Creating A Perfect Smile Creating A Perfect Smile

Are you embarrassed by the gap you have in your mouth from a missing tooth? If so, is this gap making it harder to eat and speak? These are all common problems people experience when they are missing teeth, but you do not have to live like this. You could choose to visit a dentist to have the gap filled in with an artificial tooth, and this can be done with a dental implant or a bridge. While implants are better in some cases, there are times when implants will not work. In these situations, dental bridges are the best route to take. Here are three reasons a dental implant might be a bad idea for you.

You have gum disease

For a dental implant to last and stay in place, you must have healthy gums. Healthy gums keep your teeth in place and protect your jawbone. If you have gum disease, getting an implant might not be a good option for you, unless you are willing to treat the gum disease first. If the gum disease has been left untreated for a long time, your jawbone might not be strong enough to hold an implant.

The good news is that if you have gum disease, you can still get a dental bridge. The dentist may want to treat the gum disease first, but a bridge can be made for you as soon as you have completed the gum disease treatment.

You are too young

Another reason a dental bridge is often a better option is when the person that needs it is young. A person's jawbone will often continue growing through the teenage years; and in some cases, it may continue growing into the person's 20s. If you are a teenager, your dentist may not feel comfortable putting an implant in place. If you do get one and experience more growth in your jaw, it could cause you to lose the implant.

You smoke

People who smoke are better off getting dental bridges than implants, and this is primarily because smoking prolongs healing. An implant requires several steps, and it can take months for everything in your mouth to heal. If you smoke a lot, this can stop your mouth from healing as quickly as it should, and you might be more likely to end up with an infection in your mouth. This is why dentists often recommend dental bridges to replace teeth in smokers.

Living with a gap or two in your mouth is not pleasant in many ways, but you can change this by contacting a dentist or visiting websites like http://www.drmaymi.com/ for more information. A dentist can explain your options to you, and you can decide how to proceed from there.