If you are a senior citizen and are missing some of your teeth or need to have some of your teeth removed, one of your options for replacing those missing teeth are dental implants. Before you move forward with getting dental implants, here are three things that you need to look into.

#1 Bone Disease

As you age, your risk for bone disease increases. Many senior citizens experience a decrease in bone density, and this results in a decrease in overall bone health as well. You need to have your dentist test your bones. Your dentist should be able to determine if you show any signs of early bone disease. If you do already show signs of bone disease or bone loss, then getting dental implants is not a good idea.

You need to have strong bone health and not be suffering from a decrease in bone density in order to get dental implants because your dental implants are fused onto your jaw. If you have bone density issues, dental implants are not a good choice to replace your missing teeth, as these issues tend to progress and not regress over time, resulting in failed dental implants.

#2 Gum Health

Next, you need to have your gums inspected as well. You need to make sure that your gums are not infected or diseased in any way. When you get dental implants attached to your jaw, you are going to have an area during the process where an open wound will reside inside of your mouth. 

If you already have an infection or disease that has taken root inside of your mouth, then the open wound inside of your mouth during the dental implant process stands a higher chance of being infected.

#3 Overall Health

You also need to have your overall health assessed as well. If you have an auto immune disorder or if your immune system is compromised in any way, you may not be an ideal candidate for dental implants. You are going to deal with inflammation in your mouth after you get your implants, and you are going to want to make sure that your body can protect your mouth from infection.

Before you decide to get dental implants to replace teeth that you need to have removed or that are already removed from your mouth, you need to really examine your health. You need to have strong bones, healthy gums, and a strong immune system in order for dental implants to work. If you don't have all three of these things, you may need to discuss other options for your missing teeth, such as dentures, with your dentist.  

For more information and teeth replacement options, talk with a dentist at a clinic in your area, such as Gallery Dental.