If you have periodontitis, it’s essential to get treatment right away. Periodontitis is a severe gum disease that, if left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. Gum disease often advances in stages, and untreated gum disease may lead to other systemic challenges. Many people often ask, “Can you get dental implants with periodontitis? You can view our expert smiles design team restorations to ease your mind.
But before delving further, let’s first understand what periodontitis is.
What Is Periodontitis?
Periodontitis is an inflammation of the gum tissue that can destroy the gums and the bone that support your teeth. Periodontitis usually develops gradually, and its symptoms may not be noticeable until the disease is in an advanced stage.
Periodontitis is caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on your teeth. Plaque is harmless when it’s removed daily through brushing and flossing. But if plaque isn’t removed, it turns into tartar (calculus), which is much harder to remove.
Tartar irritates your gums, making them red, swollen, and susceptible to bleeding. If tartar isn’t removed, it can eventually destroy the gums and bone that support your teeth.
How Do You Treat Periodontitis?
You should see your dentist if you think you may have periodontitis. They will examine your mouth and may order X-rays to check the health of your teeth and gums.
If you do have periodontitis, your dentist may recommend a deep cleaning. This is a process of removing tartar and plaque from below the gum line. You may need more than one deep cleaning appointment to treat periodontitis fully.
In addition to deep cleanings, your dentist may also recommend other treatments, such as:
-Antibiotics to help kill bacteria
-Scaling and root planing (SRP) – This is a deep cleaning treatment that involves removing tartar and plaque from the teeth and smoothing out the roots of the teeth to prevent bacteria from attaching.
-Surgical treatments to help reduce pocket depth or remove tartar buildup.
Healthy Gums Are Necessary For Dental Implants
Dental implants are titanium posts inserted into your jawbone to replace your missing teeth. However, if you’re considering dental implants, it’s essential to have healthy gums. The implant’s titanium steel root will fuse with your jawbone while you are healing, and if that fusing doesn’t occur, the implants can fail. This can lead to the implant falling off.
Implants need to be set on an underlying bone structure that is thick and wide enough to support them, so if your gums are not healthy due to gum disease, you may not have the necessary foundation for dental implants.
If you want to get dental implants, talk to your dentist about your gum health and what you can do to improve it.
Patients With Gum Disease Are Not Excluded From Dental Implants
If you have gum disease, you may think that dental implants are not an option. However, there is hope. Patients with gum disease at any stage can still get implants.
Some treatments and procedures need to be done before getting implants, such as bone or gum grafting by an oral surgeon. This is to make sure that the implants will be successful.
Bone grafting is a minor surgery where the bone is taken from another part of your body and placed in the jawbone. Gum grafting is a surgery where healthy gum tissue is taken from another part of your mouth or another person and placed over the receding gums.
After the treatments and procedures are done, you can get dental implants.
After My Dental Implants Are Placed, Am I At Risk of Gum Disease?
Yes, you are at risk for gum disease even after your dental implants are placed. This is because gum disease is caused by plaque and tartar buildup around the teeth. Even though your implants are made of metal, they can still harbor plaque and tartar if you don’t take good care of them.
That’s why it’s important to brush and floss your implants regularly, just as you would your natural teeth. If you notice any redness, swelling, or bleeding around your implants, see your dentist right away, as this could be a sign of gum disease.
Patients with gum disease can still get dental implants. Some treatments and procedures need to be done before getting implants, such as bone or gum grafting by an oral surgeon. This is to make sure that the implants will be successful. After the treatments and procedures are done, you can get dental implants. Even after your dental implants are placed, you are at risk of gum disease. That’s why it’s important to brush and floss your implants as regularly as you would your natural teeth. Consult your dentist as soon as you notice any redness, swelling, or bleeding around your implants.