Study: Dental implant success rates in diabetic patients may be as good as in healthy patients

March 16, 2015 - PRLog -- CALABASAS, Calif. — If you have diabetes and need a dental implant, the chances of your dental implant surviving are higher than previously thought.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio showed that patients with poorly controlled diabetes have a high success rate with dental implants after one year, Dental-Tribune.com reported.

Diabetics have long been considered poor candidates for dental implants because of adverse effects such as slow healing and risk of infection, but researchers now say that diabetics have an equal chance of implant survival as non-diabetic patients.

Scientists studied the data of 110 edentulous patients who received mandibular implant-supported overdentures.

The participants were divided into three groups: patients without diabetes, patients with controlled diabetes and patients with poorly controlled diabetes.

After a one year follow up period, scientists found no significant difference between the study groups. They found that diabetic and non-diabetic patients had a nearly 100 percent implant survival rate. The only difference was that participants with poorly controlled diabetes needed more time for the implant to heal before placing the dentures, researchers said.

Dr. Greg Rubin, of the Calabasas Dental Institute, said the findings mark a significant advancement for diabetic patients.

“This is great news for diabetic sufferers,” he said. “I have many patients with diabetes who can greatly benefit from dental implants, but that has never been a long-term option until now. While this is certainly a positive development, more clinical studies need to be done to further verify the findings.”

Dr. Greg Rubin and his team of dental professionals specialize in treating diabetic patients and his state of the art dental facility offers alternative treatments for different stages of the condition.

The study, titled "The Effects of Elevated Hemoglobin A1c in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on Dental Implants," was published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

The Calabasas Dental Institute is located at 4764 Park Granada #107, Calabasas, CA 91302; (818) 224-2420.

Using the latest in high-tech digital technology, this group of dental experts and specialists provide first rate personalized service in all aspects of cutting edge general and cosmetic dentistry. A sleep apnea treatment center, which offers the most advanced oral treatments on the market, is also conveniently located on the premises. Doctors at the Calabasas Dental Institute, which is the first dental office in Southern California to accept Bitcoin as payment,  have pioneered some of the leading technologies in the treatment of bad breath and operate a one-stop bad breath treatment facility at the Calabasas location. For their innovation, they have been recognized nationally as leading experts in bad breath treatment by HealthTap.com, which ranked the group #1 among other health experts in the field. For more information, please visit CalabasasDentalInstitute.com.