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Diabetes is a condition that affects a person’s blood sugar or glucose levels, which is important for normal organ and brain function. People with diabetes tend to have a poor oral anatomy because their mouths are more susceptible to bacterial infections. Bacterial infections are detrimental to our oral anatomy’s because it will cause jaw depletion and gum shrinkage. This will loosen the anchorage on your teeth roots,eventually causing them to fall out. People with diabetes have been advised against even attempting to get dental implants because of previous studies showing that it is unsuccessful. However a new study suggests that dental implants can be a successful treatment if allowed the time to heal.
A New Hope
According to Thomas W. Oates Jr., DMD, PhD, he expresses that in his studies he “failed to identify any association between elevated blood sugar and implant failure complications.” In his study issued in an article in the American Dental Association, he explained that he studied 19 patients with diabetes for a one year period and none of the patients had failures in their dental implants.
People with diabetes have a higher risk because of infection and healing is more difficult. They are more susceptible to having comorbidities, which is a condition of having two chronic diseases. Past studies have claimed that implants are less stable in patients with diabetes which has promoted advising against diabetics receiving dental implant treatment.
Dr. Oates counters this argument and points out that these studies did not allow enough time for the diabetic patient to heal. Dr. Oates has dedicated his life to the study of dental implants in diabetic patients and teaches about periodontics. In his studies, he found that diabetics may take a greater amount of time to heal, but can still benefit from dental implants. He also suggests that dental implants has one of the best treatments for diabetic patients in helping them control their blood sugar levels.
Contact Dr. Keith Cooper at Contemporary Dental Arts in San Jose, CA
Dental implants are a revolutionary system that can restore oral health and function. Diabetics are prone to oral health issues and dental implants may be a perfect solution to help alleviate those issues. Remember that if you do have diabetes, it will take patience in your healing process and it will also require diligence in maintaining good oral hygiene. If you have any further questions regarding dental implants or would like to discuss your candidacy for dental implants, please contact our office to schedule your FREE, no-obligation consultation today. We look forward to hearing from you soon!