Orthodontic treatment is often recommended for patients who experience malocclusions, also known as a bad bite. Many people associate orthodontic treatment with braces and teens, but it’s increasingly common for adults to seek orthodontic help such as wisdom teeth removal these days as well. When you have missing teeth and are considering dental implants to restore full function of your mouth, when is the right time to also seek orthodontic treatment?
Dental implants involve a surgical process to insert titanium posts into the gums and jawbone. Orthodontic treatment involves shifting of teeth in order to achieve a desired bite. It is therefore recommended that patients seek orthodontic treatment to move all remaining teeth into the proper places before undergoing dental implant surgery.
It is vital that a dental implant remain stationary after surgery. This helps to ensure it integrates properly with the jawbone and will stay in place. If a patient seeks orthodontic treatment after dental implant surgery, it increases the risk of the implant failing. If all of the other teeth are in a suitable position before dental implant surgery, there should be no need to move the position of the implant later.
Following orthodontic treatment, most patients are required to wear a retainer for a certain amount of time to make sure the teeth do not move back into their old positions. This is important to do even after getting an implant. If the teeth shift and move the implant, it could cause the implant to fail, rendering all of that orthodontic and cosmetic work useless.
One of the single most important things you can do to ensure success of your orthodontic and implant treatment is to follow the instructions of your dental professionals. Contact The Center for Oral Surgery of Las Vegas today to schedule a consultation!