Tooth loss can cause major problems for your smile, and without treatment, lead to serious complications for how you eat, speak, and even the stability of your facial structure. But our team can help with dental prosthetics, such as bridges or even dental implants. In today’s blog, your Grand Prairie, TX, dentist talks about our approach to prosthetic dentistry, and how we can help you obtain a full smile again, even if you have suffered from total tooth loss!
The Causes of Tooth Loss
Why do we lose our natural teeth? For some, this could be due to an untreated case of tooth decay or infection. The tooth could fall out or require extraction to avoid the spread of infection. If you sustain a facial injury, this could knock out a tooth. The most common cause of missing teeth in teens and adults is periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease that severs the connective tissues between the teeth and gums. As part of your treatment, we will assess the cause of your tooth loss, in case we need to treat underlying oral health issues to prevent implant failure or other complications.
How Missing Teeth Impacts Your Smile
When you lose teeth, this could cause surrounding teeth to drift from position, which means poor alignment and an increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease. You could also experience strain on your jaw joints, which leads to TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). As your tooth loses increases in severity. This could mean limited meal options and nutritional deficiencies, as well as issues speaking clearly. Without tooth roots to stimulate jawbone growth, you could also develop erosion that causes further tooth loss and even an older appearance. But we can help restore your smile to full function, health, and beauty with a dental prosthetic.
Planning Treatment
To get started, our team will take a close look at your smile with digital technology, so we can assess the cause and severity, and plan treatment for underlying issues if needed. We also take detailed images and impressions that can help design and craft your new teeth, so they will be custom-made for your smile. This ensures a lifelike appearance and a proper fit, and boosts the chances of greater longevity with your replacement teeth. If needed, we can offer sedation to ensure the preparation and placement process is a comfortable experience for you.
Dental Bridges
When you have minor tooth loss, such as one to three missing teeth in a row, then we can help with a bridge. This is custom-made from ceramic and contains new teeth with crowns on each end. We attach the crowns to natural teeth on each side of the gap, and this secures your new teeth firmly in place. This prosthetic will last about 10 to 15 years usually. You should brush and floss your prosthetic as you would your natural teeth, and clean the space between the top of the gums and the bottom of the prosthetic, so you avoid issues that could threaten your new teeth or your remaining natural ones.
Partial Dentures
If you have multiple missing teeth, too severe for a bridge but not advanced enough to require tooth extraction and a full denture, then we can help with a partial. This will contain new teeth set in an acrylic base, which fit in between the gaps in your smile. Metal clasps will anchor them in place. These will be removable, and you can soak them and clean them regularly to ensure they stay strong and pliable.
Full Dentures
If you have lost most or all of your teeth, then we can help with a complete set of dentures. We will extract the last few teeth and provide a denture. This contains a full row of new teeth set in an acrylic base, with suction or adhesives keeping it in place. Removable dentures like these tend to last about 5 to 10 years on average. You will be able to smile with coincidence and we will discuss how to soak and clean them. We want them to last and help you enjoy a full smile!
Our Dental Implants
For lifelike tooth replacement, we can offer dental implants. These are posts made from titanium, which is biocompatible and when inserted into the jaw, acts like a new tooth root. This helps protect the jaw from erosion and changes to the jaw ridge, so your new roots can stay in place for years to come, decades or even a lifetime. We then attach a crown for an individual one, or we could insert several to support a bridge or even a full set of dentures. These will last far longer than traditional bridges or removable full or partial dentures. In fact, they could last for decades to come with proper care and attention! You even clean them as you would natural teeth, with daily brushing and flossing, and visits to our team for a checkup and cleaning appointment.
If you have any questions about how we treat tooth loss, or if you want to start the prosthetic process now before the holidays are here, then reach out to our team today. There is still time to see us start the treatment process before we close for the holidays. You also have a chance to use your 2024 dental insurance benefits and health saving account funds before they expire at the end of the month. We want to help you smile with confidence again, and greet 2025 with a full and beautiful smile!
Schedule a Visit For Prosthetic Dentistry
We want to help you smile with confidence by correcting your tooth loss, so you can obtain a full smile that looks great and helps restore health and function to your smile again. For more information on addressing the gaps in your smile with one of our custom and lifelike dental prosthetics, then schedule an appointment with Dr. Smith and our team by calling Pecan Tree Dental in Grand Prairie, TX, today at (972) 262-5111.
