Did you know that your jawbone can lose up to 25% of its mass within the first year after a permanent tooth falls out? This erosion occurs without a root to stimulate new bone growth every time you bite down. Over time, it can become too weak to support your remaining teeth. However, your dentist can provide dental implants that are surgically embedded into your jawbone to halt this process and stabilize your smile.
If you’ve been considering rebuilding your grin but have been waiting for the right time, why not start this summer? There are many reasons that these months are ideal for initiating the dental implant process. Continue reading to learn about 3 of them!
Reason #1: Your Schedule is More Flexible
Many patients are surprised to learn that getting dental implants requires multiple visits and happens in stages over a period of time. The entire process includes an initial consultation, impressions, two separate surgical procedures, and finally, placing your restoration.
It can be challenging to fit the different appointments and surgeries into your schedule during the year when it’s full. Thankfully, summertime routines tend to be more relaxed with school out of session. Even work schedules slow down with so many people taking off for vacation. You’ll be able to include your dentist on your calendar without as much worry that you’ll be missing important meetings or deadlines.
Reason #2: You Have Time to Recover
Dental implants offer unique advantages over alternatives like dentures or dental bridges because they’re the only type of artificial tooth that’s placed directly in your jawbone. Once the titanium rod has been surgically placed, it takes a while for your jawbone to fuse with it through a process called osseointegration. Over the next 3 to 6 months (or sometimes longer), every time you bite down, the titanium pole in your mouth will stimulate new bone growth in your jaw. Eventually, enough material is generated around the implant to keep it firmly rooted.
By starting this process early this summer, you could have enough time to recover and have your dental crown placed when things pick back up in the fall!
Reason #3: Your Benefits Haven’t Expired
If you’re relying on your dental insurance to help cover the cost of your restoration, then now is a great time to have your initial dental implant consultation. You’re more likely to have met your deductible now that several months have passed in your annual insurance cycle, so coverage has probably already kicked in. Plus, if there was a required waiting period, you may have passed it by now. Most likely, you can proceed with dental implants with fewer restrictions than if you tried at the beginning of the year.
Initiating the dental implant process early in the summer means that you could be ready for the next steps this autumn!
About the Practice
Patients at Premier Dental Care benefit from two dedicated dentists with years of experience providing a wide range of services under one roof. They take the time to get to know you and your unique dental concerns so that they can offer fully individualized treatments to address them. Whether you need basic preventative care or a more complex procedure like dental implants, they can help. Plus, they utilize state-of-the-art equipment to offer the surgery in the office so that you don’t have to seek outside providers. If you need to replace a missing tooth and want a consultation, you can contact the office on the website or call (703) 860-8860.