Tooth loss isn’t something you plan for as an adult. Losing a natural tooth is never an ideal outcome. The experience can be painful and humiliating. Even if you take proper care of your teeth, you can still fall victim to an accident that knocks out or breaks one or more of your teeth. Then comes the aftermath. Missing teeth may cause you to feel self conscious about your appearance. Dental prosthetics can replace your missing teeth with life-like substitutes. Dental bridges, dental implants, and dentures can all rebuild your smile and allow you to feel comfortable again.
Tooth Loss Can Strike Healthy Teeth
The best way to prevent tooth loss is by preventing decay. Thoroughly brushing and flossing your teeth, and making regular dentist appointments reduces your risk for tooth loss. However, this condition can still strike healthy teeth. Accidents happen, and physical accidents can break, crack, or even cause you to lose your teeth. If your tooth is knocked out, but it is still clean and undamaged, you can try to place it back in its socket (without touching the roots) and seek treatment as soon as possible. There are certain circumstances where your dentist can save your natural tooth. When that’s not possible, your dentist can provide you with a dental prosthetic.
Dental Prosthetics Include Dentures, Dental Bridges, and Dental Implants
You have options for prosthetics, depending on the nature of your tooth loss. Dentures are used to replace most or all of the teeth on a dental ridge. Partial dentures can be fabricated to fit around your natural teeth and restore your smile. Dental bridges use your natural teeth as supports for the prosthetic. Dental crowns hold replacement teeth — pontics — in alignment and fit over the natural teeth that bookend your missing teeth. This gives the prosthetic more stability than you would experience with dentures. Dental implants are surgically placed in your jawbone. This gives implants superior durability and function.
Replacing Your Teeth Now Will Prevent Additional Complications
Finding the right dental prosthetic, and finding it quickly, is best for your other teeth. Gaps in your smile cause your other teeth to shift. Over time, you may develop an uneven bite that causes additional stress and wear on your remaining teeth. Dental prosthetics restore your smile and the alignment of your bite so that you don’t develop these complications. You should replace your missing teeth as soon as possible for this reason.
Find the Right Dental Prosthetic at Cedar Dental
Finding the right prosthetic is a matter of working with the right dentist. At Cedar Dental, we take time to get to know each patient and understand their individual needs. We can help you determine the correct dental prosthetic for your situation and budget. Schedule an appointment at Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA by calling 319-364-7108.
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