Thanksgiving dinner is something that we look forward to all year long- it has become one of the most important meals of the entire year! Being in the dental implant business, it dawned on me that some people don’t enjoy their meals as much as they should- or could. I realized that holidays like Thanksgiving are, for some people, a time where they will spend a lot of energy trying to compensate for missing teeth, hide missing teeth and even avoid smiling in front of friends and family.
It is easy for me to say that the answer is dental implants, and that everybody who has missing teeth should go and get them. The reality is much different. I know that people do not go through life with missing teeth because they like it. There are three things that deter people from taking the steps to restore their oral health and dental condition and in the process improve their quality of life.
1) Needing More Information. The internet is overflowing with information about dental implants, how they can change your life, how they can restore dental health and function. The key information that YOU need in order to decide if dental implants are right for YOU is missing! You don’t really want to schedule a consultation with a surgeon to get answers to your questions because you are not in the mood to be sold to- how do you know if the plan you get from a specialist is the best option for your particular situation? The truth is, there is no “one-size fits all” approach when restoring teeth with implants. Patients deserve to be listened to, given options for treatment that meet their needs, wants and budget. It is rare that there is only one solution to a dental problem when it comes to missing teeth- take advantage of free consultations and get more than one professional opinion.
2) Cost of Dental Implants. Yes, dental implants are expensive. There is no way around the fact that such a highly engineered, technical and precise treatment can be made as affordable as say, a filling in your tooth. With that being said, it is important to consider the VALUE as opposed to the COST of dental implants. Dental implants are permanent 98% of the time, which means that in terms of value, they are actually very inexpensive over time. Dental implants are able to restore complete dental function, more thoroughly than any other method of tooth replacement. This has a huge impact on quality of life. Payment plans both short term and extended over a longer period of time make it possible to get dental implant treatment now, and pay for it over time with a payment you can afford.
3) Fear of Dental Work. Many patients end up with missing teeth because they are fearful of the dentist and do not like getting dental work done. This is much more common than you think. In fact, many patients avoid regular dental work and minor repairs for so long that going to the dentist only occurs in an emergency, exacerbating their fears because of the need for extensive dental work under conditions that include infection and pain- making dental work uncomfortable. Patients with dental fear find that treatment with dental implants by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is not only comfortable, but completely stress-free. Dental implant patients can have their complete treatment done while under IV general anesthesia and literally sleep comfortably through the entire treatment, wake up without pain (they are numbed while asleep), and wake up with new teeth.
Whatever your reason for just making it through another Thanksgiving dinner with missing teeth, we are here to help. Tell us your concerns, challenges and fears- we will work with you to find the answer. You have the power to make this Thanksgiving the last one with missing teeth.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our fantastic patients and friends! At Texas Wisdom Teeth and Dental Implants we are especially thankful for all of you, who make coming to work an absolute treat for us! Someone very wise once said that if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life- and it is very true!