We may lose teeth to everything from injury to advanced periodontal disease. However, once a gap forms in the smile, filling that gap is paramount for avoiding serious complications for your smile’s health and beauty. In today’s blog, your Charles City, IA, dentist looks at the benefits of placing bridges or dentures to address minor and severe cases of missing teeth.
Don’t Let Your Tooth Loss Become Worse
When you lose a tooth, the trouble doesn’t stop there. The gap in your smile may cause surrounding teeth to drift from position, leading to misalignment. When your nearby teeth begin to crowd and overlap this increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Losing one or more teeth could also lead to issues with your bite balance and place stain on your jaw joints, allowing the onset of TMJ disorder and/or bruxism (teeth grinding). The pressure could even damage teeth, meaning patients experience headaches, jaw pain, toothaches, and even decay or infection. These complications could eventually mean further tooth loss!
Dental Bridges
To replace between one and three lost teeth in a row, our team may recommend a dental bridge. Called that because they bridge the gap between your remaining natural teeth, the prosthetic consists of crowns placed on the abutment teeth on each side of the gap in your smile. The crown helps secure your new tooth or teeth in place firmly. We create them based on detailed impressions we take of your smile and use lifelike materials, such as a ceramic. The result is a prosthetic that absorbs serious bite forces and can last for 10 to 15 years with proper care and attention. The new teeth and crowns will look natural and blend seamlessly with your smile.
Full and Partial Dentures
For more substantial cases of tooth loss, our team may suggest a set of dentures. If you have gaps spread out across your smile, but haven’t lost enough to warrant a full prosthetic then we may suggest a partial. The prosthetic consists of an acrylic base that looks like gum tissue, and new teeth as well. Metal clasps in the prosthetic will attach to natural teeth and anchor your new ones in place. The full will replace every tooth on one or both arches and is created with an acrylic base and a full row of new teeth. Each one is custom-made to ensure a proper fit and a lifelike appearance.
Do You Have Questions About Tooth Loss?
Our team can not only replace missing teeth, but help you avoid the loss of your natural teeth with general and preventive care. To learn more about preserving your smile, schedule a visit by calling Central Park Dentistry in Charles City, IA, today at (641) 228-1115. We also proudly welcome patients from Greene, Nashua, and all surrounding communities.
