If you are missing teeth, Cosmetic and Advanced Dentistry offers several options to replace them. Tooth loss can have negative effects on your oral health as well as your overall health. Replacing them as soon as possible is best for may patients. Our dentists, Dr. Lazer and Dr. Doroshenko, serve patients from from Towson, MD and many of the surrounding areas.
Missing Teeth are Bad for Your Health
When a tooth is missing or a dentist extracts it, the natural roots that are in the jaw bone also disappear. They are vital to the health of the bone. The teeth roots support the jaw bone and provide the stimulation the bone needs to regenerate. If bone loss occurs in the jaw, the entire shape of your face will become altered.
Tooth loss can make it difficult to eat certain foods, especially if you have many missing teeth. The entire purpose of our teeth is to grind down food so we can easily swallow and digest it. Unfortunately, you may have to eliminate many types of healthy foods from your diet because of the inability to chew them.
If there are voids present along the jaw, the surrounding remaining teeth will begin to shift towards those gaps. It is important to avoid this because shifting teeth can lead to numerous additional problems including bite misalignment. If your bite is off, you can develop painful TMJ problems, frequent headaches, and the remaining teeth can suffer from wear and tear much faster.
It is vital to also point out that missing teeth will affect your self-esteem. It is embarrassing to have others around you notice the gaps in your smile. This can lead to issues with your personal life and your professional life. Many people with tooth loss tend to talk less, not smile, and never laugh due to being self-conscious.
Missing Teeth Solutions in Towson, MD
Dental Implants
Cosmetic and Advanced Dentistry offers many treatments for missing teeth to patients from Towson, MD. However, dental implants are undoubtedly the best solution for tooth loss. It is the only option that prevents bone loss because it replaces the lost or extracted teeth at the bone. The implant fixtures will not only support a dental prosthetic, but they will also act as teeth roots.
The implant post will provide the bone with enough stimulation to regenerate, and bone resorption will not occur. Dental implants also provide the most durable and stable option for teeth replacement. Since the dentist surgically places them into the bone, the dental prosthesis will function just like real teeth. You will have little eating restrictions, and no damage to other teeth will occur in the process. Best of all, you will never have to worry about your new replacement teeth shifting or falling out.
A single dental implant can replace one tooth. Multiple teeth implants can replace a full row or arch of lost teeth.
Learn more about Dental Implants.
Dentures
Dentists traditionally use dentures to replace missing teeth. You can quickly replace most or all of your teeth in less than a month’s time using dentures. While you will not have full chewing capacity, you will be able to enjoy more food than before. Additionally, partial dentures can prevent your remaining teeth from shifting and help hold the natural shape of your face.
However, dentures do not replace the missing teeth roots. Therefore, patients with dentures will slowly suffer from bone loss, facial sagging, and more. This means that you will have to replace the denture every so often. This is because your mouth changes over time, causing your denture to not fit properly.
Learn more about Dentures.
Dental Bridge
Dental bridges replace one or two missing teeth. The process is quick and only involves about two dental appointments to complete. The dentist attaches the bridge on to two teeth that are adjacent to the gap. Because of this, it is fairly strong and will allow you to eat a greater variety of food than before.
However, the dentist will need to permanently reduce those two adjacent healthy teeth to accommodate the dental bridge. Additionally, just like a denture, a dental bridge will not replace teeth at the roots. Bone loss will occur over the years and cause you to periodically replace the bridge.
Learn more about Dental Bridges.
If you have missing teeth, schedule a consultation with one of our expert dentists. We are accepting new patients from Towson, Maryland.