If you have missing teeth that you want to be replaced with dental implants and you also need braces, which should come first?
Dental implants fuse to the bone and won’t move with orthodontic treatment
Here are a few facts about dental implants and orthodontic treatment. They will help you understand the priority for your smile.
Dental Implants
- Usually made of titanium
- Surgically implanted in your jawbone
- Require bone grafting if you don’t have enough jawbone density
- Require a three to six month healing period so the implants fuse with your jawbone
- Feel and function like natural teeth
- Permanently in place and don’t contain ligaments like natural teeth to allow them to be repositioned during orthodontic treatment
Orthodontic Treatment
- Correctly aligns your teeth
- Often needed to move teeth that drifted into empty spaces where teeth are missing and to make room for dental implants
- Will move your natural teeth, but the implants won’t budge
Dental Implants After Braces
Orthodontic treatment
Most often, orthodontic treatment should be completed before you receive dental implants. Otherwise, as your teeth shift, the implants can damage them because braces are unable to move dental implants along with your teeth. The rigid implants can damage your teeth as they move to the correct position.
Schedule an appointment with an orthodontist to discuss your goals for your oral health. He or she will work with your implant dentist to ensure you get quality tooth replacement and alignment.
Implant placement
Find at least two skilled implant dentists to discuss your need for tooth replacement. Before you schedule an appointment for a consultation look for the following:
- Advanced training
- Extensive experience
- Implant credentials
Implant restoration/crown
An experienced cosmetic dentist can provide you with lifelike dental crowns for the implants. And if you’re considering teeth whitening, it should be completed before you receive dental crowns. This ensures the crowns will match your bright smile.
This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.