Will being a type 1 diabetic keep me from getting a dental implant? My dentist doesn’t feel it is a good idea but won’t refuse to do it. So now I am torn. I want it but he is giving me the impression it is the wrong way to go.
Lou
Dear Lou,
Being a diabetic is not in and of itself a contraindication for dental implants. However, it does complicate things quite a bit. Your dentist is hesitant, so what should you do? What you don’t want to do is pressure him into placing the implant. He feels out of his depth but doesn’t want to admit that. I am sure he would provide you with the procedure if you pushed. Doing that could end up disastrous for you.
Instead, you need to find a dentist with a significant amount of dental implant training. This procedure is not adequately taught in dental school. Instead, dentists have to invest in post-doctoral training after graduation to develop the right skill set. For instance, Dr. Potts did a three-year externship on dental implants with courses that included surgery and bone grafting. The latter two are skills most dentists with implant training do not yet have. That is the type of dentist I want you to find in your area.
They will need to do extra diagnostics not only in the beginning but throughout the procedure as well. Even without your complicating factors, I recommend a patient use a dentist who can do the surgery and the restoration. This cuts down on the potential for errors due to miscommunication between the two caregivers.
The bone grafting may not be necessary. It is a procedure designed to build up missing bone structure. If you have any significant bone loss, this will be imperative if you want a successful outcome.
This blog is brought to you by Libertyville Dentist Dr. David Potts.