Am I a candidate for a dental implant? Factors that matter

In short: most adults with a healthy mouth are indeed candidates for a dental implant. What really matters is not age, but having enough bone, healthy gums and stable general health. When bone is lacking, it can often be solved with a graft. Tobacco and poorly controlled diabetes do not always rule it out, but they weigh on the outlook.

What is needed to place an implant?

An implant is a screw that anchors into the bone, so the key question is: is there somewhere to anchor it? The three main factors are:

• Enough bone, of good quality. This is requirement number one.
• Healthy gums. A diseased gum is poor ground for an implant.
• Stable general health. The body has to heal well.

If all that is in place, you are a candidate. And if something is lacking, it can often be prepared beforehand.

”They told me I have no bone” — is there nothing to be done?

It is almost never the end of the road. When a tooth is lost and time passes, the bone in that area is resorbed. But today there is the bone graft, which regenerates the area so the implant can be placed afterwards. It is an extra step, but it opens the door to many people who used to be told no.

Does age matter?

Less than you think. There is no upper limit: there are people of 80 with implants that work wonderfully, because what counts is health, not your ID card. There is a lower limit: in adolescents we wait until the bone has finished growing, because otherwise the implant would end up “out of place” as the jaw keeps growing.

And if I smoke or have diabetes?

Here we need to be honest, without scaremongering:

Factor	How it matters
Tobacco	Reduces blood supply and healing; raises the risk of failure. It does not forbid it, but it is worth cutting down or quitting.
Diabetes	Well controlled, it is usually not a problem. Poorly controlled, it hampers healing.
Diseased gums	Periodontitis must be treated first.

None of these is an automatic “no”: they are things the dentist assesses to give you the best plan.

How do you know for sure?

With an assessment: an examination of the mouth and a 3D scan that measures the bone. That shows whether you are a direct candidate, whether it is worth preparing the area, or whether another solution such as a denture/prosthesis fits better.

The only way to clear up any doubt is to be examined. The first visit is free and you leave knowing exactly what your options are. Book an appointment with no obligation.