If you have diabetes, you may be wondering whether or not you can have a dental implant installed without incurring any problems. Dental implants are actually quite successful for diabetics who control their blood sugar. In fact, there is practically no difference between the success rates of people control their blood sugar and have diabetes when compared to those are not diabetic. The biggest issue implant issues for diabetic patients appear to be blood sugar problems.  

Here are a few reasons why you should control your blood sugar well during the time before and after your dental implant is installed:

Poor blood sugar control can increase the likelihood of an infection.

When blood sugar is out of control, it can impact the body's ability to heal properly, and infections that would not normally occur may transpire. Regardless of your blood sugar level, as a precaution, your dentist may decide to have you take antibiotics prior to having a dental implant to help ward off the possibility of an infection before it even starts. However, since poor blood sugar increases the likelihood of an infection, the antibiotics may not be as effective as they should be.

A dental implant is drilled into the jawbone as a tooth root replacement. The implant, which is usually made of titanium, is designed to incite little-to-no reaction from the patient's body. Using a biocompatible metal lessens the chance of immunological rejection. However, the metal does not prohibit the development of an infection.

An infection can jeopardize the success of a dental implant because osseointegration may not occur properly.

Osseointegration is the connecting of the bone to the metal dental implant. This connection process takes place over a few months. However, if an infection develops, osseointegration may not occur properly. Without this process being completed, the implant will never become fully stabilized within the jawbone.

Blood sugar affects wound healing time.

High blood sugar also affects the body's ability to heal quickly. If the healing of a dental implant is delayed, there is a greater chance of failure.  The healing process stabilizes the implant, and until the implant is secured within the jaw bone, it can be more easily moved out of place or shifted. Thus, the longer an implant takes to properly heal, the greater the chance of implant failure.

To learn more about how what blood sugar affects a dental implant, schedule a hesitation with a dentist in your area.