What factors can influence the dental implant treatment?

There are a number of factors that can influence how the dental implant treatment must be performed. All such factors must be considered carefully before the treatment is started. An experienced dentist will tend to spend the maximum time on detailed treatment planning prior to the actual procedure. Good treatment planning is crucial to the eventual success of the dental implant.

One of the first things that the dentist will evaluate is how long the tooth has been missing. If an existing tooth is failing and needs to be extracted, it can be a strait forward evaluation for the dentist as to when and how the implant should be placed. However, if the tooth has been missing for a long time, the dentist will try to investigate the original cause of tooth loss. If it is a common cause such as tooth decay or an accident or injury that led to the tooth loss, the dentist may decide to go ahead with the implant treatment.

But if it turns out that the tooth loss had occurred due to underlying pathology such as periodontal disease, then it becomes an important factor to be considered before deciding the treatment approach. The dentist may seek the professional opinion of a periodontist to determine whether the disease has been completely eliminated or not. Otherwise it may be a futile exercise to proceed with an implant before bringing the periodontal disease under control.

Another factor the dentist will consider before dental implant treatment is the patient’s natural bite or occlusion. This evaluation is very important because the patient’s long-term oral health is connected with it. The dentist must carefully evaluate the way the patient bites and decide accordingly the best approach for dental implant treatment that does not adversely impact the patient’s natural bite.



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