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Correctable Reasons That Can Delay Your Dental Implant Surgery

Even though a dental implant may be the best option to restore your tooth, a dentist may have to postpone the implant surgery. Here are a few correctable reasons that the placement of your dental implant may be delayed. 

Your Jawbone Needs to Be Thickened

The bone of the jaw must be thick and strong to properly receive a dental implant. If the bone is too thin or frail, the implant can damage the jawbone significantly and will be unable to integrate with the bone tissue. 

If the health or girth of the jawbone cannot withstand an implantation procedure, the dentist may postpone your surgery until after a bone graft has restored the bone. During a grafting procedure, bone material that has been harvested from an animal, another part of your body, or a cadaver is attached or grafted to the jawbone. The added bone stimulates the jawbone to create new bone cells. As the new cells are produced, the jawbone becomes thicker and denser.

Your Blood Sugar Levels Need to Stabilize

If your blood sugar levels are unstable, the instability can prevent the implantation wound from healing properly. Thus, the levels of sugar in your blood should be stable before the dentist performs your implant surgery.

Often, blood sugar inconsistencies are due to uncontrolled diabetes. If you have diabetes, you should follow all of your physician's recommendations and take your medication in a timely manner. 

A dentist can often move forward with an implant surgery after the sugar levels become stable. Nevertheless, every effort should be make to ensure the levels remain stable after the implant is placed.

The Gums Need to Be Healthier

The health of the gingival tissues can affect the success of a dental implant. If the gums are inflamed or diseased, they may not heal properly after the implant surgery. Thus, the dentist may delay the procedure until the state of the gums has improved.

To help the gums heal, you may be asked to brush and floss more regularly. Additionally, you may need to use an antibacterial mouth rinse. In some cases, if the gums are infected, an antibiotic may also be required. If periodontitis has developed, professional procedures, such as root scaling and planing treatments, may also be needed.

To learn more about dental implants, their uses, and what is needed for their success, schedule a consultation with a dentist, such as those at Smile City


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