I’m losing my teeth because of gum disease. I’d hear that dental implants were the best tooth replacement. I want to get those and have a beautiful smile again, but my dentist said I can’t. I don’t understand. You’d think the best replacement would be a good idea. What’s up?

Kate M.

Dear Kate,

It’s fantastic that you want the best tooth replacement possible. THat will be great for you when you’re able to get dental implants. While you have gum disease, it won’t be possible though. Here’s why. If you think about the fact that the gum disease caused you to lose your teeth, it means it will do the same to the implants that are prosthetic tooth roots.

That doesn’t mean you can never get dental implants. It just means you’ll have to treat your gum disease first. Then when your gums are healthy, you will be a good candidate.

In the meantime, your dentist can give you some temporary tooth replacements. The two of you can get to work attacking that gum disease and getting yourself ready for the best.

If it takes a while to get the gum disease under control you may need to have some bone grafting done to build back up the bone structure enough to support the implants.

Why Dental Implants are the Best

The number one reason is it can prevent facial collapse if you have regular oral hygiene. The longer your teeth are gone, the more bone structure you’ll lose. This is known as facial collapse. But, with implants, your body will think your natural teeth are still there and leave the bone in place.

The second reason is the security. Implants are permanent and very secure. They’re like having healthy natural teeth back in your mouth again.

Finally, they provide a much higher standard of living. You can eat and drink as normal. Plus, upkeep is easy. You brush and floss as you normally would.

Just be aware, if you don’t keep up with your oral health, the gum disease can and will return causing the dental implants to fail.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.