Gum disease is an oral condition that attacks the gum and bone tissue surrounding the roots of your teeth. Early gum disease or gingivitis causes minor damage to gum and bone tissue. But over time, gingivitis can worsen as the disease creeps deeper under the gum tissue. The condition then becomes periodontitis or periodontal disease.
Since periodontitis causes gum recession, loose teeth and later, tooth loss, many patients wonder if it is possible for them to replace their teeth with dental implants. This article will explain what you need to do if you have periodontal disease and wish to get dental implants.
Periodontitis destroys the bone necessary for dental implants
Dental implants can only be placed into a strong, healthy jawbone. This means that the jawbone should be wide enough and deep enough to house the titanium post that makes up the root of a dental implant. Unfortunately, periodontitis gradually destroys the gum tissue, bone tissue, and periodontal ligaments that hold teeth in place.
The damage that periodontitis does to the jawbone rules out dental implant placement. So if you are currently suffering from periodontal disease, you must first seek treatment before you can consider dental implants. The symptoms of periodontitis include:
Periodontitis doesn't always completely rule out getting dental implants, but you need to seek dental treatment for the condition urgently.
Dental implants are often placed after treatment for periodontitis
The first step to getting dental implants is for a periodontist to treat the condition. Depending on the severity of the condition, a periodontist can use several different treatments. The usual treatments are:
After successful treatment of periodontitis, patients should ensure that they follow the instructions of their dentist and ensure that they practice excellent oral health. This will prevent a resurgence of the disease.
Bone and gum grafts may be necessary for dental implant placement
Because of the damage that periodontitis does to gum and bone tissue, you may not have sufficient gum and bone tissue to support dental implants. If this is the case, you may be able to undergo surgery to place gum and bone grafts to support dental implants. Bone grafts take several months to heal. If the bone grafts heal successfully, dental implants can be placed.
Share8 September 2022
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
