Tooth Loss
 Tooth loss in children is a reason to celebrate, but in adults it can be problematic. Losing a tooth causes changes in your bite, in your bone, and could disrupt your jaw joint. Even the loss of a single tooth can create a cascade of negative effects. At Century Dental, we can review the cause and discuss various options to rebuild and restore missing teeth. This will improve your oral health and even be better for your overall health.
In the past, it was much more common for people to have untreated missing teeth due to gum disease, decay, and trauma. For many, it may even be considered a normal part of adulthood. Unfortunately, missing teeth brings about other complications including:
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Changes to your Bite: Missing teeth, including one missing tooth or multiple, opens up room for neighboring teeth to roam in an uncontrolled manner. This is not comparable to the process of an orthodontist removing teeth to increase spacing in a controlled manner. As teeth roam, it can cause changes to your bite and how your teeth fit together. These changes will not be in your favor.
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Changes to your Bone: Bone is a living part of your body that is constantly renewing itself. Bone requires movement to know which areas need to be replenished. Without movement, bone will pull back the resources in that area and the bone will decrease in size through sorption causing atrophy to occur. Our jaw bone registers movement through the many fleeting touches and chewing pressure on our teeth. This energy is transferred through the root to the bone. When a tooth is lost, so is this energy. Even a replacement artificial tooth can not do the job without replacing the root through a dental implant.
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Changes to your Diet: Tooth loss often results in changes to your diet. You find that you can no longer chew certain foods, so you eliminate them from your regular diet. The most common change is a reduction in various proteins including both nuts and meats. Changing your diet can affect multiple other areas of your health.
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One of the first changes that occurs following the loss of a tooth is how a person chews. Instead of chewing evenly across their mouth, they will primarily chew on the other side of the missing tooth. This will cause uneven wear to your teeth leading to increased problems for other teeth. |
Replacing a Missing Tooth
Our team at Century Dental would love to discuss various tooth replacement options with you. We offer implant retained options including implant retained dental crowns, partial and full arch dental bridges, and even full implant supported overdentures. We can also discuss more traditional dental bridge and denture systems. Tooth loss does not have to be problematic, we can provide a solution that looks and feels natural. Dental implants come with a variety of options including varying materials, sizes, and how they can be used. We are excited to help you look and feel better. |
