Societies Perception of Individuals with Visibly Missing Teeth

We've all wittnessed a miriad of predjudices and stereotyping. But did you know that people who have teeth missing, where it is visible to others, are percieved as uneducated,less attractive,and even mentally ill! As a dentist I know these perceptions are not true but it doesn't change the fact that society may treat these people different. Just like the overweight are ridiculed and made fun of in many movies, individuals with missing teeth always seem to take on the role of village idiot. This unfortunately perpetuates the stereotype. As a result the individuals who are victims of this tend to have low self esteem and aversions to social situations.

For young women in particular the result of a toothless smile can be devastating. I have been wittness to stories of constant ridicule by classmates and peers that has left the individual not wanting to return to school. I am not just talking about grade schoolers. I have also been in social situations where an individual with an obvious missing tooth/teeth has been quietly joked about after she steps away from the conversation. I don't for a minute think that she was not aware of what was going on.

I'm sure most of us know someone who fits this description. I am here to tell you that with today's technology that anyone can have beautiful teeth. Somtimes the person's fear of the dentist keeps them from seeking help. I assure you dentists today are very aware of this and todays dentistry can be suprisingly pleasent. In our office I always have music playing in the background and some patients request songs they want and I download it for thier listening pleasure. We also try to schedule the fearful patients longer so we can take our time and be extra sensitve to their needs. In keeping with this our office uses a tooth replacement technology that literally can provide fixed implant retained teeth in a single one to two hour appointment.

Other times financial situations preclude them from seeking treatment. In this day and age most dental offices work with financing companies to help patients afford their dental expenses. In our office we use a company called Care Credit which allows the patient anywhere from 12 months interest free, or for large amounts 60 months at a resonable interest rate.

The underlying message here is if you know an individual who has this problem then as a friend it is important you help to educate them of the possibilities. Believe me, a beautiful smile is life changing.

implant dentist chicago

CONSIDERING DENTAL IMPLANTS?…...TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!

From the moment a person looses a tooth and healing begins or gum disease is present, the bone that supported that tooth starts to change. This change is always a loss of the width and height of the bone. If you are considering dental implant replacement for a tooth/teeth that has gum disease, is gone or is going to be removed then time is of the essence.
Let us start with a patient that goes to his or her dentist and is told a tooth must be extracted for whatever reason. Most knowledgeable dentists would give several options to replace the missing tooth. Usually, but not always, the best option is a dental implant. If this option is not suggested then it is very important you ask because there are still some dentists that are not implant savvy. Most importantly, if implant replacement has been chosen, unless the tooth is or can become infected, it is better for your dentist to send you to an implant dentist immediately without extracting the tooth. At our office we offer emergency implant services. Recent research now shows that (especially for front teeth) the best functional and aesthetic results occur when a dental implant is placed immediately into the socket of the extracted tooth. What this means for you the patient is that the most natural looking results are achieved when the implant dentist carefully extracts the tooth and places the implant immediately. In most cases a temporary tooth can be placed and the patient leaves with a natural looking smile. If the tooth must be extracted by the dentist then the patient should go to the implant dentist within 3-5 days and have a bone graft placed in the socket to help preserve the precious bone.
Now let’s talk about the most common scenario in our office, that is, the patient has already lost a tooth/teeth and would like it replaced with a dental implant. Depending on the person and how long the tooth has been gone, implants may or may not be placed without special bone graft procedures. So it is important that if you are considering implants in areas of missing teeth you should get a consultation right away. You may have enough bone today but next year it may all be gone. You may be wondering that if I can just have a bone graft and implant done later why bother going through the trouble of making the decision right away. The reason is three fold. Bone grafts significantly add to the cost of the procedure. The natural look of the implant tooth is compromised and the treatment time is increased approximately 8-12 months. This is due to the healing time needed for the bone graft. Don’t worry, a majority of patients go through these extra steps. In the end, they are very pleased with their implants and would do it all over again!
I hope this article has helped you to better understand the implant process. If you have any other questions feel free to call me anytime.