If you have recently lost one of your teeth, you understand how fast it affects your day-to-day life. While a gap in your smile is quite the change in your appearance, your ability to bite comfortably diminishes as well. You may find yourself avoiding certain foods that harm the open socket. Because we rely upon our teeth to form our speech, our voice can change rapidly. Aches and pains can appear in your jaw as you shift it awkwardly in an attempt to complete your bite. Without treatment, this can eventually lead to a condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder. Without the support of your missing tooth, its neighbors begin to drift toward the gap, causing even further bite misalignment. This is why we suggest replacing your dental loss with a prosthetic that helps you regain your smile’s beauty and ability.
At your Ankeny, IA, dental office, we offer restorative treatments that help you navigate losing one of your teeth. For patients exploring nonsurgical solutions, we suggest placing a dental bridge that attaches to crowns placed on either side of your lost tooth’s gap. This helps you prevent misalignment that occurs with dental drift while restoring your complete bite. Because we design each bridge to mimic the appearance of your missing tooth, your smile will look as good as whole once again!
What Causes Tooth Loss?
The conditions that lead to missing teeth may vary, but understanding the most common reasons can help you preserve your smile. When tooth decay progresses beyond small cavities, you can eventually lose so much healthy material that repair with a filling or crown becomes unfeasible. If this happens, we may suggest extracting your tooth to treat any pain and prevent the additional spread of decay. Similarly, physical accidents and sporting injuries can knock out teeth that may not be able to be placed back in their socket. When this happens, we also suggest pursuing prosthetic replacement.
Gum disease remains the leading cause of missing teeth among adults. By attending dental checkups regularly, you can preserve your gingival tissue with regular cleaning. If we discover a gum infection, we can put you on periodontal maintenance to keep it in check and preserve your smile.
Designing Your Bridge
We will take precise measurements of your remaining oral structures to design a custom bridge. This convenient prosthetic solution can even replace multiple adjacent missing teeth on a single row. After attaching your bridge to crowns on either side of your open socket, we will inspect its status at your followup cleanings and exams. With proper care, a dental bridge can last for a decade or more!
Speak With Your Ankeny, IA, Dentist About Replacing Your Tooth
We look forward to helping you restore your missing teeth! If you would like to learn more about this prosthetic option or any other we offer, please contact your Ankeny, IA, dentist’s office at (515) 207-6182 to schedule a visit.
