Dental implants restore missing teeth with long-lasting, natural results—but not everyone qualifies right away. Your oral health, bone strength, and medical history all play key roles in determining candidacy.
At Dentist of Anaheim, we evaluate every patient with advanced imaging and thorough exams to see if the jawbone and gums can support an implant safely. Our team performs each procedure with care to ensure strong, predictable healing.
This guide explains what dentists look for during evaluation, how your health affects implant success, and what can be done to prepare if you don’t yet meet all the requirements.
Key Takeaways
Missing teeth plus healthy gums or bone options usually make you a candidate.
Stable health and good oral care boost implant success chances.
Modern surgical options help when bone or past health issues exist.
Essential Criteria for Implant Candidacy
You need a strong jawbone, healthy gums, and a clear oral exam to support an implant that will fuse with your bone and last. Each area below explains what clinicians check, why it matters, and what can be done if something needs fixing.
Jawbone Density Requirements
Your jawbone must be thick and dense enough to hold the titanium post that supports the implant. Clinicians measure bone height and width with 3D imaging to see if the site can withstand chewing forces and allow osseointegration, the process where bone grows tightly around the implant.
If you have bone loss from a missing tooth or long-term tooth loss, your jaw may be too thin or soft. Options include bone grafting or a sinus lift for upper back teeth. These procedures add bone material so your jaw can securely integrate the implant.
CBCT scan to measure bone volume and nerve locations.
Clinical review of bone quality at the site.
Timeline for healing after grafting before implant placement.
Healthy Gum Tissue Status
Healthy gums form a seal around the implant and protect the bone beneath. Active gum disease increases the risk of peri-implantitis, an infection that can loosen or destroy implants, so clinicians require your gum health to be stable before placing an implant.
During evaluation, the provider looks for signs like bleeding, deep pockets, and inflammation. If you have periodontal disease, treatment such as scaling, root planing, or periodontal surgery comes first.
After gums are stable, your mouth must stay clean through good daily hygiene and regular dental visits to protect the implant.
No active bleeding on probing.
Pocket depths reduced to safe levels.
Consistent maintenance visits are scheduled.
Oral Health Evaluation
A full oral examination checks more than the implant site; it reviews your whole mouth and medical history to predict healing and success.
The exam includes X-rays, bite analysis, and a review of medications and conditions affecting bone healing, like diabetes or bisphosphonates. The provider assesses adjacent teeth, bite force, and habits that impair blood flow and hinder osseointegration.
If risks exist, the team creates a plan: control blood sugar, modify medications with your physician, or recommend smoking cessation. This tailored approach helps determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants and what steps may be needed first.
Medical and Lifestyle Factors Affecting Eligibility
Your general health, daily habits, and certain diagnoses can change how well implants heal and last. Some conditions require coordination with your doctor, and some habits need behavior changes before surgery.
Why General Health Matters for Implant Success
The American Dental Association emphasizes that dental implant candidates must have good overall health to heal effectively after surgery.
Chronic illnesses like uncontrolled diabetes or immune disorders can delay bone fusion and raise infection risk. The ADA advises coordinating with your physician to stabilize conditions before surgery for higher long-term success.
General Health Considerations
Your body must heal reliably for an implant to fuse with bone. That means good blood flow, controlled blood sugar, and a working immune system. If you have recent chemotherapy or head/neck radiation, talk to your oncologist about timing; irradiated bone may need special care.
Medical teams often check labs like HbA1c for diabetes and review current medications. You should share any prescriptions, supplements, or recent hospitalizations.
If you use anticoagulants or have a bleeding disorder, your doctor will advise on managing bleeding risk around surgery. Age alone usually doesn’t stop you, but uncontrolled chronic illness can. Stabilizing conditions like heart disease or diabetes make implant treatment safer.
Lifestyle Habits Impact
Smoking, heavy drinking, and poor oral hygiene raise the risk of implant failure. Smoking cuts blood flow and slows healing; quitting several weeks before and after surgery helps a lot. Brush and floss daily and keep regular dental cleanings to reduce infection risk.
Teeth grinding (bruxism) puts extra force on implants and restorations. If you grind at night, your provider may recommend a nightguard and stronger restorative materials. Addressing bruxism lowers mechanical failure, such as screw loosening and fractures.
You should also avoid high-impact sports without mouth protection while implants heal. Small habit changes can significantly improve implant success rates.
Medical Conditions to Consider
Some autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, affect healing and immune response. If you take immunosuppressive drugs or biologics, coordinate timing with your rheumatologist. Many people with stable autoimmune disease still get implants, but planning is key.
Diabetes raises infection and delayed-healing risk when poorly controlled. Aim for a target HbA1c that your doctor agrees on before elective implant surgery to match the success rates seen in non-diabetic patients.
Bisphosphonates and certain bone drugs can raise the risk of jawbone problems. Blood clotting disorders and anticoagulant use need a clear plan to manage bleeding safely. Always provide your full medical history so your provider can work with your medical team and tailor a safe treatment plan.
Special Circumstances and Alternative Solutions
Some people need extra steps before implants, and others choose different tooth replacements. You will read about bone rebuilding, treating gum disease, age limits, and other options so you can weigh what fits your mouth and health.
Bone Grafting and Sinus Lift Options
If your jaw lacks enough bone, a bone graft can rebuild it so an implant will hold. The provider uses bone from your own body, donor bone, or a synthetic graft, placed at the implant site. Healing often takes 3–6 months before the implant is placed.
For upper back teeth, a sinus lift raises the sinus floor and fills the space with graft material. This creates more vertical bone for longer implants. You may need a sinus lift when the sinus sits too close to the jaw or after long-term tooth loss.
Risks include infection, swelling, and longer treatment time. Plan for extra appointments and follow post-op care, like avoiding heavy nose blowing. Discuss graft type, timeline, and success rates with your surgeon.
Managing Gum Disease and Periodontitis
Active gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) weakens the tissues that support teeth and can harm implant success. You must treat the infection first with deep cleanings, improved home care, and sometimes antibiotics.
The provider may perform scaling and root planing or refer you to a periodontist. After treatment, maintain strict oral hygiene and regular cleanings to prevent recurrence and peri-implantitis (infection around implants).
If periodontitis causes bone loss, your provider may pair disease control with bone grafting before placing implants. Keep diabetes under control, as healing depends on overall health. The provider will re-evaluate your gums and bone before proceeding.
Age and Developmental Considerations
Children and teens usually wait for implants until jaw growth finishes. Placing implants too early can misalign teeth as the jaw changes. Your orthodontist or oral surgeon checks growth with X-rays and growth markers.
Older adults can get implants if they are healthy and have healed bone. Age alone is not a disqualifier. Focus on medical stability, medication review, and bone quality. Some older patients need bone grafting to rebuild lost jawbone before implant placement.
Talk to your care team about timing, risks, and whether temporary solutions (like bridges or dentures) should be used while waiting.
Other Tooth Replacement Options
If implants are not possible or not preferred, you have reliable alternatives. A dental bridge uses adjacent teeth for support and restores chewing and appearance. Bridges require shaping neighboring teeth and last many years with good care.
Removable dentures replace multiple or all teeth and work quickly. Implant-supported dentures combine fewer implants with a denture for better stability than regular dentures. These may suit people with moderate bone loss.
Discuss pros and cons: cost, surgery needs, maintenance, and effect on nearby teeth. Your provider can help you compare options based on your mouth, budget, and goals.
The Dental Implant Assessment Process
You will learn what the provider checks, which scans they use, and what happens during a hands-on exam. The process focuses on your jawbone, gums, medical history, and the specific steps for planning implant posts and the final restoration.
Implant Consultation Steps
Your implant consultation starts with a detailed medical and dental history. The provider asks about chronic conditions, medications, smoking, and past oral surgeries because these affect healing and implant candidacy.
Expect a full oral examination. The provider checks gum health, mouth hygiene, the position of missing teeth, and the remaining bone by feeling and measuring the ridge. They will also discuss treatment options like single implants, multiple implants, or full-arch restorations.
You will get a clear treatment plan. This plan lists needed procedures (bone graft, sinus lift), estimated timeline, costs, and who performs each step—general dentist, oral surgeon, or prosthodontist. Consent and questions are addressed.
Diagnostic Imaging and 3D Scans
The provider will order imaging to map bone volume and nerve locations. A CBCT (cone beam CT) or 3D dental scan shows jawbone height, width, and density in three dimensions. This imaging guides implant post size and angle to avoid nerves or the sinus.
Periapical or panoramic X-rays may supplement 3D scans to view tooth roots and pockets. The scan files let the team plan implant placement virtually and, if needed, design a surgical guide that helps place the implant during surgery.
Bring recent records if you have them. The imaging also helps decide if you need bone grafting, a short implant option, or angulated implants to work around low bone.
What to Expect During Evaluation
On the day of evaluation, expect a 30–60 minute visit for exam, imaging, and questions. Staff will take impressions or digital scans of your teeth for prosthetic planning. Temporary restorations may be discussed if same-day teeth are an option.
The provider will mark implant positions on the scan and explain where the implant posts and abutments will sit. They will review risks, healing time, and aftercare, including oral hygiene steps to protect your new implant.
If you need a referral to an oral surgeon, the team will coordinate it and share your scans. You leave with a written plan that shows the next procedures, estimated dates, and a phone number for pre-op questions.
Setting the Foundation for Implant Success
Being a good implant candidate depends on more than missing teeth—it’s about healthy gums, solid bone, and stable overall health. When these factors align, implant treatment succeeds predictably and lasts for years.
At Dentist of Anaheim, we perform complete evaluations with 3D scans and clinical exams to confirm that your mouth is ready for implant surgery. Every plan is customized for strength, comfort, and a natural result.
Schedule your consultation today to learn about your candidacy and start planning a lasting restoration with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
You will find clear signs, medical limits, and the tests clinicians use to decide if implants suit you. Read the short answers to learn about bone needs, health checks, and what to talk over with your provider.
What are the signs that dental implants might be right for me?
You are missing one or more teeth and want a long-term replacement that looks and works like natural teeth. You have healthy gums and keep up with brushing and flossing most days.
If nearby teeth are healthy and you want to avoid a bridge, implants can protect those teeth. You are willing to follow a staged treatment plan and attend follow-up visits.
Can anyone get dental implants, or are there specific qualifications?
Not everyone can get implants right away. Clinicians look for good gum health, enough jawbone, and stable general health. Age alone does not rule you out. Your provider focuses on how well you heal and whether you can care for the implant long term.
Are there any medical conditions that would prevent me from getting implants?
Certain uncontrolled conditions can raise risks. For example, uncontrolled diabetes, active cancer treatment, or recent radiation to the head and neck can interfere with healing. Heavy smoking and severe bone loss can also limit success unless you take steps like quitting or having bone grafting first.
What does a dentist look for when assessing a patient for implant suitability?
The provider checks gum health, looks for signs of infection, and measures jawbone volume and density. They review your medical history, current medicines, and habits like smoking.
Imaging, such as X-rays or a CBCT scan, helps plan implant size and position. The provider also assesses your bite and the health of nearby teeth.
