Are you planning to eventually get dental implants? If you are, you’ll want to replace missing teeth as soon as possible rather than wait. Although many patients have hesitations about rushing right into getting dental implants when they have a missing tooth, there are numerous advantages of starting the dental implant procedure at Gordon Dental in Leawood, KS, earlier than you initially planned to.
Missing Teeth Cause Other Teeth to Move
Whenever we lose a tooth, it’s like taking a book off of a shelf. In a small amount of time, the neighboring and opposing teeth start to tilt or slide. You can develop uneven teeth because of opposing teeth super-erupting out of place as they look for a biting partner.
When Dr. Gordon installs implants, it doesn’t just improve the appearance of your smile. It helps keep teeth at the correct location in your jaw, impacting everyday life activities like eating, flossing, your appearance, and the need for extra dental work.
Missing Teeth Cause Bone Loss
Bone deterioration is a natural side effect of missing teeth. Any time natural teeth fall out or are extracted, there is a gradual process where bone deterioration kicks in. This shrinking in the jawbone can jeopardize the integrity of adjacent teeth as well as a future implant. If you wait, the jawbone resorption just gradually gets worse.
Bone shrinkage doesn’t just matter when you need to support dental implants or remaining teeth. It also changes the shape of your facial profile, mouth, and overall appearance.
Dr. Gordon recommends installing implants fairly quickly after you find yourself with missing teeth. We can even place an implant the same day of your tooth extraction. That way, you can ensure healthy bone support for your new tooth without triggering premature aging in your face.
Shifting in Your Bite Leads to Tooth Wear and Breakage
Tooth loss may not seem like a big concern when your missing teeth aren’t visible in your smile. But as teeth shift, your biting relationships also change. This can lead to irregular wear patterns on the chewing surfaces of your teeth and dental work. As the months go by, enamel may become flat as additional dental problems develop because of broken fillings, crowns, or other failed restorations.
When your smile is healthy, it looks great too. The dental implant process may be more for functional purposes, but it can also provide you with a boost to your self-esteem! It’s important to talk to Dr. Gordon about your options before several teeth start to break down; otherwise, additional treatments will also be needed to restore your smile’s health.
TMJ Pain and Joint Disorder
Unevenly spaced teeth (because of tooth shifting and bone density loss caused by missing teeth) can change the way you bite and chew. As a result, your jaw joint will start to function irregularly just to bite into and grind down your food. This can lead to chronic pain in your TMJ as well as headaches, neck, and shoulder pain. With an implant, space between teeth can be preserved to omit the risk of severe adverse effects in your TMJ.
Treating jaw pain and TMJ disorder often boils down to the function of your mouth and overall tooth alignment. When we permanently replace teeth and preserve your jawbone density, we don’t have to worry as much about whether your TMJ will be functioning abnormally on a day-to-day basis.
Dental Implants are Safer Than Other Tooth Replacement Options
Conventional tooth replacement options include things like flippers, partial dentures, and fixed bridges. But each of these restorations comes with dental health implications.
For example, a fixed bridge requires removing healthy tooth structure on the supporting teeth. After the bridge gives out and needs to be replaced, additional tooth alteration is necessary. Over time, this can weaken those teeth and lead to additional tooth replacement costs.
With dental implants, we can install your tooth replacement next to adjacent teeth without any alterations to the remaining teeth in your mouth. From an overall health approach, dental implants are the safer and less invasive alternative for your smile reconstruction. As an added perk, implants improve bone mass in those locations because of the natural osseointegration process that takes place after they’re installed. That way, you can protect surrounding teeth (including the opposing tooth) for better long-term oral health results.
Getting Dental Implants is Easier Than You Thought
Dental implant surgery is minimally-invasive enough that it can be gently performed by our Leawood dentist with nothing more than local anesthetic (numbing medication.) However, most patients prefer oral or IV sedation to help them tune everything out. When you feel relaxed throughout your dental work, you can easily complete implant surgery with minimal downtime, anxiety, or extra trips to the dental office.
Depending on if you need bone graft surgery, extractions, or other oral health treatments, your typical dental implant surgery needs little downtime for the recovery process.
You Can Afford the Procedure
Are you worried about spending more money on the dental implant procedure than dentures or bridges? Dental implants actually save you money over time because they are designed to last for decades. This investment in your smile means you won’t need to wear or update things like dentures and bridges every several years.
Plus, our Leawood dental implant patients can enjoy flexible financing options and payment plans. No matter how many dental implants you need, you can enjoy flexible low monthly payments with as little as 0% interest. All of our prospective dental implant patients will get clear, easy-to-understand price quotes with no hidden fees. Even if you do wait to get dental implants, you’ll likely wish that you hadn’t!
Complimentary Dental Implants Consultations
If you’re considering dental implants in Leawood, Gordon Dental offers free consultation visits to discuss your missing tooth replacement options. All prospective clients can enjoy a no-obligation evaluation and complementary treatment plan. Your care plan will outline all steps involved, as well as fees associated with dental implant surgery, with no hidden pricing. Enjoy easy-to-understand care from an experienced Kansas implant dentist.
Call us today to get started.