A Family Dentist in Kona encourages patients to replace missing teeth with dental implants if the patient can afford it or has dental insurance that covers the service. Advances in dental medicine have made implantation possible for nearly everyone. Even patients with a certain amount of bone loss in the jaw can have bone grafting done by an oral surgeon to rebuild the material and make the jaw dense enough for implants.
Why Wisdom Teeth Are Removed
One exception in which implants are not recommended is for the replacement of wisdom teeth that have been extracted. Many people have these teeth removed as young adults because one or more of the teeth are impacted, growing in very crooked, or crowding the other teeth. These third molars are not necessary for adequate chewing ability or for cosmetic reasons, so there is no need to replace them.
Why Dentists Recommend Implants
In other parts of the mouth, missing teeth roots tend to result in bone shrinkage, especially if numerous teeth are missing. Those roots are necessary for stimulating new bone cell growth during chewing. This is a primary reason a Family Dentist in Kona recommends dental implants over bridges or dentures. The problem is more serious toward the front of the mouth, as the bottom part of the face gradually begins to look shrunken and caved in.
Financial Considerations
It is doubtful that dental insurance would pay to replace wisdom teeth with implants since this is not considered a necessary procedure. Some insurance plans pay a partial amount for other dental implants because they help maintain jawbone integrity and improve chewing. For wisdom teeth replacement, the patient would have to pay the entire cost out of pocket.
Oral Surgery
In addition, this particular treatment would be more costly because an oral surgeon would be required, which is not the case with other dental implants. Family dentists such as Carter S. Yokoyama D.D.S. increasingly receive training so they can provide this service, but adding a wisdom tooth implant is difficult. The location far back in the mouth, as well as complex bone and muscle structure there, make this a more extensive procedure. Individuals who need implants to replace other teeth may Click Here.
