Missing teeth can severely disrupt your life. But your dentist can provide you with reliable, comprehensive tooth replacement through implant dentistry. These dental fixtures feature an anchor within the jaw that supports prosthetic teeth.
Dental implants can offer twenty years or more of high-quality structural and aesthetic restoration. But you might worry about how these permanent fixtures might affect future dental work.
You can still pursue cosmetic and restorative dental solutions when you have implants. But the fixtures might influence your unique treatment plan. Your dentist can explain more when you schedule a dental consultation. You may also read on to learn how dental implants may affect certain treatments at your dentist’s office.
Can I Whiten Dental Implants?
Many people strive to maintain a pearly white smile. But your tooth color can change over time and become yellow, dull, or stained. Your dentist can offer teeth whitening treatment that uses bleaching gel to lift stubborn stains from your teeth to leave your smile looking brighter.
However, the ceramic material of the prosthetics atop a dental implant will not respond to the bleaching agents in teeth whitening treatment. If you want to brighten your tooth color, you should seek this treatment before you receive implants if possible. Then, your dentist can construct custom dental prosthetics for your implants that suit your enhanced smile.
If you want to whiten your implants, your dentist will need to replace the prosthetic teeth. So to avoid this lengthy process, talk to your dentist about smile enhancement prior to starting implant dentistry. Your dentist might be able to whiten natural teeth around an implant if needed.
Can I Straighten My Teeth After Dental Implant Treatment?
If you have crooked teeth, gaps between your teeth, or bite problems, your dentist can help you fix your dental alignment. They can recommend invisible braces, custom aligners that you wear over your smile to gradually push your teeth into your desired straight position.
If you have dental implants, these clear braces may not help your smile. Implants feature an anchor inserted into the jaw that fuses with the bone there to establish solid support for the prosthetic teeth. Once in place, the implant cannot move, which means clear braces will not work on the device.
Teeth straightening treatment should take place before implant dentistry for optimal results for this reason. But in some cases, an orthodontist can help you straighten your teeth around these devices.
What If I Get a Cavity When I Have Dental Implants?
Dental implants will not suffer from tooth decay, but your remaining natural teeth might. If you develop a cavity, you can still receive the dental treatment that you need to get rid of decay even after implant dentistry.
The dentist can remove the damaged enamel around the implant and provide you with a dental filling to restore the tooth’s health. If needed, the dentist may remove the prosthetic tooth to access the decay and then put it back in place in the same appointment. Continue to visit your dentist regularly to receive the oral health care you need after receiving implants.