Are Dental Implants Possible With Gum Recession?

Your gums are the soft tissues that keep your teeth in place. Just like your teeth, they need proper care to retain their health. Gum recession refers to the process of gums “shrinking” or pulling away to expose more of the tooth’s root. In turn, the tooth is more vulnerable to sensitivity, decay and infection. In severe cases, it may even cause teeth to lose stability. Many patients suffer from receding gums, but whether or not they disqualify you from getting dental implants depends on the cause of your gum recession.

Causes of Gum Recession

Gums can recede due to a variety of factors, including genetics, the natural aging process and aggressive brushing habits. However, gum recession also occurs as a result of periodontal disease (gingival recession) and smoking/tobacco use. If your gums are receding or pulling away due to poor periodontal health or an infection, this can absolutely be an obstacle to receiving dental implants.

Treating Receding Gums Before Implant Surgery

Regardless of what is causing your receding gums, there is typically a way to repair them. Gum recession due to inherited factors or aging may be addressed with a simple gum graft procedure. Once healed properly, your dental implants can have a more secure chance for success – because just like your natural teeth, your dental implants need healthy and strong gums to support them.

If your gums are receding due to gum disease, your condition is more serious. Not only do you need proper gum height to support prosthetic teeth, but you also need healthy bone structure underneath. Untreated gum disease results in the destruction of underlying bone. Without enough bone density, the titanium post of a dental implant is not properly stabilized and able to fuse completely to the surrounding bone. If gum disease as already compromised your bone structure, you may need to consider bone grafting prior to implant surgery.

Last but not least, if smoking has deteriorated your gum health, it is imperative that you kick the habit before getting implants. In fact, smoking cigarettes and using tobacco is one of the leading causes of implant failure. Your dentist can give you a proper timeline for how long you must avoid smoking before and after implant surgery.

Call Dr. Wayne Suway!

Dr. Wayne Suway is renowned for his expertise in implant dentistry. This means that we know everything it takes to make dental implants successful. If you want dental implants but gum recession is a concern, please schedule an appointment so that we can determine what steps need to take place in order to qualify you for the most superior solution in restorative dentistry.