How Dental Health Affects Diabetes

Systemic conditions, such as diabetes, can affect your dental health. Diabetes can change the way your body heals and interferes with your ability to fight infections. Unfortunately, diabetics are more likely to suffer potentially serious complications. Additionally, you may find that your options for treatments are limited. For this reason, dentists have long been hesitant to place dental implants in diabetic patients. This may be changing, however.

A new study found that diabetics may be good candidates for dental implants after all. The study evaluated 200 participants with and without diabetes, and they all had teeth restored using dental implants. After one year, only two of the implants failed to heal properly. While the diabetics tended to take longer to heal, they still healed successfully. The patients will continue to be monitored to determine the long-term success rate of the procedure, but these initial results are promising.

If you have diabetes and have lost a tooth, you may be a candidate for dental implants. Implants are inserted into the bone during a surgical procedure, and the bone is then left to heal around the implant. This makes the device a permanent part of the jaw. Because diabetics are more vulnerable to infection, you may need to take steps to ensure your condition is fully stabilized before undergoing the procedure. However, this study seems to offer reassurance that diabetics can expect to enjoy good results with dental implants. Call us today to find out more or to schedule an appointment with our dental office.