New research shows dental implants may be possible for diabetics

Despite previous concerns that it may not be possible for diabetic patients to benefit from dental implants, new research from the US suggests this may not necessarily be the case.

A team from the University of Texas Health Center have been exploring the potential dental options for people with diabetes, finding that inserting the roots of false teeth into the jawbone could be still be a possibility for this group of patients, even though their ability to heal quickly is not as strong as in their healthy counterparts.

Leader of the research Dr Tom Oates explained: "The problem we have with diabetes is it affects wound healing – it affects the patient's ability to fight infections, so there's been a lot of concern about using implants in these patients."

However, according to the results of the study, just two out of more than 200 implanted teeth did not heal well in diabetic patients, indicating a significant success rate.

Next, the team is planning to monitor the oral health of their test subjects over the coming few years to assess whether or not dental implants could be a long-term solution for individuals who have been diagnosed with diabetes.