When you have a damaged or decayed tooth, we help with a filling or crown. But what if you have a missing tooth? For minor tooth loss, or even more advanced cases, we can help with options like dental bridges and dental implants. In today’s blog, your Ankeny, IA, dentist talks about our custom dental prosthetics.
The Impact of Tooth Loss
When we lose our teeth, the gap could allow nearby teeth to shift, creating dental misalignment. Poor alignment not only impacts your smile’s appearance, but could increase the risk of cavities and gum disease. Tooth loss could also strain the jaw so you may develop painful complications like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). You could have issues eating your favorite dishes and even speaking clearly could be a difficult process. The body will also suspend the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the jaw, and without these nutrients, the jawbone breaks down to cause further tooth also and an older appearance. Which is why when you lose natural teeth you need to see us right for a dental prosthetic!
Dental Bridges
For minor cases, such as one to three or four missing teeth in a row, we could offer a dental bridge. The prosthetic will contain new teeth, known as pontics, with crowns attached to one or both ends. The bridge is custom-made using ceramic, so it can handle daily bite forces and pressures, and also be shaded to blend with your smile too. When complete, we will place the crown portions on the abutment teeth on each side of the gap in your smile, which secures your new ones firmly in place for years to come, as many as 15 in some cases.
Implant Dentistry
While bridges fill the gap and prevent many complications, with dental implants we can halt the loss of jawbone mass and density. The dental implant portion is a small post made from biocompatible titanium. Inserted into the jaw, this is accepted by the body as natural root structure. The flow of key nutrients resumes, and your jaw and facial structure remain intact. Which means your new tooth could last decades to come! We can use them to address a single missing tooth, or to support a bridge or even a full set of dentures.
If you have any questions about how we replace missing teeth with a dental implant or a bridge, or if you have a gap that needs attention, then contact our team today to learn more.
Dental Impressions Offers Lifelike Tooth Replacement
We have options that can fill gaps and protect your smile from major oral health issues. To learn more about the process of replacing your lost teeth, then call Dental Impressions in Ankeny, IA today at (515) 965-0230.
