It should be no surprise that, after experiencing tooth loss, restoring your smile requires replacing your lost tooth or teeth as soon as possible. Everything from your smile’s appearance and your own self-confidence to your oral health, bite function, quality of life, and more can be affected by the loss. It it’s important to do more than just replace them, however; to fully restore your smile and the functions your teeth were responsible for, you’ll need a custom prosthesis designed specifically to fit your smile. You may also need to address the reason why you experienced tooth loss in the first place, to reduce your risks of experiencing it again.
You may need to treat something first
Not every case of tooth loss is the same, which is why prosthetic dentistry involves carefully custom-crafted restorations for every patient’s smile. Yet, the number of teeth and specific ones you lose aren’t the only things that are personal. So is the reason why you experienced tooth loss. There are many potential causes of tooth loss, but the most common one is severe gum disease. It affects your teeth by eroding the gums and jawbone structure that support them, and in severe cases, there may be so little support left that one or more teeth fall out or have to be extracted. Before replacing your lost teeth, you may have to undergo periodontal treatment to successfully manage the disease.
Time matters, so don’t wait
Whether you lost a tooth to gum disease or any other reason, time matters more than you might realize when it comes to replacing it. Every day that your teeth are not in a whole and complete row, the ones remaining can experience a number of consequences, from uneven bite pressure to excessive wear and increased risks of damage. They can also shift out of alignment, and the jawbone where your teeth roots once lay can begin resorb into itself at the area of your tooth loss. The faster you replace your lost teeth and rebuild your smile, the less likely these effects can become serious enough to threaten your oral health and require additional treatment.
The replacement you choose matters, too
Knowing the importance of addressing tooth loss as soon as possible, it’s just as important to consider your best option for doing so. That may include a dental bridge if you’ve only lost a single tooth, or a partial denture if you’ve lost several of them. A complete denture is only necessary if you’ve lost all of the healthy, functional teeth on your upper or lower dental ridge. If you qualify, we may also recommend supporting your prosthesis on an appropriate number of dental implants, giving them a more realistic, root-like system of support.
Consider the best way to replace lost teeth
When you’ve lost one or more teeth, there are a few important things to consider about replacing them and successfully restoring your smile. For more information, schedule an appointment with Dr. Smith and our team by calling Pecan Tree Dental in Grand Prairie, TX, today at (972) 262-5111.
