When we lose a tooth, this doesn’t just impact our smile’s appearance. Eventually, our overall oral health suffers as well, and the risk of further tooth loss increases. In today’s blog, your El Paso, TX, dentists will discuss how tooth loss happens and how you can avoid it, and we’ll look at addressing missing teeth with lifelike and long-lasting dental implants.
The Causes of Tooth Loss (And How to Prevent Missing Teeth)
We may lose our teeth to a sudden accident or injury, causing them to be knocked loose. We could also have a tooth requiring removal due to severe damage or infection. However, the most common cause of tooth loss is periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease which actually destroys the tissues connecting your teeth and gums. The teeth become loose and eventually fall out. Understanding the cause of your lost teeth means you and your dentist can take steps to prevent missing teeth and protect your smile, keeping it whole and healthy. As we’ll explain, tooth loss leads to serious trouble!
Possible Dangers to Your Smile
Obviously, losing teeth impacts quality of life, harming your confidence and leading to issues with social interaction. However, since the body also takes note of lost teeth and suspends the flow of key nutrients to the jawbone, this means the jawbone issue begins to break down, leading to further lost teeth and eventually, an aged appearance. The gaps in your smile could also cause surrounding teeth to drift, leading to dental misalignment and the risk of cavities and gum disease as brushing and flossing becomes more difficult. Missing teeth also strain your jaw joints and upsets bite balance, enabling TMJ disorder and/or bruxism (teeth grinding) to develop.
Dental Implants and Lifelike Prosthetics
A dental implant can fill the gap in your smile, preventing misalignment and helping you maintain optimal bite balance. In addition, since we insert them into the jawbone surgically, they bond with the bone tissue and act like tooth roots, causing the flow of nutrients to resume and preventing the break down of jawbone tissue. Acting as new tooth roots means they can last much longer than traditional bridges or dentures, decades and even a lifetime in some cases. We cap single tooth dental implants with a crown to ensure a lifelike appearance and the ability to absorb bite forces. For those with multiple missing teeth, several implants can be used to secure a long-lasting bridge or denture.
TALK TO SUNNY SMILES IN EL PASO ABOUT REPLACING LOST TEETH
At Sunny Smiles in El Paso, TX, we can provide lifelike solutions to minor and severe tooth loss. If you have questions about implant dentistry, then you can reach our East El Paso dental practice on 10039 Dyer St., at 915-859-7000!