Can You Get Full Mouth Dental Implants While Taking Ozempic or Other Weight-Loss Drugs?
In recent years, drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy – originally developed to treat diabetes – have been in high demand because of their revolutionary ability to help people lose weight. According to the well-known polling firm Gallup, about 15.5 million Americans already use injectable diabetes medications to induce weight loss, and the popularity of these and similar drugs is expected to skyrocket in the future.
At the same time, the replacement of failing teeth with full mouth dental implants is also growing in popularity, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down. So it stands to reason that an increasing number of patients who face both the challenges of obesity and failing teeth will be exploring their options for prescription weight-loss drugs and dental implants.
Of course, the pros and cons of using prescription medications of any kind should be discussed with your doctor. Additionally, if you’re exploring the possibility of replacing your teeth with full mouth dental implants, you should alert any oral surgeon or dental implant professional you consult with to the list of medications you take — including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or another prescription weight loss drug. This is critical to ensure your health and safety.
To be clear, using injectable weight-loss drugs will not necessarily make you ineligible for full arch or full mouth dental implants at New Teeth Now. However, the way these medications work can pose challenges for dental implant patients and their providers. Because every dental implant patient is unique, you should book a consultation to discuss your specific situation. In the meantime, you can read this article to learn about some of the factors to consider if you’re taking or planning to take injectable weight-loss drugs and you also want to replace your teeth with dental implants.
How do injectable weight-loss drugs work?
Not all injectable weight-loss prescriptions are for the same drug, but generally they all work by making patients feel full faster and longer with less food intake. This effect, especially when combined with a healthy diet and exercise, spurs weight loss – sometimes as much as 20% of a patient’s body weight.
The two main types of drugs in this category are semaglutide, marketed under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, better known by the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. Ozempic, FDA-approved as a type 2 diabetes treatment in 2017, is perhaps the best known of the injectable weight-loss medications because of an aggressive marketing campaign that has been ongoing for years. Wegovy, available from the same manufacturer as Ozempic, was approved in 2021 as a weight-loss aid for patients experiencing obesity or certain weight-related medical conditions.
Similarly, Mounjaro is the tirzepatide treatment for diabetes, while Zepbound uses the same drug for treatment of obesity. A third injectable drug, liraglutide, is marketed under the names Victoza and Saxenda.
Generally, these appetite suppressants mimic naturally occurring hormones that are released after eating, creating the sensation of fullness. They also dramatically slow the speed at which food leaves the stomach – and that creates a challenge to getting full mouth dental implants while taking semaglutide, tirzepatide or liraglutide.
Dental implant placement with general anesthesia
If you’ve ever had elective surgery that included general anesthesia, you probably recall that you were required to fast for at least eight hours in advance so your stomach would be empty during your procedure. This is to prevent complications such as food regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration while you are deeply asleep and the muscles of your esophagus are relaxed, thus hindering their ability to keep stomach contents where they belong.
Unfortunately, cases have been reported of patients on Ozempic or a similar medication having food in their stomachs during their dental implant procedure, even though they fasted as directed.
This phenomenon is not insurmountable. Certified, well-qualified anesthesiologists like the ones who work for New Teeth Now are trained to act quickly to counteract the effects of a sedated patient’s regurgitation. However, prevention is a better option. At our facility, patients who take one of these injectable medications pause dosing two weeks before undergoing general anesthesia.
It’s important to note that the recent development of injectable weight-loss drugs means that some of the side effects are still being discovered. Researchers are compiling evidence about the effects of Ozempic and other similar drugs on patients seeking to have full mouth dental implants. In the meantime, the use of general anesthesia during implant placement is considered to be a better option than deep sedation. This is because patients under deep sedation are expected to breathe on their own and thus don’t have their airway protected by an endotracheal tube, as is standard for patients under general anesthesia.
At New Teeth Now, our use of general anesthesia during dental implant placement procedures is one of the top reasons so many patients trust us to restore their smiles and oral health. After decades of placing traditional full mouth implants and zygomatic implants, our board-certified oral surgeons are convinced that general anesthesia – administered and monitored by certified and experienced anesthetists – delivers the safest and most comfortable experience for our patients.
What diabetics should know about dental implants
For patients who are using Ozempic, Mounjaro or Victoza to treat diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes), there’s a little more to be aware of when it’s time to get dental implants. Uncontrolled diabetes can have a detrimental effect on bone health, including the bone tissue’s density and ability to heal.
Why is this pertinent? Because dental implants are designed to replace natural tooth roots, which means they must integrate into the jawbone or cheekbone to be successful. New Teeth Now uses high-quality titanium implants, which have a proven track record of fusing well into healthy bone through a process known as osseointegration. This process allows dental implants to anchor into the jawbone or cheekbone securely enough to support artificial teeth and their high-pressure chewing function. Therefore, it’s important for dental implant patients to have an adequate amount of healthy bone tissue.
Fortunately, studies have shown that diabetics who keep their A1C levels at 8% or below have high dental implant success rates at about the same pace as non-diabetic patients. However, it will be necessary for dental implant patients with diabetes to make sure their condition is well monitored and their treatment adjusted to maintain satisfactory A1C levels.
Another concern for diabetics who get dental implants is their elevated risk of infection. This risk can affect not only the speed of healing immediately after having dental implants embedded but also the long-term settling of the implants into the bone. This translates into the need for diabetic patients who get full mouth dental implants to be vigilant about seeing their doctor for regular checkups as well as following their implant provider’s instructions for monitoring the condition of their implants.
With that said, studies have shown that dental implants have a high success rate in diabetic patients that’s comparable to the success rate for non-diabetic patients. The key for diabetic patients is to keep their blood sugar levels under control, and medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Victoza can help them do that. For diabetic patients undergoing dental implant surgery, we will consult with you about your specific case. This article is only a general guideline.
Schedule a consultation to get the answers you need
At New Teeth Now, our highly skilled and experienced oral surgeons have successfully helped thousands of patients regain their beautiful smiles and ability to eat just about anything their hearts desire. Many of the patients we treat come to us with complex cases because of the condition of their mouths, their overall health condition, or both.
One of the reasons we can treat so many patients with complex needs is that we don’t rely on standardized dental implant guides. We understand that every patient is unique, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach that will generate the high rate of medical success and patient satisfaction we’ve become known for.
We also use the latest imaging technology to help our oral surgeons accurately place dental implants for long-lasting results. What’s more, our in-house restorative dentists and dental lab technicians use high-tech tools to craft beautiful, durable teeth that give all of our patients the perfect fit.
Are you ready to learn more? Contact New Teeth Now to schedule a consultation, during which you’ll be asked about your medical history and the medications you take. Whether you’re already taking an injectable weight-loss drug or you and your doctor are considering adding it to your prescription regimen, we’ll be happy to discuss the specifics of your case and help you make an educated decision about getting dental implants.
