Can anyone get dental implants?
The absence of teeth, partial or total, significantly impacts our quality of life, considering that it impairs chewing, speaking, breathing, and the aesthetics of our smile, compromising our physical and mental health.
Rehabilitation through the placement of implants is the ideal treatment option for anyone who has lost one or more teeth. However, health and medical conditions must be respected during the planning stage, ensuring that the benefits outweigh the risks.
What are the contraindications for implant placement?
All people can be candidates for the placement of dental implants as long as they have the bone availability to perform this surgical procedure and safely recover their smile.
In case there is not enough bone available to place implants, several procedures allow for bone volume augmentation and the subsequent placement of implants.
However, for all kinds of procedures, there are restrictions. There are few cases with absolute contraindications for implant placement, but there are situations that can increase the risk of adverse effects.
Good general health counts the most when it comes to placing dental implants.
Cases where there may be an increased risk of adverse effects for implant placement:
- Uncontrolled active periodontal disease: History and presence of periodontal disease are well-recognized risk factors for peri-implant disease and implant failure;
- Uncontrolled bruising: can be a risk factor that can cause fracture and implant failure due to abnormal physical force. An evaluation of the clinical characteristics is essential for the long-term success of dental implants;
- Coagulation disorders: bleeding is a potential complication during or after the placement of dental implants, so precautions should be taken to avoid bleeding-related adverse events in patients on antiplatelet therapy (low-dose aspirin) or oral anticoagulants;
- Systemic diseases such as uncontrolled diabetes: Diabetes is a well-recognized risk factor for poor wound healing after surgical procedures caused by abnormal blood glucose levels and altered immune response, which can contribute to implant failure. Diabetes can also hinder the implant’s osseointegration process;
- Taking medication that affects bone healing, such as bisphosphonates: antiresorptive medication is prescribed for various diseases, increasing bone strength and reducing the risk of fractures, which compromises bone healing around implants;
- Undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy: the high dose of radiation therapy harms adjacent tissues. It can result in reduced blood supply to the bone, bone sclerosis, and reduced capacity for bone regeneration. In this regard, the survival of dental implants is potentially affected in the field of irradiation due to hypovascularization and reduced regenerative capacity, which can affect the osseointegration process;
- Severe cardiac and vascular diseases such as the occurrence of transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke, and acute myocardial infarction within less than six months: due to the high risk of complications after myocardial infarction or stroke, the dentist should wait until the patient is stabilized;
- Autoimmune disease.
In addition, habits such as smoking can negatively influence the survival rate of implants, so the risk of implant failure may increase.
Strict oral hygiene and regular appointments are critical for implants to be successful in the long term. It is essential to have regular check-ups and oral hygiene appointments to evaluate the implants and the tissues surrounding them.
