Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?

There have been a number of advances in recent years that make dental implants available to more patients than ever before. If you’re looking for a real solution to restore the gaps in your smile caused by missing teeth, there’s a good chance that dental implants are the answer for you. The only way to find out for sure is to meet with a qualified implant dentist like Dr. Derek Hoffman in Lincoln.

No other smile restoration offers the benefits you get with dental implants. Dental implants are custom-designed to look just like your natural teeth. They’re also the only smile restoration that reverses the damage caused by missing teeth. That’s because they stimulate healthy jawbone growth and work to keep your remaining natural teeth in place.

Making Implants Available for More Patients Than Ever Before

Don’t get discouraged if your dental health isn’t perfect — dental implants could still be an option for you. But in some cases, there are dental issues that must be remedied first in order to get you prepared for the dental implant process.

When you meet with Dr. Hoffman for your consultation, you’ll be provided with a dental examination and he’ll go over your treatment options.

Cavities, gum disease, or an impacted tooth are examples of conditions that we can effectively treat in order to make you a viable candidate for dental implants. In some cases, patients require additional bone mass to provide a secure base for your dental implant. This can be remedied with bone grafting, a procedure where we attach a small piece of bone tissue to the jawbone.

Additional Health Issues to Consider

There are some cases where a patient isn’t currently eligible for dental implants, but they will be in the future. For example, patients need to finish growing before they begin the dental implant process. If your son or daughter is under the age of 18, you should consult with Doctor Hoffman about the best time to begin the implant process.

Also, it’s not recommended for someone who is pregnant to undergo any type of elective surgery. But we can certainly make plans to begin the implant process at a later date.

Tobacco use, heavy drinking, and substance abuse are all factors that can compromise the healing process and reduce your chances for a positive outcome. They must be discontinued before a patient begins the implant process. There are also medical conditions such as autoimmune disorders that make it medically inadvisable to initiate the implant process.