Can anyone get Dental implants?

There is no reason anyone can not get implants because of bone loss today. There are several techniques for bone grafting including Platelet Rich Plasma (uses growth factors for your own blood), rhBMP (bone morphogenic protein), harvesting a patients own natural bone and using other cadaveric bone and bone substitutes. There are also implant placement techniques, such as the All-On-Four which avoids the need for bone grafting if one so chooses. With CT Scans and computer guided implant placement this is a possibility It all depends on what type of prosthesis you want in the end. An overdenture vs individual implants and teeth vs. a bridge on dental implants. I can honestly say that in my hands there is no reason for someone not to be able to have dental implants placed ( unless they have severe medical health issues which would prevent it) Seek a consultation with a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon, they are the most qualified individuals and have more training in these complicated cases than any other specialist.

With the latest technologies that we have as surgeons, Dental Implants can have a successful outcome for almost any patient who wants permanent teeth. With computer imaging and a CT scan we map out the bone quality and quantity to see where we can place dental implants using what is called “A Graftless Solution” and “Guided Technology” Nobel Biocare is a leader in this new technology allowing many patients to have extractions, and fixed permanent teeth the same day. These techniques are called Teeth in an Hour and Teeth in a Day and are specialized procedures that need to be performed by well-trained surgeons.

In the world of modern dentistry, bone loss of the jaw should not be a limiting factor in getting dental implants.
The question becomes how much bone needs to be added by bone-grafting procedures for secure placement of dental implants. Depending on the amount of bone missing, you might need a simple bone-grafting procedure where “fake” bone could be used, or you might need to have some bone taken from your jaw and placed into the area of missing bone. Those procedures have complications and require highly skilled dentists.

With very few exceptions,
Nearky any patient can have sufficient bone grafted onto their upper jaw to allow for dental implants placed. If the back part of the jaw is deficient in height then the sinus and be lifted. If the width of jaw needs to be widened, then a procedure called ridge augmentation can be done. In severe cases, grafting procedures may need to be done more than once.
One factor that can significantly affect the healing of grafting procedures is smoking. Smokers are far more susceptible to complications and potential failure than non-smokers

Even when bone loss is severe, it is possible to augment bone and place dental implants in most cases. Usually major bone augmentation is done with patient's own bone, allograft bone material or a combination of boss. Emdogain in particular is an enamel matrix protein that will not be significant for this procedure. In order to evaluate the outcome, your Periodontist must look at the amount of horizontal and vertical bone loss, the anatomy of the defect, and then treat/erradicate any periodontal disease prior to implant placement.

If you don't have enough bone to replace all teeth with implants, you have several options available to you. You may choose to go with a hybrid prosthesis (5-6 implants supporting a fixed denture without the flange) or an overdenture (2-6 implants supporting a removable denture). These options may provide enough stability and comfort for you and may minimize the amount of procedures you need to have for implant placement. Please discuss your concerns with your Board Certified Periodontist so he/she can present the best options for you.

Adequate amount of bone is directly related to success of dental implants. If you have advanced/moderate bone loss: hopeless teeth should be extracted, allow for healing of the exisiting bone for 2-3 months.

Some grafting could be done at the extraction visits depending on the amount of bone in the extraction sockets. Fabrication of a surgical template is indicated after the 2-3 months of healing post extractions. A surgical template is a mold of your exisitng dentition or denture, which is removable and has radiographic markers visible on a CT scan, (you will wear it during the CT scan procedure) A periodontistor oral surgeon will determine the amount and location of bone loss.