral health and whether or not you will need a supplemental procedure before you will be able to move forward with the implant procedure. If you would like to schedule your consultation, please contact our office today.