Many experts consider dental implants the gold standard for replacement teeth because their unique placement in the jawbone provides many advantages over the alternatives like dentures or dental bridges. However, if you have noticed that your smile isn’t as perfectly straight as it once was, you might find yourself wondering whether you’re able to undergo orthodontic treatment with an implant in place.
If you’re eager to realign your grin, keep reading to learn more about whether it’s safe to straighten it with dental implants!
How Do Braces Work?
Although many people get braces in their youth, it’s possible for your teeth to eventually shift out of alignment over time. Whether it’s due to bruxism (teeth grinding), aging, or missing teeth, there are many adults and seniors who want to realign their grins, too. Thankfully, your pearly whites are connected by muscles, ligaments, and other connective tissues that have a natural capacity for movement, so your dentist can help you reposition them.
For example, they may recommend traditional braces, which exert enough pressure to gently move them over a designated period. They do this by attaching metal brackets to the front surface of your teeth then threading them with an arch wire. This can be adjusted throughout your treatment to give your provider control over the amount and direction of pressure to invoke movement.
Can I Straighten My Smile with Dental Implants?
Dental implants gain their strength and stability from a titanium rod that’s inserted directly into your jawbone. After your procedure, your jawbone fuses with this pole over several weeks or months in a process called osseointegration. Essentially, new bone growth incrementally surrounds the metal until eventually the two become one.
That means that once you’ve fully recovered, your implant is a permanent fixture in your mouth that can’t be moved or removed. This is because it’s not connected with natural muscles and ligaments with a natural capacity for movement, like your natural teeth.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get braces. Your dentist can work around your implant to keep in place while adjusting the surrounding teeth. In some cases, it can even serve as an anchor point that’s used to provide the force necessary to move them. In more severe circumstances, your implant may need to be removed and replaced once your orthodontics are complete.
If you’re frustrated by a misaligned grin and have one or more dental implants, don’t lose hope! Schedule a consultation with your dentist so they can work out a customized treatment plan to give you the perfectly straight smile you deserve!
About the Practice
At Healthy Smiles Dental Care, you and your family benefit from a team of experts that provide a wide variety of services conveniently under one roof. With decades of combined experience, they can help improve your dental health regardless of its current condition. They offer evening and weekend hours so you can find a convenient appointment time that works for you. Then, they utilize state-of-the-art equipment to enhance patient comfort and deliver accurate, long-lasting results. If you’re interested in enhancing your smile, you can request a consultation on the website or call (734) 475-8911.