There are many causes for missing teeth, some more common than others, but whatever the case, a missing tooth, or several missing teeth, can have a drastic effect on your lifestyle.
At New Albany Implants, we want all of Southern Indiana to have a smile to be proud of, and we don’t want missing teeth to stop you from enjoying your life to the fullest.
Accidents are a common way to lose a tooth. In fact, for young people, it is probably the most common. Taking an elbow to the mouth in a pick-up game of basketball can cost you a tooth. A car accident, or a bicycle wreck, can put a gap in your smile. Even a slight tumble can knock out a tooth. Sometimes your natural tooth can be put back into its socket and heal back into place, but sometimes it can’t. Then you are left with hole where your tooth used to be, and that can cause you problems.
If you haven’t had the best dental home care habits over the years, or if you have avoided the dentist out of fear or some other reason. Then you may end up experiencing tooth decay. Tooth decay can be treated fairly easily in its early stages, but if it is not taken care of, it can worsen, and eventually cost you a tooth, or more. Tooth decay can spread to other teeth, so if you don’t come to our office for treatment, you may end up losing several teeth.
Some aspects of dental health are out of your control. Sometimes it just comes down to genetics. Even if you brush and floss every day, and have regular cleanings and examinations, you could still experience dental problems because of a genetic predisposition. However, a healthy oral hygiene routine will do a lot to combat bad genes.
Problems with missing teeth
Missing teeth, especially molars, can have a very profound negative effect on your health. Molars are your back teeth that you use for chewing. Even missing one molar can changes the way you chew, and if you are missing a few, then you may have to limit the types of food you eat.
When you are missing back teeth, you are more likely to eat softer, overly processed foods. These foods are not the best for you. Typically, the healthiest foods, like fruit and vegetables and lean meats, require a lot of chewing because they contain a high amount of fiber. Fiber not only help your body to process sugar, it also aids in digestion, and it even helps protect your teeth. That simple act of chewing food generates saliva, which protects your teeth. The more fiber in your food, the more you have to chew it, and the better for your teeth!
So, if you are missing your back teeth, you could be missing out on some of the tastiest and healthiest foods.
There is more to your teeth than just eating, though. Your front teeth are essential for speech because some of the letter sounds, like “T” and “L”, require that you touch your tongue to the back of your front teeth. If you have ever had a conversation with six-year-old who has just lost his front teeth, you know how true this is.
Also, you should never underestimate the power of beautiful smile. If you are missing front teeth, you are less likely to smile in public. Studies have shown that people who smile less have a more difficult time with interpersonal communication, both a work and in social situations.
Solutions for missing teeth.
Fortunately, you do not have to let missing teeth affect your social life, your professional life, or your health. At New Albany Implants, we focus in fixing smiles, and have a variety of solutions to replace your missing teeth.
Bridges
A bridges is a solution for replacing a tooth that is surrounded by strong, healthy teeth. For this procedure, your replacement tooth is anchored to a crown on both sides, which are then attached to the healthy teeth.
Dentures
Your are likely already familiar with dentures. You can get partial dentures to replace a series of missing teeth, or a full set, if you are missing all your teeth, or your remaining teeth are unhealthy.
In the past, dentures relied on adhesives to stay in place, and they could be unreliable. These days your dentures can be anchored to your jaw with dental implants to give you a more permanent solution to your missing teeth problem.
Implants
Dental implants are small metal posts that are placed into your jawbone, where they will bond with the bone to replace the root of your tooth. After the implants have fully bonded, and your mouth has healed, a crown will be attached to the post to create a replacement tooth.
If you need to replace several, or all, of your teeth, dental implants can also be used to anchor dentures to your jaw for a more secure and natural fit.
Make an appointment
If these procedures sound painful and intimidating, don’t worry. At New Albany Implant, we practice pain free dentistry. We provide a range of sedation options, from inhaled sedation, which will put you in a state of deep relaxation, to IV sedation, which will put you to sleep, so that you are completely unaware of the procedure while it’s happening.
Contact our office in Southern Indiana today to make an appointment!