How Much Is Your Smile Worth?

When it comes to replacing infected or missing teeth, some patients shy away from the cost of dental implants. With the average cost of a dental implant procedure weighing in at $4,250, you may find yourself wondering if replacing a tooth with an implant is worth it.

As you evaluate how much your smile is worth, here are two important factors that should be taken into consideration.

1. Failing to address an infected tooth could cause serious health problems.

Teeth that have become infected frequently need to be removed. These teeth are often replaced with a dental implant after extraction. When deciding whether or not you want to spend the money to have an infected tooth treated by having your dentist complete a dental implant, you need to take the potential health problems a dental infection can cause into consideration.

An abscessed tooth can allow infection to spread to your heart, resulting in the development of bacterial endocarditis. Infection from an abscessed tooth can also spread to your brain and cause you to slip into a coma.

Investing in your smile by replacing an infected tooth is a simple way to help prevent more serious (and costly) health problems from developing in the future. Ask your dentist how a dental implant could contribute to treating an infected tooth.

2. Failing to replace missing teeth could compromise your earning potential.

When it comes to building a successful career, researchers have identified appearance as a contributing factor. Employers often attribute desirable qualities like competence and professionalism to more attractive workers; regardless of whether the person embodies these character traits or not.

This beauty bias creates discrepancies in the amount of money that workers can expect to earn. In fact, an attractive man is expected to make 13% more over the course of his career than a less attractive peer. Since the quality of your smile can affect your level of attractiveness, missing teeth could be affecting your ability to generate income.

If you are missing teeth, you may not enjoy the same career benefits as a colleague with a complete smile. Opt to invest in dental implants to replace missing teeth in the future.

Investing in dental implants might seem expensive, but knowing how much a healthy smile is worth can help you realize that the investment in dental implants is worthwhile. Spending money on dental implants will help you prevent costly health problems and increase your earning potential over time. Contact a dental business, such as Schirmer Dentistry, for more information.