Whatever the cause, losing one or more of our natural teeth could mean much more than embarrassing gaps in your smile. You could have trouble eating, speaking, or even experience negative changes to your facial structure. In today’s blog, your Garland, TX, dentist explains what happens when we lose teeth.
The Causes of Tooth Loss
Why do we lose our natural teeth? A number of factors could be responsible. For example, lack of proper dental hygiene could allow issues like tooth decay and infection to develop. Teeth may become lost, or need to be removed to prevent the spread of infection. Losing a tooth to an injury is also possible. However, the most common cause is periodontitis. The advanced stage of gum disease, this attacks the tissues connecting your teeth and gums, causing them to loosen and fall out. As part of your treatment, we will identify the factors behind your missing teeth to help protect your remaining natural teeth.
Short and Long-Term Complications
In the short term, you could deal with embarrassment due to the gaps in your smile. This could impact your special interactions and your confidence levels. As time passes, the jawbone around the missing tooth loses mass and density, which could mean further tooth loss and an aged appearance. Others could have trouble speaking clearly. Advanced tooth loss means losing the ability to treat a greater variety of foods, forcing you to rely mainly on soft items and deprive yourself on essential vitamins and nutrients. To avoid issues with your quality of life, oral health, and overall health, you need a full and functional smile.
Our Replacement Options
For minor tooth loss, we can create a lifelike dental bridge. For more advanced cases, we craft custom-made dentures, such as partials or fulls, to restore function and beauty to your smile. Dental implants act as new roots, offering prosthetics that can last for decades to come. We can use them to address individual lost teeth, or to sure a bridge or denture that never slips when you eat or speak, and doesn’t need to be removed of cleaning or soaking. If you have any questions about tooth loss, or if you would like to discuss possible replacement options, then contact our team today. We want our patients to enjoy full, functional, and beautiful smiles for a lifetime!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY?
Don’t let one or more missing teeth cause major oral health issues and negative impacts on your quality of life. To learn more about our approach to missing tooth replacement, then schedule a consultation by calling Mai Dentistry in Garland, TX, today at 972-530-0552. For our patients who don’t speak English, our office is fluent in both Spanish and Vietnamese.
