Most patients who ask about dental implants while dealing with gum disease expect to hear that they have to choose one or the other. The reality is more encouraging: gum disease does not permanently disqualify you from implants, but it does have to be treated first, and the order in which you address these conditions matters significantly for long-term outcomes. Understanding what your periodontal status means for implant candidacy is the first step toward building a plan that actually works.
At Laudenbach Periodontics & Dental Implants, our team has spent over 40 years helping Philadelphia-area patients navigate exactly this situation. Dr. Jay Laudenbach, a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, and Dr. Ishita Bhavsar, Board Eligible for the American Board of Periodontology, provide comprehensive periodontal therapy designed to create the healthiest possible foundation before implant placement is considered.
Why Gum Disease and Dental Implants Are So Closely Connected
Dental implants require two things to succeed long-term: healthy gum tissue and adequate bone structure. Gum disease attacks both. When periodontitis progresses, it destroys the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth — the same structures an implant needs to anchor into and integrate with. Placing an implant into a mouth with active gum disease creates a high-risk environment where bacteria levels are elevated, inflammation is ongoing, and the healing process required for successful osseointegration is compromised.
The good news is that treating gum disease effectively can change that environment entirely. Once your periodontal condition is stable and your gum tissue has healed, the chances of successful implant integration improve substantially. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, dental implants are often an appropriate option for patients who have lost teeth due to periodontal disease, provided the underlying condition is properly managed.
Does Having Gum Disease Disqualify You from Getting Dental Implants?
The answer 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 does not mean dental implants are off the table. The process typically involves treating your gum disease until it is 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. Our team works with each patient to confirm their periodontal status is truly stable before any implant procedure begins.
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 disease and the best path to prepare you for dental implants. Common approaches include:
- Scaling and root planing: for mild to moderate gum disease, this deep-cleaning procedure removes bacterial deposits below the gum line and smooths root surfaces to promote tissue reattachment, often improving gum health within weeks of treatment
- Laser periodontal therapy: using the Fotona LightWalker laser system, our periodontists actively eliminate bacteria below the gum line, remove hardened deposits from root surfaces, and reduce the body’s inflammatory response with minimal recovery time — a highly effective option for mild to moderate cases
- Periodontal surgery: for advanced cases, procedures like pocket reduction surgery eliminate deep bacterial reservoirs, while regenerative techniques can help rebuild lost bone and tissue, creating a stable environment for 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.
Scaling and Root Planing
For mild to moderate gum disease, non-surgical periodontal therapy often provides excellent results. Scaling and root planing removes bacterial deposits that have accumulated below the gum line and smooths the root surfaces to encourage the gum tissue to reattach. Most patients see meaningful improvement in tissue health within weeks of completing treatment, and for many, this is sufficient preparation before moving forward with implants.
Laser Periodontal Therapy
Our practice uses the Fotona LightWalker laser system to deliver minimally invasive periodontal treatment for mild to moderate gum disease. Laser therapy actively kills bacteria below the gum line, removes calculus from root surfaces, and targets the body’s inflammatory response without the tissue disruption of traditional surgery. Patients typically experience a shorter recovery and often see regeneration of lost periodontal tissues. In severe cases, laser therapy alone will not be sufficient — for those patients, we often recommend a combined approach of periodontal surgery enhanced with laser therapy for the best possible outcome.
Periodontal Surgery
More advanced cases may require surgical intervention. Pocket reduction surgery eliminates deep bacterial reservoirs that cannot be reached by non-surgical methods, while regenerative techniques can help rebuild lost bone and tissue to create a stable, healthy environment that supports successful implant placement. After gum disease treatment, we monitor your healing and wait until your tissues have fully recovered before placing implants.
Implant Options When Gum Disease Has Caused Significant Bone Loss
Advanced periodontal disease often means more than gum damage alone. If you have lost significant bone volume, you may need bone grafting procedures to rebuild the foundation implants require. Our team performs these in-house as part of a coordinated treatment plan, using Straumann — the leading dental implant manufacturer in the world — components throughout.
For patients with extensive periodontal damage and multiple missing teeth, full-arch implant solutions, including All-on-X treatments, can be an excellent path forward. These procedures address multiple issues simultaneously by removing severely compromised teeth and replacing them with implant-supported prosthetics, providing a fresh start for your oral health. Our team evaluates each patient’s bone levels, tissue condition, and overall health to determine whether single implants, multiple implants, or a full-arch solution is the right fit.
Why Choose a Periodontist for Dental Implants with Gum Disease
Not every implant provider is equipped to manage the periodontal complexity involved in placing implants for patients who have had gum disease. Periodontists are dental specialists with three additional years of post-graduate training focused on gum disease, bone loss, and implant placement. At our Philadelphia practice, Dr. Laudenbach and Dr. Bhavsar bring that depth of periodontal knowledge to every implant case, ensuring the conditions for long-term success are established before a single implant is placed.
We place only Straumann implants and use genuine Straumann high-quality components throughout the restoration process. That commitment to premium materials is part of how we protect long-term outcomes for patients whose periodontal history places greater demands on the implant system. Learn more about our approach on our dental implants overview page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Implants and Gum Disease
Can You Get Dental Implants If You Have Gum Disease?
Yes, in many cases. Gum disease does not permanently disqualify you from dental implants, but it must be treated and stabilized first. Placing implants into a mouth with active periodontal disease significantly increases the risk of failure. Our team evaluates your specific condition and develops a treatment plan to get your gums healthy before implant placement begins.
How Long Does Gum Disease Treatment Take Before Implants Can Be Placed?
The timeline varies depending on the severity of your periodontal disease and how your gums respond to treatment. Mild to moderate cases treated with scaling and root planing or laser therapy may stabilize within a few weeks to a few months. More advanced cases requiring periodontal surgery or bone grafting take longer. Our team monitors your healing at every stage before proceeding.
What Is Peri-Implantitis and How Does Gum Disease History Affect the Risk?
Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the gum and bone tissue around a dental implant — essentially gum disease around an implant. Patients with a history of periodontal disease have a higher risk of developing peri-implantitis, which is why proper treatment before placement and ongoing periodontal maintenance after placement are both critical for long-term implant success.
Do I Need a Bone Graft If I Have Had Gum Disease?
It depends on how much bone loss the disease has caused. Advanced periodontitis often destroys the bone structure implants need to anchor into. If your bone volume is insufficient, a bone grafting procedure can rebuild that foundation before an implant is placed. Our team assesses your bone levels with imaging during your initial evaluation and discusses whether grafting is part of your plan.
Is Laser Therapy an Option for Treating Gum Disease Before Implants?
Yes. For mild to moderate gum disease, our Fotona LightWalker laser therapy is a highly effective, minimally invasive option. It eliminates bacteria below the gum line, removes hardened deposits, and reduces inflammation with a shorter recovery period compared to traditional surgery. In severe cases, we often combine laser therapy with periodontal surgery for the best outcome.
Why Should I See a Periodontist for Implants Instead of a General Dentist?
Periodontists receive three additional years of specialized training after dental school focused on gum disease, bone loss, and implant placement. For patients with a history of periodontal disease, that depth of training matters. Our team manages both the periodontal treatment and the implant placement in-house, ensuring coordinated, specialist-level care at every step.
Contact Laudenbach Periodontics & Dental Implants Today
Gum disease does not have to prevent you from achieving the benefits of dental implants. With the right periodontal treatment, a carefully sequenced plan, and an experienced team managing both the gum and implant sides of your care, successful implant outcomes are achievable for many patients who have dealt with periodontal disease. Our team is ready to evaluate your specific situation and build a plan tailored to your needs.
To schedule your comprehensive consultation — which includes all necessary X-rays, full periodontal charting, and comprehensive photos — call us at (215) 985-4337 or reach out through our contact form. We serve patients throughout Philadelphia, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Newtown Square, Cherry Hill, and the surrounding Main Line communities.
