If you’re dealing with gum disease and considering dental implants, you’re probably wondering whether your periodontal condition makes you ineligible for treatment. This concern is completely understandable, especially when you’re already feeling self-conscious about your oral health. The short answer is that gum disease doesn’t immediately disqualify you from getting dental implants, but it does need to be addressed first.
Led by our team of highly trained dental specialists, Dr. Jay Laudenbach, Dr. Ishita Bhavsar, and Dr. Robert Slauch, Laudenbach Periodontics & Dental Implants has spent over 40 years helping Philadelphia patients successfully navigate the relationship between gum disease and dental implants. As diplomates of the American Academy of Periodontology, our approach focuses on treating the underlying periodontal issues to create the best possible foundation for long-term implant success.
Does Having Gum Disease Disqualify You from Getting Dental Implants?
The answer to whether you can receive dental implants with gum disease depends on the severity of your condition and your commitment to treatment. Active gum disease creates an environment where bacteria thrive, potentially compromising implant integration and long-term success. However, this doesn’t mean dental implants are off the table.
The process typically involves treating your gum disease until it’s stable and well-controlled, allowing adequate healing time, and then proceeding with implant placement. This sequential approach gives you the best chance for long-term implant success. Skipping this step may lead to problems like peri-implantitis, implant loosening, or even implant loss down the road.
What’s the Connection Between Gum Disease and Dental Implants?
Dental implants require healthy gum tissue and adequate bone structure to integrate properly with your jaw. Gum disease creates an inflammatory environment with elevated bacteria levels, which can interfere with the healing process that’s essential for successful implant placement.
When gum disease progresses from gingivitis to periodontitis, it affects the same tissues and bone that support dental implants. Active infection can prevent the implants from properly fusing with the jawbone in a process called osseointegration. However, having a history of gum disease doesn’t mean you can’t get implants. We can help ensure your gums are healthy and stable before proceeding with implant surgery.
What Are Your Treatment Options for Gum Disease?
The treatment plan for your gum disease will depend on its severity and how it has affected your oral tissues. We begin with a comprehensive periodontal evaluation to assess pocket depths, bone levels, and areas of active infection to determine the stage of your gum disease and the best treatment to prepare you for dental implants:
Scaling and Root Planing
For mild to moderate gum disease, non-surgical periodontal therapy often provides excellent results. This typically involves scaling and root planing, a deep cleaning procedure that removes bacterial deposits below the gum line and smooths root surfaces to promote tissue reattachment, often improving gum health within weeks of treatment.
Periodontal Surgery
More advanced cases may require surgical intervention. Procedures like pocket reduction surgery eliminate deep bacterial reservoirs, while regenerative techniques can help rebuild lost bone and tissue. These treatments create a stable, healthy environment that encourages successful implant placement.
After your gum disease treatment, we monitor your healing and wait until your tissues have fully recovered before placing your implants. This gives your implants the best chance of long-term success and optimal results that help you chew, talk, and smile with comfort.
Laser Periodontal Therapy
For patients with mild to moderate gum disease, we offer patients a minimally invasive treatment option that is far more effective compared to scaling and root planing and less invasive when compared to periodontal surgery. We use the Fotona Lightwalker laser system to actively kill bacteria below the gum line, remove hard deposits from the root surfaces, and target the body’s inflammatory response. Our patients often see tremendous results with a shorter healing recovery and regeneration of lost periodontal tissues. In severe cases of gum disease, laser periodontal therapy by itself will not be effective. For these patients we often recommend a combined approach of periodontal surgery enhanced with laser periodontal therapy. Our doctors will assess your situation with a comprehensive evaluation and recommend the best treatment option so you can achieve the best possible outcome.
Tooth Replacement Solutions for Advanced Periodontal Disease Cases
If you have advanced gum disease, you may also have significant bone loss and multiple missing teeth. These situations require comprehensive treatment planning, but can still yield successful outcomes.
Full-arch implant solutions, including All-on-X treatments, can be excellent options if you have extensive periodontal damage. These procedures address multiple issues simultaneously by removing severely compromised teeth and replacing them with implant-supported prosthetics, essentially providing a fresh start for your oral health.
Additionally, if you have extensive bone loss, you may need bone grafting procedures to rebuild the foundation needed for stable implant placement. Our modern grafting techniques have high success rates and can restore function even in challenging cases.
Contact the Trusted Team at Laudenbach Periodontics & Dental Implants Today
Gum disease doesn’t have to prevent you from achieving the benefits of dental implants. With appropriate periodontal treatment and ongoing maintenance, you may become an excellent candidate for implant therapy. The key is working with a team that understands both periodontics and implant dentistry.Our comprehensive approach at Laudenbach Periodontics & Dental Implants ensures your entire mouth is healthy when addressing your implant needs. We use premium quality dental implants and components from Straumann, the leading dental implant manufacturer worldwide, along with genuine high-quality components to ensure lasting results. Contact us at (215) 985-4337 or complete our contact form to schedule your $199 consultation, which includes all necessary X-rays, full periodontal charting, and comprehensive photos to evaluate your specific situation.
