Am I a Candidate for Full Mouth Implants?

Teeth are important for eating and speaking, and a person’s dental health also affects their overall health. Yet, millions struggle with dental conditions, resulting in 120 million Americans losing at least one tooth and 36 million having none at all. With those numbers on the rise, people struggling with tooth loss need options.

A few options exist for people with no teeth, but full mouth dental implants offer the most stability and longevity. They also allow for as close-to-normal tooth function as possible. If you live in the Frisco, Texas area and struggle without teeth, full mouth implants are available with Dr. Alecia Hardy and her dedicated medical team at Frisco Dental implant Center.

Not everyone is a good fit for this solution, however. So to help determine if this is the right choice for you, let’s examine how this method works, what its benefits are, and what may keep you from being an optimal candidate for it.

How full mouth dental implants work

This method starts with incisions in the gums. We then implant metal posts into your upper and lower jaw and drill them into place. This is often referred to as an “all on four” or “all on six,” depending on how many posts you need to keep your implants secure. 

Once they’re in and have healed (which can take several months) we place an abutment on top of each of the posts to attach the prosthetic teeth. This finishes the process and leaves you with a full set of teeth again.

Advantages over other options

Replacing all of your teeth is mainly accomplished through full mouth implants, dental bridges, or dentures. 

Because the implants are literally fused to your jaw in a process known as osseointegration, they provide unique stability. Once the implants are placed, they can better mimic the function of real teeth without becoming loose or falling out, which is a common problem with other methods like dentures. 

Dentures require a fixative to keep them in place, and they often slip and fall out. Dental bridges can use a prosthetic implant to keep them in place, but they need at least two teeth (either natural or implanted) to function.

Full mouth dental implants are a complete solution that is more stable, lasts longer, and allows more freedom to eat and speak normally than the other options available.

Reasons you may not be a good candidate

With a healthy set of gums, you are generally fine for this teeth replacement option. Even if your jaw doesn’t have enough bone density, bone grafts and fillers can make up for what's missing. However, the following factors and conditions can prevent you from being a good candidate:

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Radiation therapy
• Heart disease
• Undiagnosed gum disease

We evaluate each of these issues individually, as their severity needs to be weighed before deciding on the best course of action. It’s not impossible to get full mouth implants with these conditions, but they do potentially complicate how well you take to the procedure.

If you want to get your teeth back but don’t know if you’re a good fit for this option, make an appointment with Dr. Hardy and Frisco Dental Implant Center today. We just might be able to change your life.