I am 51 years old and have started dental implant work in my lower mouth. The doctor is planning to do seven implants total (two are done and waiting to heal up). I do not have diabetes. If I develop diabetes after all my implants are done, is there a chance that my implants with fail due to diabetes? I hear that it is very critical for the implants to become the part of the bone. I also hear that we may have problems wearing full dentures once implants are done. Why and how does diabetes affect dental implants?

Diabetes, if not controlled, may increase the chances of infection in any part of the body. You’ve probably heard the saying, “Human bites are worse than dog bites”. This is true because your mouth harbors many aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and given the right conditions, they will take advantage of the host (you!). A dental implant is just like a tooth and needs to be maintained as such including dental cleanings. Other problems can occur if the prosthesis is not fabricated correctly and excessive loads are placed on the implant resulting in eventual loss of the implant attachment. The implants serve as retention devices to secure the dental prostheses in place. The major drawbacks are the amount of time needed for the implants to heal (four months for the lower and six months for the uppers) and the costs of treatment.

FV