Who's a good candidate
Most healthy adults who've lost a tooth are candidates for dental implants. The basic requirements: enough jawbone to support the implant, healthy gums, and the ability to heal normally after surgery. Age isn't a limit, patients in their 80s and 90s receive implants successfully every day.
The most common factor we evaluate is bone volume. When a tooth is missing for a long time, the jawbone in that area starts to shrink. If there's not enough bone to anchor an implant securely, a bone graft might be needed first, which adds time and cost, but rarely changes the final outcome.
When implants aren't recommended
A few situations make implants more complicated or rule them out:
- Active, untreated gum disease (treatable, but must be resolved first)
- Heavy smoking (significantly increases failure rate)
- Uncontrolled diabetes (controlled diabetes is fine)
- Active chemotherapy or recent head/neck radiation
- Severe untreated bruxism (treatable with a nightguard)
- Growing jaw, implants are generally not placed in patients under 18
How we evaluate you
Your consultation includes a clinical exam, a full set of dental X-rays, and a 3D cone-beam CT scan (CBCT) of the implant site. The CBCT shows the bone in three dimensions and lets us measure exactly how much is there and where critical structures (sinus, nerves) sit relative to the planned implant.
With that information, we plan the implant digitally, choosing the size, position, and angle that gives the best long-term result, and discuss with you whether grafting is needed.
Implant alternatives
Implants aren't the only option for replacing a missing tooth. We'll usually walk through three:
- Dental implant, most natural feel, preserves bone, lasts decades
- Fixed bridge, non-surgical, requires shaping the adjacent teeth
- Removable partial denture, least expensive, but moves slightly and doesn't preserve bone
What we'll know at the end of your consult
After the exam and CBCT, we'll tell you: whether you're a candidate, whether bone grafting is needed, what the timeline looks like, and what the total cost will be including the crown. You leave with a written plan and time to think about it, never a same-day pressure to commit.
Common reasons we hold off on implant placement
Not every patient who wants an implant should get one immediately. A few situations push us toward waiting or considering alternatives first:
- Active gum disease, we treat and stabilize the gums before any implant placement
- Uncontrolled diabetes (A1C above 8.0), slows healing and raises infection risk
- Heavy smoking, we strongly recommend a quit plan before implant surgery
- Recent IV bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporosis or cancer (risk of osteonecrosis)
- Pregnancy, elective surgery typically waits until after delivery
- Insufficient bone volume without a bone graft option the patient is willing to consider
Questions about your specific case?
Every patient's mouth is different. The article above covers the general principles, for a personalized recommendation, schedule a consultation with Dr. Sidhu.
