Dental implant treatment not only enhances your smile and overall appearance, but it can also have a positive impact on your health. For example, your dental implant treatment can help correct an abnormal bite, otherwise known as a malocclusion. While major jaw preparation is typically not warranted prior to getting dental implants, those with certain health conditions or who take certain medications made need to take certain steps to ensure that their jawbones are strong and healthy enough to withstand the implantation of the rods.
Osteoporosis Treatment
Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease that often affects menopausal people. It can increase the risk of fractures, especially after falls, however, people with severe osteoporosis may be at a higher risk for spontaneous bone fractures.
Osteoporosis commonly affects the spine and hips, however, it can affect all the bones in the body including the jawbones. Prior to your dental implant treatment, your dentist may recommend supplementing your diet with foods rich in calcium and vitamin D to help keep your bones strong and to discourage the progression of osteoporotic jawbone damage. Prior to your implant procedure, your dentist will take a series of dental x-rays to evaluate the health of your jawbone and dental bones.
If you have severe osteoporosis in your jaw when you get your implants, you may be at risk of developing implant failure. If the implants fail as a result of an unhealthy jawbone, they will have to be removed.
Medication Considerations
If you take prescription medications known as bisphosphonates to treat certain bone diseases, then your dentist may monitor you closely for adverse reactions or side effects. In certain people, bisphosphonate medications can raise the risk for a very rare jaw condition known as osteonecrosis of the jaw. This condition can cause your jawbone to poke through your gum tissue and it also refers to when the jawbone actually becomes necrotic, which means that the bone tissue has actually died.
If your panoramic imaging x-ray reveals jawbone abnormalities related to your bisphosphonates, your dentist may request a consult with the physician who prescribed the medication. If you have jaw damage as a result of osteonecrosis, then your general dentist may refer you to a maxillofacial surgeon for further evaluation and to determine if your jawbones are strong enough to withstand the implantation of the implant hardware. Even if your jawbone is strong enough to take the rods, osteonecrosis can prevent proper healing because of poor blood supply and bone necrosis.
If you are considering dental implant treatment and have a bone condition or take bisphosphonate medications, work with both your primary care physician and your dentist. When both of your doctors consult on your case, you may be more likely to enjoy the most favorable results with your implant treatment.
