Dental Implants and Diabetes

November 16, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Diabetes can certainly affect your mouth.  Too much sugar (glucose) in your blood can lead to infection, pain and other complications regarding your gums, jaw and teeth.  Gum disease can be caused by and can be very serious in conjunction with diabetes.  And, gum disease tends to make diabetes harder to control.

If you have diabetes, there are many reasons why you would be wise to learn as much as you can about the disease, how it has affected you, how it is affecting you and how you can take steps to gain as much control as possible over the diabetes (awareness, diet, exercise, oral hygiene, and more).

On the whole, it has been reported that there is a slightly higher failure rate for dental implants in patients with diabetes compared with populations without diabetes [Diabetes & Metabolism 2012 Jan; 38 (1):1 4-9].

However, Journal of Dental Implants [2012 Oct; 2 (2): 83-87] some very revealing information on a study regarding the influence of diabetes on surgically placed dental implants.

This study reports on the results of placing implants in 34 patients with diabetes who were treated with 127 implants. These patients were individuals whose diabetes was considered medically to be under control.  The results culminated in a success rate of 94.3 percent.  These results indicate that a high success rate when dental implants are placed in diabetic patients whose disease is under control is achievable.

So, if you have diabetes and have considered getting dental implants, don’t let diabetes keep you from obtaining the proper medical consult with a qualified oral surgeon that you need.  And, if you have diabetes, have already been told you are a candidate for a dental implant and have decided to have the surgery, don’t let diabetes ruin your chances of a successful procedure.

Be honest with your board certified oral surgeon at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons of Houston about any medical conditions or concerns you may have so we can best help you and serve you.  As a specialized facility for Houston implant dentistry, we are a top rated Houston dental clinic.

We specialize in dental implants and will work with your general dentist in Houston (or elsewhere) as well as your diabetes physician to help you gain the best control possible of your diabetes and schedule the proper procedure at the proper time to ensure the very best success possible.