Sometimes when people lose teeth, they put their recovery on the back burner. Maybe you feel like you shouldn't spend the money now, or perhaps you don't feel really 'worthy' of fixing your teeth. Whatever the reason, getting dental implants as soon as possible after losing teeth or having them pulled is ideal and you should take advantage of the opportunity if at all possible. Here's why.
Faster Recovery
When you get dental implants, surgery is required, regardless of when you lost your teeth. However, if you get it done sooner than later, your surgery may be shorter and your recovery may be faster.
This is because teeth are naturally seated in the jaw bone. When a tooth is lost, the hole that the tooth used to occupy will gradually be closed up by the body. However, to put an implant in its place, that hole is required, so your dentist will have to drill a new hole in the jaw bone to insert the implant. On the other hand, if you get help sooner than later, this step is often skipped because the implant can be seated right where the tooth used to be before it closes up.
No Bone Loss
A common problem that many people don't know about when they lose teeth is that they're likely to lose bone density, too. Teeth work in tandem with the jaw bone to transfer pressure from your bite to your jaw. This stimulates new bone cells to grow. But when this process stops because a tooth is pulled or falls out, the bone tends to get weaker and thinner as a result.
If you act quickly, you can avoid this bone loss or stop it before it becomes severe.
Better Gum Health
Gum health is also a big deal when it comes to losing teeth. In the same way that the bone in your jaw starts to become thinner, the gums also lose stimulation from whenever you chew. This can lead to poor circulation in the gums that can increase the risk of problems like gum disease.
The sooner you get dental implants, the less likely this is to happen to you. Since dental implants extend all the way down into the bone, they can provide the same circulation support. But if you wait too long, you could end up developing gum disease first, and that will need to be treated before you can get implants.
For more information on dental implants and restorative dentistry, reach out to a company like Pacific Ave Dental/Allan L. Hablutzel, DDS.
Every time you take a bite of food, you should be grateful for your healthy teeth! A tooth can lose its health and structure quickly once decay sets in. Luckily, if you visit your dentist for regular appointments, the decay should not get too serious before your dentist notices it and can do something about it. That "something" is applying a filling. On the other hand, if the decay progresses too long before it is caught, you may need a crown or even an extraction.
We want to keep our teeth, and we know you want to keep yours. That's why we created this website to teach you more about dentists and dental care. Enjoy!