Can You Get Dental Implants With Osteoporosis?

Dental implants have great advantages. Some of these advantages include not needing special cleaning, they do not slip, and you can eat whatever you want. They are placed in your jaw bone to look like natural teeth. The main worry some people have is what if you have a bone disease like osteoporosis. You can still get them, but you need to know about the risks and considerations before moving forward.

What is Osteoporosis?

In a nutshell, osteoporosis is when your bones lose density. This happens when you age because the healing abilities of your bones change. This then causes your body to remove more bone than it replaces. This can be made worse with your diet, lifestyle factors, and your genetics.

What are the Risks?

As with any procedure, when you have osteoporosis there are risks. One of those risks is that your jaw bones may not have the right density to support dental implants. Using certain types of imaging procedures, your dentist can better understand the density of your bones. Then, different strategies can be used to minimize your risks. Your dentist can use different size and even shaped implants to make sure your implants get enough support from the bone.

Another risk is the treatment for osteoporosis. This treatment carries another risk all on its own. The treatment alters the way your bones can heal. This can hinder healing and cause side effects that do not mix with implants.

How do you Determine if you Qualify for Dental Implants

The first step to determine if you qualify is the dentist will request a detailed medical history. This history will show that you have osteoporosis. They will then see if you are taking any kind of treatments such as bisphosphonates as this treatment can cause bone death.  You will then be informed of the risks and benefits and oral hygiene. They will then consult your physician and request consent. Until the consent is received, any procedures will be postponed.

So the question of can you get dental implants with osteoporosis has a simple answer: "Yes, after all the risks have been outweighed by the benefits." However, you should keep in mind that not all patients qualify for this procedure and you may have to determine if other options are right for you. Before you decide whether or not to get this procedure, go have a visit with your dentist and let them determine if this is right for you. One professional you might consider contacting for more information is Russel Bleiler DDS.