4 Of Your Most Embarrassing Questions About Dental Implants Answered
If you have a missing tooth or several missing teeth, then you may be looking into dental implants to replace them and obtain a beautiful smile you love again. However, you may have questions about the implants that you feel a bit embarrassed to ask your dentist. While you should never be afraid to ask your dentist or implant specialist any question they can answer, here are a few answers to some questions about dental implants that may provide you the information you need or simply remind you that no question is off limits when it comes to your overall or oral health.
1. Will Having the Oral Herpes Virus Affect Your Ability to Obtain Dental Implants?
If you suffer from oral herpes, then first realize you have a very common virus that over 50 percent of the adult population in the United States has. It may seem less common than you think, because some people who are affected never experience symptoms, while others have frequent cold sores or sores around the perimeter of their mouths.
During outbreaks when there are sores present on or around your mouth, dentists follow the guidelines provided by the Center for Disease control, or CDC, to only administer emergency dental services until your outbreak heals. You can obtain any other dental work you need when you have no active lesions.
If you have frequent outbreaks that you fear will end up interfering with the treatment plan your implant specialist provides for your implant process, then he or she may advise that you begin taking a medication to control your frequent outbreaks before you begin the implant process. There are several antiviral medications that can be prescribed for you to begin a week or two before you start the implant process.
2. If a Missing Tooth Was Crooked Will the Implant Be Crooked as Well?
If your tooth or several teeth you lost or had extracted were crooked, then you may wonder if the implants used to replace them will have to be put in the same position the teeth were. This is a great question, and the answer is "no." Since before a dental implant post is placed, the entire tooth, including the root, must be missing, that leaves a virtual "blank" slate for the implant specialist to place a new tooth that is straight.
In fact, while not common, it is an option for people who currently have a crooked tooth that they do not want to straighten with traditional braces to have the tooth extracted and replaced with a straight dental implant.
3. Can You Keep or Restore the Gap You Had Between Your Teeth when You Get Dental Implants?
You may think this is an odd question, because many people, especially orthodontists, view a large gap between teeth as an imperfection. However, it is understandable that you had what may have been considered a tooth "flaw" for your entire life and wouldn't feel the same without it.
The good news is that you are not the first person obtaining dental implants who wants to preserve your unique smile, and most implant specialists will allow you to keep the gap you love as long as it is possible. There are cases when it is not possible, but there is no harm in asking your implant specialist about this, and no reason to feel embarrassed.
4. Will Your Intimate Life Be Affected After Obtaining Dental Implants?
If you have worries about dental implants affecting intimate times with your partner, then it is great that you are taking everything you can into consideration to ensure you don't harm your dental implants. The truth is that after any dental work, you must be careful to not introduce any more outside bacteria than you have to into your mouth for a period of time while your mouth is healing. This will help you avoid infection at the site worked on, and that includes the sites where dental implants are placed. When you have any type of open wounds in your mouth, such as when healing from a bone graft needed for your implants, you are at a much higher risk of contracting STDs when engaging in any oral intimacy acts.
However, once your mouth has healed fully from your dental implant procedure, your implant specialist will give you the "green light" that it is okay to begin oral intimacy with your partner again.
If you have any questions for your dentist or dental implant specialist that you are embarrassed to ask, remember that they are health professionals and are there to give you the answer to any question you have. Experienced dental professionals have also worked with many patients and have been likely asked any question you have in the past and are ready to give you the answers you need.
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