Diabetes and Implants

If you’ve suffered from missing or damaged teeth, you may have considered implant-supported crowns to replace them. But if you also have diabetes, you may wonder whether implants are safe for you. People with diabetes are especially vulnerable to tooth loss, so we at Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem want them to be able to make informed decisions about their treatment. We thought it would be a good idea to pass along a review of the research into diabetes and implant survival.

People with diabetes may suffer blood vessel damage. This not only makes them more vulnerable to gum inflammation, it also means they take longer to recover from injuries. Doctors historically feared that people with diabetes would have higher rates of short-term implant failure because they would not be able to recover from the incisions made to place the implant posts. But although the research found that it takes longer in diabetic patients for their implants to integrate with their jaw bones, as long as their blood sugar is controlled, their implants integrate with the same rate of success as in other people.

In the long-term, implants can fail when chronic inflammation leads to jaw bone recession. People with diabetes always have to work harder to prevent gingivitis, but the review also found that when their blood sugar is controlled, they do not suffer higher rates of implant failure within the first six years of placement. After that, they are at higher risk for failure, but can prevent it with good oral hygiene. The study concludes that diabetic people can be good candidates for dental implants, and greatly benefit from them.

Drs. Na Xu and Mark Thomas operate Healthy Smiles Family Dental at 2601 25th St SE #400, Salem, Oregon, 97302. Visit My Family Dentist Salem or call 503-385-1185.