Am I a Candidate for an Oral Surgery Procedure?

When it comes to determining who makes a good candidate for an oral surgery procedure, your dentist ultimately has the final say after examining your mouth. However, there are some things that can automatically rule you out as an ideal candidate.

Factors that can prevent you from an oral surgery procedure

Tobacco Use

Smoking cigarettes and using other tobacco products automatically make you a bad candidate for oral surgery because the chemicals in the products are harmful to your gums and have likely damaged them in some way, depending on how long you have been smoking. The continued use of tobacco products can slow the healing of your gums or make a dental implant likely to fail.

Diabetes

If you are a diabetic, you are not an ideal candidate for oral surgery procedures because it makes you more likely to have gum disease. If you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, you could still be a good candidate for oral surgery, but if you have been living with it for several years, you likely will not make a good candidate.

Radiation treatment

People who have undergone radiation treatment for cancer, particularly in their head or neck, do not make ideal candidates for oral surgery because of the risks associated with the radiation. If you have undergone radiation, the chances of implant failure are significantly higher because the radiation causes damage to your jaw, making it difficult to fuse implants in place.

Even though these factors do not make you an ideal candidate for oral surgery, they do not mean you cannot undergo the procedure. Your dentist still has to do an evaluation to determine whether you can undergo the procedure or not.

Factors that make you a good candidate for an oral surgery procedure

Good oral health

Having healthy teeth and gums is important to the success of your oral surgery because they significantly increase the likelihood of success. Having healthy gums also means you will heal more quickly than someone suffering from gum disease.

Good bone density

Having good bone density makes you an ideal candidate for an oral surgery procedure because your jawbone has to be able to hold the implants in place. Your jawbone is also important in maintaining your facial structure, which is why dentists recommend you do not wait for an extended period of time to replace missing teeth.

Discipline

Oral surgery requires cutting into your gums, which will take months to heal. During that time, you will have to observe good oral hygiene and stay away from products like tobacco and alcohol, which slow down the healing process. If you are willing to make the commitment, you are an ideal candidate for an oral surgery procedure.

The bottom line

Undergoing an oral surgery procedure can make a significant difference in your appearance and self-confidence, but it also requires you to be in good health and have a healthy set of teeth and gums. If you want to know if you are an ideal candidate for oral surgery, talk to your dentist and have them evaluate your mouth.

Request an appointment here: https://familychoicedentistry.com or call Family Choice Dental at (505) 634-5657 for an appointment in our Albuquerque office.