Dental Conditions Missing Teeth

Not having teeth cleaned regularly and checked for maintenance can allow minor areas of concern to progress beyond repair. Once the tooth is too far gone, it can result in tooth loss. Examples of early prevention include: fillings, inlays/onlays, crowns, dental check-ups, cleaning, and gum disease treatment

A poorly aligned bite can result in unnecessarily strong forces on the teeth. This can be pain free, but in some cases it comes with jaw pain and sensitivity to chewing. The continued force can lead to tooth loss.

Overcrowded teeth will wear down unevenly and cause changes to the bite over time. Additionally, they are more difficult to clean and maintain due to tight spots around the teeth. This can also result in the gums being asphyxiated or squeezed out, leading to the loss of the tooth’s supportive structures.

Although it may sound odd, diabetes is a risk factor for tooth loss. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause the oral environment to struggle to maintain the balance of healthy bacteria and salivary enzymes. It can also lead to difficulty healing from minor trauma.

Smoking (of any kind) as well as chewing tobacco and drug abuse all have the risk of causing negative effects to the mouth. They can reduce blood flow to the gums due to smoke irritation, which causes the gums to recede and loosen the teeth. Even prescription drugs under a physician’s guidance can result in dry mouth, robbing it of its regenerative strength.

Improper nutrition can make it so your body isn’t able to maintain your oral environment. This can lead to damage over time and reduced recovery from injury.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle overall will go a long way in preventing and reducing the risk factors associated with tooth loss

Not allowing decay or disease in the mouth to run rampant is a key preventative measure. Address oral health concerns early to prevent early tooth loss.

Mouth-guards for sports can help prevent traumatic injury from blunt force. Research also shows a reduction in concussions when wearing proper guards.

A custom-made orthotic for your mouth can help when there are signs of an improper neuromuscular bite. Improper bites can lead to abnormal jaw movement and result in traumatic chewing forces on teeth. This can create excessive wear and permanent damage.

Orthodontic treatment, in the form of clear aligners, can move the teeth into a more natural position. This not only reduces the abnormal wear forces on the teeth but also improves the architecture of the gums and the aesthetics of the smile

Today our most advanced treatment for tooth replacement is dental implants, as they provide many advantages over traditional options:

1. Comfortable single-appointment procedure in most cases (tooth removal, implant placement and temporary placement)
2. The adjacent teeth are not drilled and need not be harmed
3. Little to no immune response is elicited.
4. Look and feel natural
5. Prevent collapse of bone and gums and maintain the body’s full function
6. With proper maintenance, implants have a 98% long term success rate, higher than any other options available

Prior to dental implants, options such as bridges were, and still are, available. We use full ceramic or zirconia bridges that have no metal in them to provide the best aesthetics and to minimize or eliminate any immune response

Multiple teeth may be replaced with a combination of implants and bridge options. For example, the entire jaw can have 4 implants placed and a bridge placed over them to replace all of our teeth.