A gap (or gaps) in your smile causes changes in your appearance that can cause emotional consequences, including reduced self-confidence. But an incomplete smile can cause other issues that many patients don’t consider.

When you have spaces between your teeth, your remaining teeth shift and move. Over time, this can give you a crooked smile, which also affects the beauty of your smile. Furthermore, crooked, crowded teeth are harder to keep clean and make brushing and flossing more difficult. This makes you more vulnerable to dental decay and gum disease—both of which can cause further tooth loss.

Moreover, misaligned teeth can affect your speech, your bite, and how you chew. Speech issues can cause further loss of self-confidence. If you can’t chew properly, it affects your diet and can lead to nutritional deficiencies. And a misaligned bite puts more stress on your teeth and jaw joints, which can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

In summary, replacing a missing tooth or teeth keeps your remaining teeth healthy, functional, and in their proper place.

To understand the role of dental implants, it is helpful to realize there’s more to a tooth than what you see. When you smile, you see the visible part of the tooth that is above the gumline. This is called the crown, and it is what allows you to chew and eat.

The tooth root sits below the gumline. But just because it isn’t visible when you smile, it doesn’t mean it isn’t important. In fact, the tooth root is vital when it comes to overall oral health.

Every time you chew or bite down, the tooth root causes vibrations that stimulate the jawbone. These vibrations are necessary to keep your jawbone healthy. When you are missing a tooth root, these vibrations do not occur, causing destruction of bone tissue. As this destruction spreads over time, you can lose more teeth. It also affects the appearance of your face, giving it a “sunken-in” look that makes you appear older.

A dental implant is a titanium post that is “screwed” into the jawbone to replace a missing tooth root. It mimics a natural tooth root, causing the vibrations that stimulate bone tissue to keep it healthy and intact.

Since it is made of titanium, an implant is not toxic or harmful to the human body. Moreover, body fluids and the human environment will not corrode it.

Another benefit of titanium is that it encourages bone growth. Once the post is placed in the jawbone, a process called osseointegration occurs. This process causes bone growth around the post that permanently fuses it in place.

The first step involves a consultation appointment with Dr. Shahid. At this appointment, we will collect your medical history and perform a thorough oral exam, including diagnostic imaging. Then, we will discuss your goals, desires, and treatment options and answer all your questions.

If Dr. Shahid believes you are a good candidate for a dental implant, we will schedule you for implant surgery. If you do not have enough bone tissue to support an implant, we may recommend bone graft surgery prior to implant placement.

Dental implant surgery is considered minor and comes with few potential side effects. The discomfort is usually mild, and most patients do fine with just local anesthetics. Once you are prepped for surgery, the procedure should only take approximately 20 minutes.

The procedure involves a small incision in your gumline, placement of the implant, and then a few small, dissolvable stitches.

After surgery, care is simple. You may experience some swelling and tenderness. Over-the-counter medications and ice should be all you need to keep the discomfort tolerable. You will be instructed to avoid eating and drinking while your mouth remains numb. A soft diet and soft toothbrush are best for the next few days.

Minor bleeding may occur, but it should be manageable with light pressure. Notify Dr. Shahid for excessive bleeding.

It will be important to maintain good oral hygiene to avoid infection. Depending on your situation, Dr. Shahid may also prescribe an antibiotic and special mouth rinse.

After implant surgery, it takes from three to six months for the implant to fully heal and fuse into place. Once Dr. Shahid confirms it is fused and healed, she will place a connector, called an abutment, on the end of the implant.

The next step involves dental impressions. Since Dr. Shahid utilizes advanced, modern technology in her Seattle office, she will take digital impressions with her iTero® scanner. You will appreciate avoiding the messy, gooey, unpleasant process of mold impressions.

To complete your restoration, Dr. Shahid will place a dental bridge or same-day crown to fill in the gap. Here, you will again appreciate technology, as SMILES ON 35^th utilizes CEREC and CAD/CAM to custom-create your beautiful, natural-looking, tooth-colored crown in around an hour.

To learn more about our Seattle dental implant treatment options, contact our office. Dr. Rubecca Shahid will help you determine whether you are a good candidate for dental implants or help you explore your other restoration options. We provide a calm and welcoming environment in our office, sedation dental options, and personalized care to ensure that your visit to us is as comfortable as possible.