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If I have diabetes can I undergo dental implantation?


Candidacy for dental implantation is based on a variety of factors—patients interested in undergoing dental implant treatments will need to meet certain criteria in order to be determined proper candidates for the procedure. Your dentist will evaluate your overall oral health, the quality and quantity of bone present in the jaw and your health in general.

When it comes to general overall health, certain diseases and health aliments may prevent patients from undergoing dental implantation. One such ailment is diabetes. Many patients with diabetes wonder if they are eligible for dental implantation. The answer to that depends on each individual patient.

The main issue with diabetes and dental implants is control. Patients who have their diabetes under control are more likely to be candidates for treatment than those who do not have their disease under control. Controlling diabetes means controlling your blood sugar level. In order to achieve this, patients often have to change their diet, increase their exercise, and most likely take prescription medications that help with controlling diabetes.

So how is a dentist to know whether or not a patient has their blood sugar levels under control? They can administer a glycosylated hemoglobin test. The glycosylated hemoglobin test indicates how much sugar has been in an individual’s blood over the past two to four months. It is an accurate test that can identify the effectiveness of a patient’s diabetes treatment. Potential patients that have their diabetes under control can be treated as a normal implant patient; however those who are not controlled should be referred for treatment and management before undergoing dental implantation.

Now why are those with uncontrolled diabetes not proper candidates for treatment? Uncontrolled blood glucose levels are known to be associated with tooth loss. For this reason, those with uncontrolled levels of sugar in the blood are not recommended for dental implantation because mismanagement of diabetes leads to higher risks and complications during dental implantation including impaired healing and bone loss.

If you currently suffer with diabetes and are interested in dental implantation, consult with your dentist to see if this procedure is right for you.