Hello all!! I need to have a dental implant done.
The Oral surgeon that my dentist recommended has never done one on a Type 1 diabetic before,
I find this concerning, since I know I am prone to infection at the very least. I also know that type 1 diabetics sometimes do not tolerate sedation well either.
Does anyone know if there is a special kind of dentist, meaning someone with some kind of letters after hid or her name that could indicate that they are trained to deal with diabetics?
Surely I am no the only one here who has had one or needs one. I'm in the Los Angeles/ Ventura California area if anyone knows someone a really good that I should be sure to call.
I've already contacted three, all who tell me that no one has ever asked them about diabetes and imlants before,
I don't have any firsthand experience with dental work, but whenever I've needed any kind of medical procedure, I assess the doctor's experience with/knowledge of/willingness to learn about type 1 diabetes. If I encounter any blatant ignorance, unwillingness to listen to me, or attitude, I'm outta there.
The hardest part is that many medical professionals either a) assume that all diabetes is the same or b) have little to no knowledge of how type 1 diabetes specifically is managed. These distinctions are obviously important, especially if you're being sedated!
On that note, I was once told that if I ever needed major dental work, it should be done in a hospital setting, not an oral surgeon's office. I was told that this was the only way I could ensure that my BGs were managed properly. Is having the procedure done in a hospital setting a possibility?
I haven't had an implant done, but I need one as well. The infection issue and the sedation question are certainly worth paying attention to, but there is another issue that is equally important. My dentist told me that diabetics (I assume type 1 and type 2 are lumped together here) have a slightly lower success rate when it comes to the new bone tissue growing. Tight control likely helps the odds. Given that the procedure takes many months to complete and costs many many thousands of dollars (with no guarantee of success), maximizing the chances of success is important. I'm on the east coast, so I can't help with recommendations for good dentists, but it is worth checking around some. The other thing you might want to double check on is your vitamin D level. A lot of people in this country are vitamin D deficient (or close to deficient) without knowing it. Your risk of a vitamin D deficiency is probably fairly low since you live in a state where you can easily get plenty of sun exposure. But, nevertheless it is worth checking because having appropriate vitamin D and calcium levels is essential for bone growth.
Check out an Endodontist, they do implants. I never had one done, but I have been to an Endo for other work. I am sure you can find one in the L.A. area. I live in PA sorry I don't know any. I just had a thought, drsoosie, a D and a member of TuD, also a featured member, is a dentist in the L.A. area. Try contacting her. Just click on her pic on the featured page.
If the tooth in question is a molar, have it pulled first, heal and then contemplate whether you really need the implant. Implants are not always successful even in nondiabetics. In diabetics, my oral surgeon quoted 60% success, but success is very individual. You may want a second opinion from an oral surgeon who is familiar with diabetic patients or ask your endocrinologist or your primary for a recommendation. In my case, it was a molar. No problem with infection, but it took a long time to heal, close to 10 weeks. I opted out for the implant because I really don't need it. You also do not need to have the implant at the time of extraction. It can be done at a later date. I had a local, rather than general, in the oral surgeon's office and that was enough, and must less complicated The best of luck.
hi Tim, I had an implant done a few years ago. it was a molar. after I had it taken out, I had to wait a while for it to all heal up. Then they put the thing in, and another wait, then you get the tooth part of it. I'm glad I did. it was expensive. same thing happened to the same tooth on the other side, and I decided not to get the implant, because she said I didn't have enough bone there. my diabetes was never an issue for them. I've had type1 almost 45 years. here's drsoosie's profile
Hi timmy I am a t1 dentist in Los Angeles. I see no reason why being a T1 would preclude you from getting an implant. I always refer my patients to a periodontist to place the implant and I do the restorations once the implant is ready. If you have any questions please contact me. You can send me a message and I will give you my name and number and would be happy to answer any of your questions!
