Dental Implants and the Elderly: 3 Complications Caused by Calcium Deficiency
by Lonnie Bryant
Calcium is vital if you want to maintain good dental health. This mineral is a major constituent of your bones and teeth. Calcium can also help your blood to clot which can help dental wounds to heal at a faster rate. Older people are much more susceptible to calcium deficiency when compared to the general population, so they can sometimes experience complications after dental implant surgery. Below is a guide to 3 possible complications which can be caused by calcium deficiency.
Reduced Bone Mass
The majority of calcium in your body is found in the bones and teeth. Therefore, it is these areas of the body which suffer the most damage when a person is deficient in calcium. Low bone mass can reduce the strength of the jaw bone, which could mean that it is not strong enough to support dental implants. If an elderly person requires dental implants but has a low bone mass, the dentist may take steps to reinforce the jaw bone using grafts of bone taken from another area of the body.
Swollen Periodontal Tissues
Periodontal disease causes inflamed, bleeding and red gums. Although the primary cause of periodontal disease is poor dental hygiene, there are other factors which can contribute to the development of the condition. One of these factors is a calcium deficiency. If the gums and other soft tissues in your mouth do not receive enough calcium, they can become increasingly susceptible to bacterial attacks and infections. If an older person has an acute case of periodontal disease, your dentist will have to put the dental implant work on hold until the condition has been successfully treated as implants cannot be inserted into infected gums.
Extended Healing Time
Finally, a calcium deficiency in an elderly person can also extend the amount of time required for the wounds created during implant surgery to heal. The dentist will drill a small hole into the jaw bone so that the implant can be screwed into place. However, this insertion point needs to heal before the false teeth can be inserted. To speed up the healing process, a dentist may recommend that an older person changes their diet in order to boost their calcium intake. They may also refer the patient to a dietician who will be able to offer further help and advice about how to eat a healthy and balanced diet which protects your oral health.
If you would like to find out more about how a calcium deficiency can impact a person's oral health, you should contact a dental clinic today.
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About Me
There are more than two ways to straighten a smile, and in this blog, I plan to discuss them all. I plan to look at the differences between braces and retainers and explain why sometimes you may need them both. I look at the differences in cost, time commitment and efficacy. Personally, I have had a bit of experience with this subject – I had braces as a young teen, and I had a permanent retainer. In this blog, I discuss what I have learned, and I present all kinds of new information on the topic. Whether you are trying to make decisions for yourself or your child. I hope you find this information useful.